McDonald's
Everyone knows that junk and fast food is not healthy. However, McDonald's recently needed to respond to a viral myth about just how unhealthy their food is. Do their burgers really not rot? Read on to find out…
Viral Burger TikTok
Tik Tok
Recently, on TikTok, a user by the name of @aly.sherb posted a video showing off a reportedly decades-old burger. Even stranger, it seems to have no rot on it whatsoever. In the video, @aly.sherb takes out a box from the closet that simply reads "hamburger" on it. "So you want to see my hamburger? It lives in a box in my closet," the owner said. After taking the burger out of the bag, which clearly reads 1996, the TikToker showed one good-looking burger. Well, good-looking, considering it could have legally ordered a drink four years ago!
"The hamburger itself, the bread has never molded, the meat has never rotted, it's never even broken, it's completely intact. Not sure what would happen if you ate it though," @aly.sherb says in the video. She even kept the French fries! "The french fries look like they could've fallen under your seat a month or so ago, but never rotted or decayed."
Since posting the video, @aly.sherb's expose has earned over 500,000 shares and nearly as many comments. So, its really no wonder McDonald's needed to respond…
Real or Fake?
McDonalds
Almost immediately, McDonald's put out a statement debunking the claims that its burgers do not rot." In the right environment, our burgers, like most other foods, could decompose," the company said in a clear and cut statement. "But, in order to decompose, you need certain conditions — specifically moisture. Without sufficient moisture – either in the food itself or the environment — bacteria and mold may not grow and therefore, decomposition is unlikely."
"Food prepared at home that is left to dehydrate could see similar results. Look closely, the burgers you are seeing are likely dried out and dehydrated, and by no means 'the same as the day they were purchased,'" the company continued. "There are no preservatives or fillers in our patties and the only thing ever added is a touch of salt and pepper on the grill."
Believe it or not, this is far from the first time McDonald's has had to deal with such claims!
Not The First Time
McDonalds
Does all this sound familiar? Well, in 2015, McDonald's released a very similar response to Hjörtur Smárason, an Icelandic anthropologist. He made an almost identical claim: that his burger and fries and not decomposed in six years!
Then, a year later, Jennifer Lovdahl shared a photo of a McNuggets Happy Meal on social media that she claimed had also remained undisturbed for over six years. "It's been sitting at our office this whole time and has not rotted, molded, or decomposed at all!!!" she captioned the pictures. Every time McDonald's has maintained that this results from lack of moisture, given their location, rather than something in their food. After all, if it's really not decomposed at all, these people would have no problem having a bight, right?
Sources: Fox News, Yahoo! Life
