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McDonald’s Says Its Burgers Do Decompose, Busting Long-Held Myth

Do McDonald’s burgers rot? The company says in the following conditions...

McDonald’s Says Its Burgers Do Decompose, Busting Long-Held Myth
The “P.L.T.” sandwich is arranged for a photograph at a McDonald’s Corp. restaurant in London, Ontario, Canada. (Photographer: Cole Burton/Bloomberg)

Fast-food giant McDonald’s Corp. on Monday responded to a long-held myth that its burgers do not rot, saying its food would decompose in “the right environment.”

“Without sufficient moisture – either in the food itself or the environment – bacteria and mold may not grow and therefore, decomposition is unlikely,” the company said in a post on its website.

McDonald’s did not say what prompted its statement but a TikTok post showing an apparently well-preserved 24-year-old burger went viral in recent days, chalking up over 500,000 views. The short video, posted on the social media platform, showed a woman opening a shoe box to reveal a burger and fries still in its purported original packaging from 1996.

“Food prepared at home that is left to dehydrate could see similar results. Look closely, the burgers you are seeing are likely dried out and dehydrated,” McDonald’s said, adding that its burgers were 100% beef with no fillers or preservatives.

©2020 Bloomberg L.P.