The Myth Of The McDonald's Burger That Just Won't Rot

 

(image credit J. Kenji Lopez-Alt)

Back in 2008, Karen Hanrahan, of the blog Best of Mother Earth posted a picture of a hamburger that she uses as a prop for a class she teaches on how to help parents keep their children away from junk food... The hamburger she's been using as a prop is the same plain McDonald's hamburger she's been using for what's now going on 14 years. It looks pretty much identical to how it did the day she bought it

You may have heard this story about the McDonald's hamburger that does not decompose. There are several theories of why this phenomenon occurs. J. Kenji Lopez-Alt of Serious Eats gives a scientific explanation.