In-N-Out Burger this week announced several menu changes in line with a recent push to reduce use of artificial dyes and processed ingredients.
The beloved California-born chain said it had recently removed sesame flour from its buns in 10 states, replaced iodized salt with sea salt in its seasoning packets and changed its ketchup recipe last year to use real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
The company said the changes were part of an effort to provide “the freshest, highest-quality food possible.”
The removal of sesame flour appears to address growing sesame allergies, although the company did not explain its rationale for the change.
People with sensitivities to the seed have long been vulnerable to reactions from accidental exposure because regulators have not required labeling of the ingredient. Labeling rules tightened in 2023, but, counterintuitively, they caused big commercial companies to add sesame into products in order to comply rather than go through a more complicated process of ensuring trace amounts weren’t present in other ingredients.
In-N-Out added sesame flourto its mixture in 2024. The recent change reverses that decision.
The changes elicited strong praise from some and criticism from others.
“Weirdly stoked on the sea salt option,” one Instagram user wrote on In-N-Out’s social media post about the changes.
“Our bodies actually need iodized salt,” another user wrote.
Iodized table salt is mined from underground deposits, processed to remove other minerals and fortified with iodine, which is important for thyroid health and proper hormone production. Sea salt, meanwhile, refers to salt extracted from ocean water or lakes. It’s typically less processed, with larger, irregular grains, and retains other minerals.
According to the Mayo Clinic, sea salt is frequently promoted as being healthier, with less sodium than table salt, but in fact they have “the same basic nutritional value.”
Last year, the company changed its popular strawberry shake and signature pink lemonade recipes to remove red dye No. 40, a synthetic additive used to give foods and drinks a bright red hue.
The recipe changes come on the heels of an announcement by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, which asked companies to more quickly remove red dye No. 3 — a similar synthetic food coloring.
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