So, I'm having some hash browns for breakfast at work this morning (yeah, on a Saturday...) and I noticed that I could salt one whole hash brown with about 1/3 of a salt packet, but it took me six pepper packets. Now, I do like a lot of pepper, but if I used the same portion of a packet as I used for salt, I would have approximately eight tiny flecks of pepper spread about my hash brown.

Why are these companies so frugal with the pepper?

So, I'm having some hash browns for breakfast at work this morning (yeah, on a Saturday...) and I noticed that I could salt one whole hash brown with about 1/3 of a salt packet, but it took me six pepper packets. Now, I do like a lot of pepper, but if I used the same portion of a packet as I used for salt, I would have approximately eight tiny flecks of pepper spread about my hash brown.

Why are these companies so frugal with the pepper?

Aggravating ain't it. I like pepper on my eggs, hash browns, grits, whatever..........and I like alot, so it takes me like 16 friggin packets! :banghead:

By the time I'm done opening all the packs, everything is cold! I thought maybe it's a cost cutting tactic by the company, but even that's backfiring because to have enough pepper, you have to take a huge handful of pepper packets, but you can easily get away with just one or two of the well-filled salt packets.

Wow... talk about randomness....

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By the time I'm done opening all the packs, everything is cold! I thought maybe it's a cost cutting tactic by the company, but even that's backfiring because to have enough pepper, you have to take a huge handful of pepper packets, but you can easily get away with just one or two of the well-filled salt packets.

Ah...but wouldn't they save more money by not using as much paper? You know...more than once I have had an empty pepper packet...never a salt though...hmmmmm.

cause it causes colon cancer, and if they gave you enough, they might be neglectful and get sued for knowingly giving you amounts that could eventually cause cancer in your body 15 years from now.

Got proof? j/k

If they are that worried about getting sued I guess that would explain the empty packet.

heh im 1 of those people who hatea pepper on anything...sometimes at restaurants they put pepper on my eggs...then i think....wtf i dont want this, but i eat it anyway b/c im not the type of person to send back perfectly good eggs over a few specks of pepper

salt is white, pepper is black....get my drift.? lol

then you have mustard thats yellow and ketchup thats red and cinnamon thats brown.
there you have it.. the united nations.

Salt is produced domestically and basically is lying around in/on the ground. Taken from a clean mine, it requires almost no processing. (Sea salt is a different story, but I'm sure McD's isn't giving you sea salt with your hashbrowns.) Peppercorns must be imported and milled. It costs more.

Okay, but then, by putting almost no pepper in the packets (and sometimes ACTUALLY none), I've learned, as I'm sure many others have, that I need to take a gigantic wad of pepper and only maybe 1 or 2 salt packets if I want to season my food. I'm pretty sure this actually ends up just wasting more pepper and costing more money.

Okay, but then, by putting almost no pepper in the packets (and sometimes ACTUALLY none), I've learned, as I'm sure many others have, that I need to take a gigantic wad of pepper and only maybe 1 or 2 salt packets if I want to season my food. I'm pretty sure this actually ends up just wasting more pepper and costing more money.

Rhawb, I'm guessing that the percentage of patrons who use the packaged salt & pepper to season their food is small enough to not affect the cost/return ratio.

It's simple: If you accidentally over-pepper your food, it's inedible. So the packets contain small enough amounts so that even if you spill the entire contents on your food, it's not ruined. Some people just like a hint of pepper, others like their eggs black with it; but by rationing the portion of pepper to the lowest common denominator, McDonalds protects itself from the wrath of irate over-peppered customers.

I can't believe none of you guys actually figured that out.:Wconfused

It's simple: If you accidentally over-pepper your food, it's inedible. So the packets contain small enough amounts so that even if you spill the entire contents on your food, it's not ruined. Some people just like a hint of pepper, others like their eggs black with it; but by rationing the portion of pepper to the lowest common denominator, McDonalds protects itself from the wrath of irate over-peppered customers.

I can't believe none of you guys actually figured that out.:Wconfused

Actually you did figure out why I, at least, didn't figure it out. I like a lot of pepper on my food. Spilling the entire packet would be intentional. Furthermore I'm not convinced that you're right! :)

Edit: This thought just occurred to me- The salt and pepper packets are bought from a vendor- the restaurant is getting ripped-off by their supplier.

Ghawd, it's midnight and I'm sitting at the computer thinking about packets of salt and pepper. AND posting about it on a Website for sports-car owners...I need to go get in the 8 and take a drive. The cool night air will do me some good. :banghead:

It's simple: If you accidentally over-pepper your food, it's inedible. So the packets contain small enough amounts so that even if you spill the entire contents on your food, it's not ruined. Some people just like a hint of pepper, others like their eggs black with it; but by rationing the portion of pepper to the lowest common denominator, McDonalds protects itself from the wrath of irate over-peppered customers.

I can't believe none of you guys actually figured that out.:Wconfused

so explain salt to me... if you over-salt your food its inedible also........