Life McDonald’s Happy Meal resists decomposition for six months

BIG_DADDY · 10-13-2010, 02:03 AM

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.'"

BIG_DADDY · 10-13-2010, 02:05 AM

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

BIG_DADDY · 10-13-2010, 02:06 AM

That makes me want to eat 2 or 3.

**kysirsoze** · 10-13-2010, 02:37 AM

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.

Abba-Dabba · 10-13-2010, 04:34 AM

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.

Consistent1 · 10-13-2010, 05:22 AM

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

InChiefsHeaven · 10-13-2010, 05:59 AM

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...

Hog's Gone Fishin · 10-13-2010, 06:34 AM

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

Hog's Gone Fishin · 10-13-2010, 06:35 AM

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.

Deberg_1990 · 10-13-2010, 06:40 AM

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

Signed, Chiefsplanet...

**Bane** · 10-13-2010, 07:06 AM

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.

Extra Point · 10-13-2010, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hog Farmer

And good news!

"McDonald’s to offer sandwich nationwide for the first time in 16 years".

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

Hootie · 10-13-2010, 07:11 AM

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??)

**Bwana** · 10-13-2010, 07:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InChiefsHell

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

**Lzen** · 10-13-2010, 07:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I hate everything, including Wal Mart, Microsoft, Apple, Sears, Kohls and Matt Cassel...

Signed, Chiefsplanet...

FYP

10-13-2010, 02:03 AM
BIG_DADDY THE RED MENACE Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas Casino cash: $2558410	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.'"
Posts: 32,522

10-13-2010, 02:05 AM	#2
BIG_DADDY THE RED MENACE Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas Casino cash: $2558410	Then there is always the family favorite the McRib. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm, tasty. Attached Thumbnails __________________ The diabolical genius of Marxism-Socialism is that it provides the emotional and intellectual road map for autocrats to persuade millions of people to support their own enslavement to government. ~Mark Levin April 15, 2019
Posts: 32,522

10-13-2010, 02:06 AM	#3
BIG_DADDY THE RED MENACE Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas Casino cash: $2558410	That makes me want to eat 2 or 3. Attached Thumbnails __________________ The diabolical genius of Marxism-Socialism is that it provides the emotional and intellectual road map for autocrats to persuade millions of people to support their own enslavement to government. ~Mark Levin April 15, 2019
Posts: 32,522

10-13-2010, 02:37 AM	#4
kysirsoze SNAP THE ****ING BALL!!! Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: KCMO Casino cash: $66946	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.
Posts: 11,972

10-13-2010, 04:34 AM	#5
Abba-Dabba MVP Join Date: May 2001 Casino cash: $3582970	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.
Posts: 18,278

10-13-2010, 05:22 AM	#6
Consistent1 _____________ Join Date: Aug 2005 Casino cash: $10004900	McD's certainly isn't alone in the way they do things either. This is dumb.
Posts: 3,096

10-13-2010, 05:59 AM	#7
InChiefsHeaven Rockin' yer FACE OFF! Join Date: Feb 2003 Location: Omaha, Nebraska Casino cash: $595437	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... __________________ We have a million reasons for failure, but not one excuse... Die Donks, DIE!! Holy Crap fellas!!! We did it!!! THREE TIMES!!!
Posts: 27,259

10-13-2010, 06:34 AM	#8
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $-1539523	I'm thinkin I should buy a dozen to add to my 2012 survival kit.
Posts: 40,649

10-13-2010, 06:35 AM	#9
Hog's Gone Fishin Fish are scared of me Join Date: Nov 2001 Casino cash: $-1539523	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.
Posts: 40,649

10-13-2010, 06:40 AM	#10
Deberg_1990 In Search of a Life Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: San Antonio Tx. Casino cash: $104454	I hate everything, including Wal Mart, Microsoft, Apple, Sears, Kohls and Santa Claus... Signed, Chiefsplanet...
Posts: 68,675

10-13-2010, 07:06 AM	#11
Bane C.H.I.E.F.S Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: **** your face Casino cash: $10005055	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.
Posts: 12,621

10-13-2010, 07:11 AM	#13
Hootie Banned Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Dallas, Texas Casino cash: $10004900	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??)
Posts: 56,356

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