This is hard to Swallow

Courtesy Sally Davis Photography

McDonald’s has a reputation that is hard to beat. Take the Happy Meal above. It is extremely hard. That may be because it is 143 days old.

Couldn’t tell? Photographer Sally Davies conducted an artistic experiment in which she photo-documented a Happy Meal every day for 143 days to watch how it decayed (or didn’t) and how it changed (or didn’t).

The result is an eerie testament to the glory of overly-processed American food. Other suspicious consumers have conducted similar experiments, including a woman who kept a burger in her purse for four years or a burger that’s been sitting untouched for twelve years (yuck).

Although there has been some public outrage, McDonald’s has kept its burger-making mouth shut for the most party, only stating that its burgers are made of 100% USDA-approved, preservative-free beef. While this may or may not be true, scientists have attempted to explain this by looking at fat content. Things with lots of fat have low moisture, making them less susceptible to mold. But really, twelve years?

Who knows. While we doubt that there’s any foul play, it still seems like something so fatty and free of nutrients may be hard on the body. Any thoughts?