What brand of ketchup does McDonald’s use?

As fast food restaurants grew in popularity in the mid-20th century and beyond, some of their menu items developed cult status. Today, the world is full of people who choose Wendy’s for its Frosty, Burger King for its signature Whopper, and McDonald’s for its fries – just to name a few. But if you’re a true fast food connoisseur, you might notice that McDonald’s ketchup has a semi-sweet, sour flavor that tastes somehow different than anything available on store shelves. That’s because the burger giant doesn’t source its ketchup from another company. It makes its own version of the condiment, known as “Fancy” ketchup.

No, the Fancy label is not self-proclaimed. This is actually a certification that the U.S. Department of Agriculture gives to ketchup brands in the United States that use high-quality ingredients. It must be at least 1/3 tomato solids, which gives it its rich color, texture and flavor. Following the bizarre evolution of ketchup, there are four grades of standard tomato ketchup, with grade A being the highest. This is where McDonald’s ketchup comes into play.

If you could swear that McDonald’s once served the popular Heinz brand of ketchup, your memory won’t fail you. McDonald’s did have a partnership with Heinz, but most of it ended in 1973 when Heinz chose the glass bottle business over McDonald’s due to a tomato shortage. After that, McDonald’s in Pittsburgh and Minneapolis still had Heinz ketchup, but that stopped in 2013. “Due to recent management changes at Heinz, we have decided to transition our business to other suppliers over time,” a statement from McDonald’s read to Time, per NBC. It referred to a former CEO of Burger King being hired to head Heinz.

McDonald’s originally planned to add more suppliers over time, but in the United States, its house brand can be found at every location. Although some think that all ketchups look and taste the same, McDonald’s house brand ketchup is slightly thinner and sweeter than the Heinz variety. Not everyone cares, but real ketchup fans could probably tell the difference.