This is a sponsored conversation in collaboration with McDonald’s. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Last week, I showed you where Cuties Clementines are grown – this week I’m going to show you where & how they’re processed. After we saw the orange groves in Bakersfield, CA-we boarded the bus headed to the Sun Pacific Processing Plant, in Maricopa, CA. This wasn’t my first Farm to Table tour with McDonald’s, I’ve also seen where their apples are processed and where their lettuce is grown & processed. As I’ve said before, I’m a real McDonald’s customer – I eat their food and so does my family. I appreciate being able to actually see (with my own eyes) where that food is grown & how it’s processed before reaching the restaurant. I applaud McDonald’s for making these tours available so people like me can see what goes on behind the scenes. Who’s ready to see the Sun Pacific Processing Plant?
Sun Pacific
Anytime you participate in a food processing plant tour, there are certain rules you must abide by. No jewelry, everyone needs hairnets, beard nets for the men, wash hands, sign in, badges … the whole nine. Once we were all geared up, the tour began.
First, the processing plant is humongous! Over 1 million square feet, yeah, HUGE! It was also bustling with activity, as you can imagine. The plant churns out 55 million boxes of Cuties a year, that’s a very impressive (almost unbelievable!) number of oranges. There were workers everywhere, some on the “assembly” line, some driving around in forklifts, ALL of them very busy and working hard in an extremely fast-paced environment. We had to make sure to stay clear of all the forklifts and off to the side where we wouldn’t impede the work that was going on all around us. 
You know me, I wanted to take pictures of each & every little thing that was happening around me, so I could share it with all of you… and I think I did…but I had to narrow down my pics for this post. I took a lot of videos too- here’s one of 6 from the processing plant, that I’ve posted to Youtube. I encourage you to take a look at all 6 of my Sun Pacific Processing Plant videos.
Until you’ve been on a tour like this, you really have no idea how much work goes into getting the food you buy in the grocery store, or order at a restaurant… from farm to table. These oranges arrive at the plant, then they have to be cleaned, sorted, weighed, inspected, separated, bagged, boxed, and shipped out. All of this must be done in a timely matter. Whew! Did you know it takes just 2 weeks or less from the time Cuties are harvested to when they arrive at your local McDonald’s for your Happy Meals & Mighty Kids Meals?
Maybe that’s one reason why Cuties are the #1 selling Clementine in the country, and I’m thinking the other reason has got to be the way they taste! 
The oranges that make it to your grocery store and to McDonald’s, are quite literally the cream of the crop. All the oranges are inspected for weight, color, size & ripeness. The ones that are the “Cutest” go on to become Cuties. The ones that aren’t picture perfect, but still delicious, are used to make Cuties 100% Tangerine juice. 
But what about the ones that are a little bit too ripe, or a little bruised, what becomes of those oranges? Are they just thrown away? I’m happy to report those oranges that don’t make the grade are dried out, ground up, and added into cattle food. That’s right, cows get cuties too! In the photo below, you can see the oranges that will be used for cattle feed. I looked at them very closely, and while some of them were split open, none of them looked “rotten”- so I’m not worried about any cows having to consume rotten oranges! In this day & age where so much food is just thrown away & wasted, I was very impressed to see how Sun Pacific deals with their over ripe oranges.
McDonald’s & Cuties
McDonald’s customers nationwide can choose to enjoy Cuties, Go-GURT low-fat Strawberry Yogurt or Apple Slices, as a side in both Happy Meals & Mighty Kids Meals. The introduction of Cuties is just the latest example of McDonald’s USA’s ongoing commitment to champion children’s well-being as part of their “Commitments to Offer Improved Nutrition Choices.” And when it comes right down to it, it truly is all about choices, isn’t it? We choose what to eat each & every day-it’s our choice. I’m thankful that McDonald’s continues to add healthier choices to their menu for all of us.
Now if you don’t mind, I’m off to eat another Non-GMO verified, gluten-free, delicious Cutie!
