The News

 If you’ve visited a Chick-fil-A recently and wondered why their beloved waffle fries look a bit different, your eyes aren’t deceiving you. In November 2024, the brand added pea starch to their Potato Waffle Fries recipe in an effort to make the popular side stay crispier, longer.

The change went largely under the radar, but Chick-fil-A enthusiasts like Daryl-Ann Denner noticed the change immediately.

"I eat Chick-fil-A at least a few times a week, and I would say by the middle of November I caught on to something being different with the fries,” Denner, the founder and CEO of clothing brand Nuuds, tells Southern Living. “At first, I just thought I kept getting a bad batch. Then, I blamed it on the location being off, but when I visited another location with my mom, I asked her if she noticed that the fries were grainier than usual."

Denner says her mom confirmed she noticed the same difference in the fries.

“I immediately went to Google and saw a notice that CFA had changed the recipe for their fries,” Denner, 34, says of the notice of the change on the brand’s website.  

The Texas-based Chick-fil-A superfan isn’t an outlier. 

A recent social media post from the brand is flooded with comments from guests citing taste and quality concerns—and begging the brand to revert back to the old style of fries.

“Your new fries are terrible. I can’t even eat them anymore and they were my favorite thing. Please go back!” one user wrote. 

Another added, “Please bring back the old fries, new ones are sooo gross!”

Taste and quality aside, parents are concerned about the recipe change, citing food allergies.

“So many kiddos with peanut allergies also cannot eat peas!! Unfortunately we won’t be able to eat there anymore now,” one mom commented.

Another mom added, “Please go back to the original fries. My daughter has an allergy to peas and pea protein. We can no longer visit the restaurant due to allergy concerns and cross contamination.”

On the Chick-fil-A website, food allergies, as well as food safety, are addressed with a link to access food and nutrition for all menu items at Chick-fil-A, noting that the new recipe does not contain any of the nine major allergens.

“We know Chick-fil-A fans love our Waffle Potato Fries. We recently 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,” a Chick-fil-A spokesperson tells Southern Living.

But for some Chick-fil-A lovers, the change is not worth it.

“They used to be my favorite snack,” Denner says, saying her entire family wants the old recipe back. “Whether or not I was getting a meal, I would get fries and a large Diet Coke. Now, I order my entree and don’t get a fry. They are dry, grainy, and have no flavor anymore. My kids won’t even eat them.”

 Soccer star Lionel Messi was unable to accept the Presidential Medal of Freedom from President Joe Biden on Saturday due to a scheduling issue.

Messi, the Argentine World Cup champion, was noticeably absent during the ceremony where 18 other recipients received the highest civilian honor in the United States.

Messi sent a letter to the White House to inform officials he would be unable to attend after learning in December he would receive the honor, Messi’s management team and Inter Miami told USA TODAY Sports.

Messi said he is deeply honored and it is a profound privilege to receive the recognition, but would be unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts and prior commitments. Messi appreciated the gesture and noted he hopes to have the opportunity to meet Biden in the near future.

Hillary Rodham Clinton, basketball legend Magic Johnson, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, U2 frontman Bono, actors Michael J. Fox and Denzel Washington, and popular science education host Bill Nye were among recipients Saturday.

Messi, 37, is the most decorated player in the history of professional soccer, finishing his legendary career in the United States with Inter Miami in Major League Soccer.

Messi has won 46 titles for club and country during his career, including four UEFA Champions Leagues, two Copa Americas and one FIFA World Cup. He has also won eight Ballon d'Or awards and named FIFA's world's best player eight times.

Messi was named MLS MVP in his first full season last year, scoring 20 goals and adding 16 assists in 19 matches while his club set a league record with a 74-point campaign.

Messi will begin a busy 2025 with Inter Miami later this month, which includes competing in the FIFA Club World Cup this summer.

Messi has yet to declare whether he will play in the 2026 World Cup, hosted by the United States, Canada and Mexico.

The White House recognized Messi for supporting “healthcare and education programs for children around the world through the Leo Messi Foundation and serves as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador.”

The Presidential Medal of Freedom is considered the highest civilian honor in the country. It is presented to individuals who have made exemplary contributions to the prosperity, values, or security of the United States, world peace, or other significant societal, public or private endeavors.