Happy Meal at 137 Days (Looks like it was just made!)

http://www.neatorama.com/2010/09/03/happy-meal-at-137-days/ ^

[mazda77]

and there are those who question why I wouldn’t even pull into the driveway of Mac’s Lounge to use a pay phone (when they still existed).

So who’s up for some Big Macs for lunch?

[freedumb2003]

A decade is a long time for an art project...

Good thing they didn’t target Taco Bell — that would have been a century probably (full disclosure: I *love* Taco Bell but not the new “Cantina” stuff!!)

[Mmogamer]

Just some liberal artist hack,nothing more..

[Mmogamer]

Oh and you reallly don’t believe that it’s that old without any sign of deterioration?

[WhatNot]

A couple minutes in the microwave, and yum yum.

[Rational Thought]

That’s was my reaction.

Any bread products I’ve ever seen get mold when they’re dated.
How could the bun have not changed in 137 days?

[albie]

We all make choices.

[CrazyIvan]

Just some liberal artist hack,nothing more..

Didn’t Yoko Ono do this with an apple?

[TomGuy]

Aren’t Twinkies supposed to last a hundred years?

[dirtboy]

Not only that, but no dust on the plate after 137 days? My place gets noticable dust after only a week.

[Caipirabob]

Naturally mummified remains show remarkably little decay in a sterile environment. Why would I expect this to be any different?

[exDemMom]

Kept in a dry environment, other than slight shrinkage, I wouldn’t expect any food that started out with a low moisture content to look much different after any period of time.

Now, if she had started with something with higher moisture content—maybe a burger with all the fixings—I’d expect to see some evidence of microbial growth (mold or bacterial colonies) occurring before the food dried to the point where growth becomes impossible. Plus, even without microbes, condiments such as mayonnaise or mustard look drastically different when dry.

This project is not an indictment of McDonald’s or any other fast food chain. Low moisture food from any source would also fail to show a significant change over time if kept in a dry environment.

[exDemMom]

Aren’t Twinkies supposed to last a hundred years?

That's the urban myth. Twinkies do have an expiration date. And they are noticeably more chewy the closer they get to that date, as compared to when they were just purchased (if you bought them fresh). My son and I bought a box of Twinkies for our recent road trip...

[Minn]

I don’t get your point. What does the fact that a food product, left on its own for a long period, would just dry up and sit there prove about its initial quality?

[DBrow]

I’m somewhat skeptical about the reported results. There are some changes to the food, it looks like dehydration. The patty moves about on the bun and becomes much darker. If this experiment was done in a dry environment, I’d expect these results, dehydration and shrinkage.

Moisture during the experiment will be a big factor, as will the cleanliness of the cook and prep environment. If the food areas are quite clean they won’t pick up spores and bacteria. A dirty place will have deposited more growth start points. I’ve conducted yeast experiments at home (artificially forcing mutations) and the required cleanliness, to not get spurious colonies, is daunting.

This experiment is cheaply and easily replicated at home, and I’d suggest that you do try it yourself before you accept these results as some sort of proof.

Here is McD’s ingredient list. Some strange entries here, but nothing too surprising:

nutrition.mcdonalds.com/nutritionexchange/ingredientslist.pdf

[Minn]

Any bread products I?ve ever seen get mold when they?re dated. How could the bun have not changed in 137 days?

Dryed out bread doesn't mold. Take a loaf of bread out of the bag and let it sit. It will get dry and then it will do nothing for years.

[DBrow]

“no dust on the plate “

Good catch! I missed that. Plus no sign of insects.

[alicewonders]

Is she getting grant money to do this?

Seriously, this is the kind of crap that people call art these days. America has dumbed down her creativity to non-existence.

My opinion is that hardship brings on creativity. Looks like we might be in for a coming renewal in creativity.

[Dumpster Baby]

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2008/09/12-year-old-mcdonalds-hamburger-still-looking-good.html

12-Year Old McDonald's Hamburger, Still Looking Good

The McDonald's hamburger on the right is from 2008; the one on the left is from 1996. And they both look fairly edible.

Wellness educator and nutrition consultant Karen Hanrahan has kept a McDonald's hamburger since 1996 to illustrate its nonexistent ability to decay. Aside from drying out and bit and having "the oddest smell," it apparently hasn't changed much in the past 12 years.

This isn't the first time someone kept an uneaten McDonald's hamburger for an extended period of time for the sake of science. Or in the case of the Bionic Burger Museum, multiple burgers for over 19 years. There are even instructions on how to start your own collection of old, self-preserving burgers.