Worldwide stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes of Big Mac® patties: An example of a truly “glocal” food

• Published in: Food chemistry Vol. 127; no. 4; pp. 1712 - 1718
• Main Authors: Martinelli, Luiz A., Nardoto, Gabriela B., Chesson, Lesley A., Rinaldi, Fernando D., Ometto, Jean Pierre H.B., Cerling, Thure E., Ehleringer, James R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Kidlington Elsevier Ltd 15.08.2011; Elsevier
• Subjects: Beef; Big Mac; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon isotopes; Food industries; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Glocal food; Meat and meat product industries; Nitrogen isotopes; Nitrogen isotopes; Beef; Big Mac; Carbon isotopes; Glocal food; Meat product; Nitrogen; Carbon; Isotopes; Food
• ISSN: 0308-8146; 1873-7072
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.02.046

► Big Mac® is connected with globalisation of food production. ► We found that Big Mac® patties contain carbon produced locally. ► In this sense Big Macs are truly “glocalised” and not “globalised” food. The Big Mac®, McDonald’s® signature burger, is a global food served in over 100 countries. We measured carbon ( δ 13C) and nitrogen ( δ 15N) stable isotope ratios of Big Macs® from twenty-six countries. The δ 13C values varied from −25.4‰ to −11.1‰, representing cattle-rearing systems based exclusively on C 3 plants, exclusively on C 4 plants, or both C 3 and C 4 plants. Median δ 15N value was 6.6‰; the 25th and 75th percentile were 5.9‰ and 7.3‰, respectively. Calculated percentages of imported beef were consistent with the δ 13C values of purchased Big Macs®. Japanese patties had higher δ 13C values than expected based on that country’s C 3 agriculture, however Japan imports beef from Australia, where C 4 plants are prevalent. Lower latitude countries generally had higher δ 13C values than higher latitude countries, reflecting the larger distribution of C 4 plants in warm regions. Although Big Macs® are a global food, we conclude they also contain local components.