The more natural a food is, the healthier it is right? It is common knowledge that food that is not full of preservatives will go bad quickly, and that fast food is not the healthiest option. In fact, an accidental experiment is shedding new light on the quality of fast food.
It started with a bet between photographer Sally Davies and her friend. Davies read about Karen Hanrahan purchasing a McDonald’s hamburger in 1996 and how after 12 years it still had not decomposed. Hanrahan used the burger to show people the benefits of a healthy diet. Davies was interested in this story and mentioned to a friend. This friend thought she was crazy and bet her that a burger would mold or rot after a few days on the kitchen counter.
Davies took the bet, purchased a Happy Meal, and set it out on the counter just like she would do with her handbags. Davies took pictures daily, but quickly realized that it was going to be a tedious task and decided to take pictures every week or so. After 180 days, there was not a spot of mold or a fleck of rot on the burger, bun, or fries. The only change in over six months was that the burger shrunk a bit as it dried out and the bun got stale, with a small piece falling off the edge.
McDonald’s has consistently claimed of only using natural ingredients in their foods. Scientists have weighed in on this interesting event, stating that the high level of sodium is keeping the burger and fries from decomposing. Scientists also say that food with high fat content has less moisture, and moisture is needed for mold to grow. If a fast food burger has as much salt and fat in it to become a hockey puck, just think of what it can do to a person.
