Chick-fil-A's waffle fries may taste different: Here's why
Editor's Note: This story has been updated to include a statement from Chick-fil-A that was provided after publication.
(NEXSTAR) — It's not uncommon for fast food restaurants to change their menus or recipes, but a new change from Chick-fil-A seems to be receiving some heat.
Chick-fil-A previously announced it would make "a slight adjustment" to its Waffle Potato Fries by adding pea starch to the coating. The move is meant to keep them "crispier, longer" while maintaining the "same great taste."
Some customers, however, seemingly disagree.
"The new waffle fries are horrible," one Reddit user wrote. "They are stale, dry, and hardened! My whole family hates them. I'm still in disbelief that this has happened."
"The fries were already good. Why mess with it??" a comment left on a Chick-fil-A Instagram post read. Other comments called the new fries "awful" and "terrible," with many asking for the old fries to come back.
Some users also noted that while pea starch is not a major allergen, those with a peanut allergy may also have a reaction to the starch. There have been cases in which people who are allergic to peanuts or other legume seed-derived foods experience allergic reactions to pea protein and other pea products, according to the Michigan State University Center for Research on Ingredient Safety.
However, the chances of experiencing a severe reaction are "expected to be low," Health Canada notes.
When asked about the allergen concerns related to its adjusted fry recipe, Chick-fil-A referred Nexstar to its website where it confirmed the recipe "doesn't contain any of the nine major allergens."
"We know Chick-fil-A fans love our Waffle Potato Fries," the spokesperson said in a statement. "Last year we made a slight adjustment to our Waffle Potato Fries recipe, which offers the same great taste while also making our Waffle Potato Fries stay crispier, longer."
Daryl-Ann Denner, a Chick-fil-A enthusiast and founder and CEO of clothing brand Nuuds, recently told Southern Living that she noticed the change in November, but thought she had "a bad batch" of waffle fries. Then she had a similar experience while visiting her mom.
"They are dry, grainy, and have no flavor anymore," Denner added, noting she no longer orders fries with her meal.
Not including the return of fan-favorite items, Chick-fil-A has made big changes to its menu before. Early last year, Chick-fil-A changed its chicken when it switched from purchasing chicken that had No Antibiotics Ever to No Antibiotics Important To Human Medicine (NAIHM).