Children eat Happy Meals at a McDonald's restaurant in a file photo.
Posted on 09/29/2010 12:22:52 PM PDT by JoeProBono
SACRAMENTO, - An art experiment suggesting McDonald's food doesn't decay has raised eyebrows -- and raised questions about just what's in those Happy Meals, observers say.
A New York photographer left a McDonald's hamburger Happy Meal, complete with a small side order of french fries, sitting on a shelf in her home for more than 18 weeks. Every three days, Sally Davies took a photo of the food.
By day 137, the food looked pretty much the same, KTXL-TV, Sacramento, reported.
Some were quick to assume McDonald's is using preservatives to create the appearance of "fresh" food.
But scientists say preservatives aren't the main reason why the Golden Arches' food won't break down -- it's fat.
Fries and burgers sold by McDonald's are high in fat -- more than 50 percent of the calories found in McDonald's french fries come from fat, the same amount as in the restaurant chain's burgers.
"Anything that is high in fat will be low in moisture," Washington State University Professor Barry Swanson said.
Low moisture on a surface means mold can't grow, which means the food can't decay.
And don't forget the salt.
A McDonald's double cheeseburger contains 1,150 milligrams of sodium, while a large order of fries contains 350 milligrams.
Sodium acts as a preservative, contributing to a low decay rate.
Children eat Happy Meals at a McDonald's restaurant in a file photo.
Say no to Nannystatism.
Without Happy Meals I wouldn’t have such fond memories of having the grandkids when I clean my car after I babysit them.
Sounds like a selling point.
McDonalds: Feeding the poor better than the government ever did, and with more dignity, too.
This has been done with Twinkies for years. Nothing new here - just another copycat artist
Needs to be their new slogan. Love it.
Everytime I find frenchfries wedged into my seats, I think of that day...
And with indoor air conditioned / heated playgrounds, safer and often cleaner than the public ones.
Reminds me of when some wag told my mentor, a great fisherman, that the fish in Pretty Buoy Dam in Maryland had WORMS in them. His reply: Best tasting worms I ever ate!!
Also, in my daughter’s science class they wanted to do some mold cultures on baked goods. The teacher told them not to use Entenmann’s brand because they had so many preservatives that mold wouldn’t grow on them. I don’t know about THAT, but they TASTE GOOD anyhow!
Good point and well worded. 100% correct.
Good to know. I grew up on Happy meals, especially when my own Dad would just head to mickey D’s and bring us along because he was too tired to cook. Nowadays it looks the same with those dollar value meals. And no, Im not fat just because the libs say so.
The problem isn't just McDonald's. Most of our food, even that which is supposedly "fresh" is actually a manufactured product that got to us over thousands of miles in huge semis, along polluted interstates. Yum.
If anything, McDonald's and some of the other chains might be better than the fresh-food section of the nearby grocery store chain.
Then there's the thought that it's none of the feds damn business what I want to eat. It's their job to keep the food supply safe, and they've been failing miserably at that.
grrr.....
Oh, man, now I’m getting hungry.
Fat and salt are my personal favorites. Much better than sugar for my unsweet tooth.
Pretty much any salted food will stay preserved if kept cool and dry. That’s why salt was so prized in the good old days.
A big “duh” and go learn about history.
If I rub myself in fat instead of showering, will I stay forever young?
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