McDonald’s Happy Meal resists decomposition for six months
 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot...for-six-months
Tue Oct 12, 1:54 pm ET
McDonald’s Happy Meal resists decomposition for six months
By Brett Michael Dykes


Vladimir Lenin, King Tut and the McDonald's Happy Meal: What do they all have in common? A shocking resistance to Mother Nature's cycle of decomposition and biodegradability, apparently.

That's the disturbing point brought home by the latest project of New York City-based artist and photographer Sally Davies, who bought a McDonald's Happy Meal back in April and left it out in her kitchen to see how well it would hold up over time.

The results? "The only change that I can see is that it has become hard as a rock," Davies told the U.K. Daily Mail.

She proceeded to photograph the Happy Meal each week and posted the pictures to Flickr to record the results of her experiment. Now, just over six months later, the Happy Meal has yet to even grow mold. She told the Daily Mail that "the food is plastic to the touch and has an acrylic sheen to it."


Davies -- whose art has been featured in numerous films and television shows and is collected by several celebrities -- told The Upshot that she initiated the project to prove a friend wrong. He believed that any burger would mold or rot within two or three days of being left on a counter. Thus began what's become known as "The Happy Meal Art Project."

[DIY: Make happier meals for your kids at home -- just don't forget one key tip]

"I told my friend about a schoolteacher who's kept a McDonald's burger for 12 years that hasn't changed at all, and he didn't believe me when I told him about it," Davies told us. "He thought I was crazy and said I shouldn't believe everything that I read, so I decided to try it myself."

[Did you know? Before the Happy Meal, there was the Fun Meal]

Some observers of the photo series have noted that the burger's bun appears at different angles, and therefore aired suspicions that the Happy Meal may not in fact be as "untouched" as the project's groundrules stipulate. Davies says there's a simple explanation for the mobile-bun effect. "The meal is on a plate in my apartment on a shelf," she says, "and when I take it down to shoot it, the food slides around. It's hard as rock on a glass plate, so sure, the food is moving."

Photo courtesy of Sally Davies
Davies' friend was the person who should have done the additional research. Wellness and nutrition educator Karen Hanrahan has indeed kept a McDonald's hamburger since 1996 to show clients and students how resistant fast food can be to decomposition.

As for Davies, she said that she might just keep her burger and fries hanging around for a while as well.

"It's sitting on a bookshelf right now, so it's not really taking up any space, so why not?" she said. It ceased giving off any sort of odor after 24 hours, she said, adding: "You have to see this thing."

In response to Davies' project, McDonald's spokeswoman Theresa Riley emailed The Upshot a statement defending the quality of the chain's food. Riley's email also blasted Davies' "completely unsubstantiated" work as something out of "the realm of urban legends."

"McDonald's hamburger patties in the United States are made with 100% USDA-inspected ground beef," Riley wrote. "Our hamburgers are cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else -- no preservatives, no fillers. Our hamburger buns are baked locally, are made from North American-grown wheat flour and include common government-approved ingredients designed to assure food quality and safety. ... According to Dr. Michael Doyle, Director, Center for Food Safety at the University of Georgia, 'From a scientific perspective, I can safely say that the way McDonald's hamburgers are freshly processed, no hamburger would look like this after one year unless it was tampered with or held frozen.'"

Then there is always the family favorite the McRib. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, tasty.

That makes me want to eat 2 or 3.

Usually I shrug this stuff off. But this might make me never eat McDonalds again. More the McRib picture than anything else. I haven't had a McRib in probably 7 years, but that picture still makes my insides want to take a shower.

Eh, big deal. It only takes a few hours to decompose in my body.

What was the environment? Temps and humidity are a huge factor. If the test area was below 50%, which I'm going to say it probably was, it more than likely wouldn't have grown mold anyway. Why wouldn't the tester not know this and record at least the temps and humidity several times a day raises suspicion about their desired accuracy for this test

Too many holes to poke in this story.

McD's certainly isn't alone in the way they do things either. This is dumb.

Typical "McDonalds is evil" tripe. Yes, they have a bunch of preservatives in their food. It's to keep it fresh for a longer time. I wonder if the same would happen with a Burger King meal, or Wendy's or any other fast food joint for that matter...

I'm thinkin I should buy a dozen to add to my 2012 survival kit.

And good news!



see more headlines email editors email story


Industry News - AM
McDonald’s to offer sandwich nationwide for the first time in 16 years

By Dani Friedland on 10/13/2010

In this article:




For six weeks, McDonald’s will sell the McRib sandwich nationwide, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The move will mark the sandwich’s first nationwide appearance in 16 years. In the interim, sites such as the McRib Locator have helped fans find locations serving the elusive sandwich.

The sandwich, which contains a pork patty, pickle slices, onions and a barbecue sauce, will be available beginning Nov. 2.

The sandwich has a suggested price of $1.99 though price and participation may vary, a McDonald's representative told Meatingplace via email.

I hate everything, including Wal Mart, Microsoft, Apple, Sears, Kohls and Santa Claus...

Signed, Chiefsplanet...

Big deal.The mother****er is sitting inside on a shelf in a temperature controlled room.It's about like finding that chip or piece of pop corn under the couch thats been there for god knows how long.Now if she sets it outside and it looks the same after 6 months then there may be something to it.

It took 16 years to save up enough cut-out bungs to launch it again.

I swore off McDonalds food (other than their breakfast food) about 4 years ago and haven't touched any since...

Although around here they have shifted from being ran by ghetto ass black people to hard working mexicans so I'm sure the quality of food/restaurant has improved dramatically...

(it's not racist if it's true, right??)

I would guess so, which is why stay a long way from all of them.

FYP

No, that is still racist.

I agree...sometimes I order more than I can eat! It's nice that I can wait 12 years on these leftovers and not have to worry about food borne illness!

I figured as much.

I hate how truth can be racist even when it is truth.

Here's a fact:

Minimum wage employees who are Mexican are, 99.9% of the time, MUCH MUCH MUCH better employees than minimum wage black people and minimum wage white people.

If I were in charge, I'd have "illegal" mexicans doing 80% or more of my grunt work (gotta hire some whites and blacks to keep the regulators off your back)...they do it without bitching, generally a smile on their face, are much faster and efficient, and don't bitch every 5 minutes about getting a raise/show up for all of their shifts/the turnover ratio of employment would be minimal.

Which is why every time you go to a chain restaurant (Chilis, Applebees, etc. etc. etc.) your "chefs" are 100% of the time 100% Mexican.

Now they are taking over the fast food industry and in all honesty, as a fast food fan, I couldn't be happier! I was very tired of spitburgers and shitfries.

P.S. This is only because as white people, and as black people...we feel super entitled because this is "our country" (whatever the **** that means) so we feel as if we're above all of the bitch work that pays minimum wage in this country...

Whereas these Mexicans all have at least two full time jobs, are here for one reason (work) and they don't care if it's doing dishes, flipping burgers, mowing lawns, running the grill, or selling crack...they'll do any of it, and they'll do it at 140%...

Or a burger made at home...

I could care less who is making my grub, but for ****'s sake put someone who speaks and understands English at the drive through.

Hahaha...

We have a Baskin Robins and Dunkin Donuts 24/7 shop where I live...and the drive thru greeting is a recording...

all indian people and you can't understand them for shit...they just hit the recording button when you hit the censor and it spouts out their 15 second greeting and tells you to go ahead with your order...clear as day, I'll give 'em that

What happens when there is a question about your order and they need to verify it? Wait, I'll tell you what happens...you're ****ed.

well the only thing I order is a medium mint chocolate chip shake so it's pretty hard to **** that shit up...

Sort of...
Let's say that the Canadian minimum wage was $100 per hour, and they would pay illegal American immigrants $75 per hour. You would have Americans lining up to do that work, so they would be able to choose the best workers even for lowly positions.

You do get that benefit of having a weed and blow dealer in-house for your servers and bartenders quick cash party fixes most of the time for sure.

****ing McDonalds.... it quit being actual food a long long time ago.

Do you guys know how Chicken McNuggets are made? In case you didn't...

http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/3...nuggets163.jpg

This is mechanically separated chicken. Chickens are turned into this goop so we can create delicious chicken nuggets and juicy chicken patties. It's obscenely gross and borderline alien but it's not going to stop me from eating nuggets. They're too good.

The process works a little something like this:

Yeah, that's just disgustin. But I can't shake my roots. I'm a chicken nugget fan (and all around fat food guy) for life.

http://gizmodo.com/5654066/chicken-n...k-chicken-goop

And on top of that....

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ets.html?cat=5

Please think twice before buying that new 50 nugget value pack from McDonald's... and don't feed this shit to your kids...

So, you're saying McDonald's is crap?
You get what you pay for!

I am not giving up my wendy's spicy chicken go wraps for anything.

Actually McD's has been working on a makeover the past few years. Converting a lot of their stores to "McCafes" to compete with starbucks and a better image.
Posted via Mobile Device

So - processed food doesn't spoil as fast as fresh food? Color me shocked!

uh...that tastes like chicken?
sec

That tears it. I'm having myself breaded and deep fried when I die.

LMAO, Not Hardly.

Dude, that McRib is just flat out disgusting. I don't know how anyone could eat one after seeing that.

McDonalds is an interesting story from a corporate stand point and food supply standpoint. Everyone should watch Food Inc., it's a must see.

Don't get too excited. Arby's roast beef originally looks like liquid Pepto-Bismol before the food dye is applied and the liquid forms into "meat".

Yea well I haven't been in an Arby's in like 20 years.

If I made my food decisions based on what my food looks like after sitting on the counter for six months, I doubt there would be much I would want to eat.

The McRib looks like a pressed meat product, like SPAM or a hot dog. Other than that, I don't see what the big deal is. You were expecting high quality food at McDonald's? :shrug:

After being told that, everything I order from fast food has to show "grain".

I just flat out don't see how people can eat that shit. Knock yourself out though.

I basically don't eat fast food with the one exception of a bean burrito when I am on the road at Taco Smell. The one thing I do like at McDonalds is the fries but I don't think I have had an order in well over 5 years. My son is starting to get to that age where his friends get those happy meals. I just tell him we don't eat at McDonalds, period. I will get him one of the toys if that's the delio but none of that shit they are passing as food.

I've never had one and very rarely eat at fast food restaurants (I'm gluten intolerant). I just find it amusing that people get all up in arms that fast food restaurants use processed food, like it's a big surprise.

That McRib is on par with bologna. It's cheap. If they used "real meat", the sandwich wouldn't sell because it would be too expensive, plus it would take longer to cook, slowing the service.

There's a difference between up in arms and informed. I think a lot of peole have no idea what they are eating.

I think most people know that fast food isn't good for you. To be honest, I don't think they care. This article isn't going to make anyone say "OMG! I'm never eating fast food again!"

By the way, FWIW, I would rather eat that McRib (sans bun, of course) than your bean burrito that is full of trans fats, pro-inflammatory omega-6 oils, gluten, sugar and legume lectins and phytochemicals.

Ingredients:

versus

To each their own, I guess.

I think a lot of people don't give a shit. That's why they weigh 400 lbs.

God bless growing you own and knowing what you put into em and what your getin back.

McDonalds has deteriorated a lot, since the one I used to frequent had a sign "over a million served."

Then they put changeable numbers in the sign, as it got more popular and they added locations. "over 10 million served."

It was really pretty tasty stuff back then, the fries were cooked in the good stuff.

Yea the new place has a spot for growing our own next year. Pretty stoked about that.

Yeah, switching from tallow to transfats was stupid and unhealthful, not to mention much less tasty.

Well I just ate my last bean burrito, thanks.

Sorry, man.

I used to eat those things back in college. I'm pretty sure they were a big part of the weight I put on during that time (long gone, thankfully).

Once in a blue moon probably doesn't do much damage (unless you can't have wheat, like me). Poison is dose dependent, obviously. :)

Just for kicks, a couple months ago, the Mrs. bought a small can of Crisco. We made home made fries with it. OMG! Holy Crap! Those things tasted incredible!

Of course we threw it out afterwards, but it was sure a reminder of how the things used to taste.

McDonalds didn't use Crisco; they used beef tallow. Crisco is essentially what they switched to (though Crisco is now partly palm oil instead of 100% trans fats like it was).

Wow, didn't know that. I thought Crisco was just lard. Why did it taste so much better than the cardboard McDonalds is serving now?

Because McDonalds changed again a couple of years ago from partially-hydrogenated soybean oil (trans fat) to regular soybean oil because of pressure to reduce trans fats. Regular soybean oil doesn't brown as well and makes the fries kind of soggy. Crisco is a transfat, so it browns better (but is still unhealthful).

Lard wouldn't work very well because it isn't saturated enough. It would break down from the heat. Tallow works the best.

The Monsanto soy we produce in this country is horrific toxic dump all by itself.

good experince for young minds.

Gotta build a fence though. There are deer in the yard constantly.

I'm sure it's stunning that food everyone knows is bad for you, is bad for you. But in reality you can pick apart how most everything is somehow bad for you so it is what it is.

6 months? Bah.

Try wedding cake from 1937.

/mr. peterman & elaine

picked up a new(to me) stand up deep freeze. just waitin for acouple below 32s.

Fixed a meal for a group of college students Monday night. (grilled beef strips, chicken, hummus & pita bread)

There were all amazed that it was "real meat". They said that the only meats they get in the cafeterias are "breaded or shredded" (i.e. parts is parts)

Sadness.

Gotta get my coop built soon.

NOT ME !

I swore off McDonald's a long time ago. Mainly because I don't want to McDie.

Besides, that one burger thing of theirs comes with shredded lettuce and is served in a styrofoam box. You take that thing out and "BOOM" shredded lettuce everyfriggingwhere. It gets in your shirt, your eyes, down the back of your neck ... everywhere but on the burger and in your mouth. Then you have to walk around shedding green leafy chunks as they fall out of your hair and your pants and your jacket like Swamp Thing during molting season.

No thanks. I'm done with McDonald's and their insane shredded lettuce bombs.

FAX

Hey Big Daddy--Check out the Video "Eating the 3rd edition" and read "Skinny Bastard"--right up your alley. Let me know what you think when your done:D

i have coops you can have.

ill bring one to your place when youre ready w/ a trio of birds.

Bacon soon!

Because he is not a researcher, the writer doesn't know the difference, and everyubody loves junk research and many like to call it science.

ROFL LMAO NICE!!!

Cool, thanks. :thumb:

Looking back trough this is pretty funny. You can totally tell who doesn't want to give their McCrap. They're angry about the post even going on the board.

Right? When I tell people about the info I have they get all uncomfortable and pissed. And Im not even preaching--they ask why I gave up certain foods and then get pissed and offended as if I shit in their kitchen when I answer.

It sure does decompose in my belly, and in a hurry.

The derrrs everytime...

I think it's because people's gut reaction is to feel like they are stupid if they eat it or whatever. It's like a personal insult. I guess I'm guilty of that, sometimes you don't know why it pisses you off.

Myself, I eat McDonald's. I like McDonald's. Some things I like better than others, but for the most part, I find it a good value and I think it tastes good. BigDaddy does not feel the same way, and he has good reason not to. But, I'm not giving up my McDonald's. If you LIVE off of it, of course it's friggin' horrible stuff. If you lived off of my wife's grandmother's cooking, you'd love it and you'd literally gain about 20 lbs in a month.

All things in moderation. Pass the Chicken McNuggets please...:D

I used to like to claim that I just didn't know any better, and that's why I weighed almost 450lbs. It was a bullshit excuse. I knew fast food wasn't good for me, but I also knew a lot of people who ate the shit 3 times a day and weighed 200lbs. Ultimately, I have discovered that I just didn't give a shit.

I have lost 95% of my "fat sympathy". I'm still plenty fat myself, I weigh about 280lbs, but I just don't feel sorry for people who may not know what to do to lose weight. The fact is, they make consciously poor decisions every day when choosing what to shove down their gullet. Portion size in this country is out of control, but that is no excuse to keep expanding that balloon like stomach of theirs when they already need the damned cart to ride around in while shopping for all of that high fat content shit they eat every day. At some point, you have to take accountability for your decisions, or face the ridicule that comes with it.

I wouldn't be sorry. You just did him a favor. I'll bet he agrees.

You may be right.

I trip out when people literally get angry at me when my food choices come up in conversation. In fact, they freak out on me. And whats funny is, I could care less what other people eat. I really could. If you want to down 3 big Macs in front of me and a dozen chicken mcNuggets, rock the **** out. Enjoy it with all you got. I really dont care, nor an I offended by your food choices you know? But man, people get all pissed at me. So weird. They even get more angry when they ask why I make these choices. They dont like my answer becasue it forces them to rethink what theyre eating and they dont want to do that. I get it, but then dont ask and you wont have to hear what you arent ready to hear.

Its like if I got all pissed at you becasue you choose to drink gree tea instead of black tea. Wouldnt that trip you out if someone jumped all over you for drinking green tea instead of black tea? Who gives a rats ass what you drink right??

But I think youre point about it just being a form of projecting is pretty accurate..

The 12 year old McDonalds burger. Can you toell if from the fresh one?

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/...king-good.html

This morning I won a free frappe.


What the HELL is a frappe?

I'd have to go with the one on the left. Looks like the bun still has some soft to it.

Salt makes a wonderful preservative and those burgers are loaded.