Why McDonalds’ Food Never Rots, And Why You Should Avoid It.

The picture above shows a McDonalds’ hamburger in a jar that is 7 YEARS OLD. Appetizing isn’t it? We have all heard about the stories of Mickey D’s food that doesn’t go bad. Here is an explanation as to why…..

Excerpts Italicized:

Ever since Morgan Spurlock held up that jar of mysteriously well-preserved fries in "Super Size Me," the list of exhibits in the McDonald’s museum of food-that-refuses-go-bad has grown exponentially. The latest entrant is the Happy Meal Project, a burger and a packet of fries that have soldiered on undecayed for 143 days.

Started by New York photographer Sally Davies, as a part-art, part-food science experiment, the Happy Meal Project involves Davies documenting a Happy Meal every few days until it spoils. At day 137, the meal still looks pretty great.

And then there are other, more shocking examples of McDonald’s food's weird indestructibility: like this poor burger that’s been around for 12 years. This one managed to stave off mold for a year and this one’s been around the country in this lady’s purse for more than four years. Each experiment, of course, brings with it a new wave of fear and outrage over the chemicals and preservatives that are making our fast food almost inorganic.

For its part, McDonald’s has remained largely silent. The fast food giant’s Chinese arm released a statement this May to counter the hysteria over Joann Bruso’s year-long experiment. It announced that all its patties are made of 100 percent USDA-approved beef and are completely preservative-free. Sneakily, though, it made no mention of its fries, bread, cheese or sauce.

Some interesting highlights:

- The fries are about 50% fat, which does not allow for moisture. Without moisture, bacteria cannot grow.

The beef patty is high in fat, varying between 37 and 54 percent of the total caloric content. (They are naturally gray and need food coloring to make them look like actual hamburgers instead of fat patties.)

- Thin fries and patties: increased heat per surface area, killing more bacteria and moisture

- Coated and/or filled with salt: draws out moisture.

Salon writes, "A Happy Meal manages to stay unspoiled because it is fatty, salty and practically empty of nutrients -- which, really, are all good reasons to avoid it anyway."

I think I may have lost my appetite for their hamburgers……..but I still love the fries…lol

(ORIGNAL LINK) The secret to the immortality of McDonald's food - Food technology - Salon.com