Is This What Wendy's Does With Leftover Frosty Mixtures?

Whether you're enjoying it with a hamburger or dipping your fries into it, the Frosty is an iconic treat at Wendy's. Seemingly a cross between a milkshake and soft-serve ice cream, this cup of cold and creamy dessert has been around since Dave Thomas opened the first Wendy's all the way back in 1969 (via Wendy's). 

The fast-food company sells more than 300 million Frostys annually, according to Reader's Digest, a testament to their popularity. What makes them so popular can be chalked up to a variety of reasons, ranging from their affordable price, being made with real milk and cocoa (via Wendy's), and their unique cross between drinking a shake and eating ice cream. 

But 300 million Frostys sure is a lot to swallow — literally! If there is leftover Frosty mix after a busy day, what exactly do employees even do with it? The answer to this question may surprise you because of the ingenuity of Wendy's, or may make you hesitant to order a Frosty alongside your fries again.

Insider shared some secrets about Wendy's that you may not know — which are more intriguing because writer Kayla Blanton's first job was working at a Wendy's. Blanton explains that the information is only from one specific location — not necessarily all Wendy's locations. 

The Frosty information begins with an explanation that Wendy's does try to cut back on waste by using as much food as possible in different ways. For example, Blanton's location would store unused beef patties and later grind them into the meat for chili. Similarly, employees emptied out the Frosty machine, cleaned it, and dumped the excess mixture into a bucket and stored it overnight in the freezer. Then they would add it back to the machine the next day. Blanton assures that this was entirely hygienic, despite that "the bucket thing sounds unsanitary and weird."

It's possible this was something done only at Blanton's location, and isn't a Wendy's-wide practice. According to Wendy's itself, the company does strive to reduce food waste through the use of food donation programs and quality assurance testing. Recycling Frosty mixtures isn't mentioned, however. Just a little food for thought if you want to order a Frosty.