Even with all of the healthy
options out there for people on the go who just want something quick and easy, a
fast-food hamburger can not only satisfy the appetite, but also be easy on the
wallet. But just how easy is it on your digestive tract with all of those
preservatives? Simple table salt is a preservative, but the additive butylated
hydroxyanisole, or BHA, is commonly used to keep foods from spoiling quickly,
too.
Today's story may make you think twice about how many preservatives some common
foods contain. Utah resident David Whipple recently sent in a McDonald's
hamburger patty to the TV show "The Doctors." Whipple explained that originally
he wanted to show his friends how enzymes work, and he thought using a burger
would be a good idea. He bought it on July 7, 1999. However, after a month, he
had forgotten about it. Fast-forward two years later, and his wife discovered
the patty inside a paper bag in one of his coat pockets.
Utah resident David Whipple sent in this McDonald's hamburger patty to a TV show
nearly 14 years after he purchased it on July 7, 1999.
Whipple was surprised to see that the hamburger patty was essentially unchanged.
He hung onto it for a long while longer. Now, 14 years after it was first
purchased, the hamburger patty still has no mold or fungus on it. In fact, the
only thing different about the condition of the hamburger is that the pickle
that came inside it has completely disintegrated.
Whipple has even held onto the original receipt as proof of when and where the
burger was purchased. He said he uses the burger as a way to encourage his
grandchildren to make healthy eating choices.
Whipple is not the first person to document what happens to a McDonald's
hamburger patty over time. New York City artist Sally Davies created the Happy
Meal Project in which she posts a new picture every day to her Flickr account of
the same burger and fries from a Happy Meal.
In addition, blogger Karen Hanrahan, who writes Best of Mother Earth, did a
similar experiment with a McDonald's hamburger. Hanrahan has used the same
hamburger for more than 16 years in a class she teaches to parents about why
they should keep junk food away from their children.
A McDonald's hamburger (left) from 1996 and another McDonald's hamburger (right)
from 2008 reasonably resemble a hamburger you'd buy today. Photo: Karen
Hanrahan, Best of Mother Earth.
The Trending Now team reached out to McDonald's regarding the shelf life of its
burgers and the number of preservatives used to keep them from spoiling. The
following is a statement from the company regarding its hamburger patties:
“McDonald’s hamburgers are freshly prepared in our restaurants. While not
knowing the conditions in which the food was kept in this specific claim, what
is scientifically known is that in bacteria and mold only grow under certain
conditions.
For example, without sufficient moisture – either in the food itself or the
environment in which it is held – bacteria and mold and associated
decomposition, is unlikely. If food is/or becomes dry enough, it won’t grow
mould or bacteria. In fact, any food purchased from a restaurant or grocery
store or prepared at home that lacks moisture would also dehydrate and see
similar results if left in the same environment.
McDonald's hamburger patties in the U.S. are made with 100% USDA-inspected beef.
They are cooked and prepared with salt, pepper and nothing else - no
preservatives - no fillers. Our hamburger buns are made from North
American-grown wheat flour. These are the same foods that people buy every day
in their local grocery stores."