Life McDonald’s Happy Meal resists decomposition for six months - Page 5

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.'"

Mecca · 10-13-2010, 12:14 PM

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.

Groves · 10-13-2010, 12:56 PM

6 months? Bah.

Try wedding cake from 1937.

/mr. peterman & elaine

MOhillbilly · 10-13-2010, 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groves

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.

Groves · 10-13-2010, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MOhillbilly

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

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.

Chief Henry · 10-13-2010, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

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

Signed, Chiefsplanet...

NOT ME !

FAX · 10-13-2010, 02:09 PM

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

Carlota69 · 10-13-2010, 02:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

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.

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

MOhillbilly · 10-13-2010, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Groves

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.

i have coops you can have.

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

Bacon soon!

Garcia Bronco · 10-13-2010, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RubberSponge

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.

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.

BIG_DADDY · 10-13-2010, 03:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FAX

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

FAX

NICE!!!

BIG_DADDY · 10-13-2010, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlota69

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

Cool, thanks.

BIG_DADDY · 10-13-2010, 04:55 PM

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.

Carlota69 · 10-14-2010, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BIG_DADDY

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.

DMAC · 10-14-2010, 12:11 PM

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

The derrrs everytime...

InChiefsHeaven · 10-14-2010, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carlota69

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.

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...

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, 12:14 PM	#61
Mecca Hockey Town Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Kansas City, Missouri Casino cash: $-712950	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.
Posts: 115,380

10-13-2010, 12:56 PM	#62
Groves Turning the Corner Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Springfield, Missouri Casino cash: $-941459	6 months? Bah. Try wedding cake from 1937. /mr. peterman & elaine
Posts: 2,391

10-13-2010, 02:09 PM	#66
FAX testing ... 1, 2, 3 Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Tennessee Casino cash: $6753759	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
Posts: 44,492

10-13-2010, 04:55 PM	#72
BIG_DADDY THE RED MENACE Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Texas Casino cash: $2558410	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. __________________ 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

10-14-2010, 12:11 PM	#74
DMAC MVP Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Springfield, MO Casino cash: $10008735	It sure does decompose in my belly, and in a hurry. The derrrs everytime...
Posts: 11,651