Do You Want Fries With That?

Did you hear about the Happy Meal Project?

Artist Sally Davies began a part art, part food experiment in search of finding out what will happen to her happy meal sized burger and fries after sitting untouched in her house. 172 days later, it has turned into waiting to see WHEN it will start to change. Pictures from the comparison of day 1 and day 137 show almost no difference in the appearance of the burger.

Picture from LA Times

As if Supersize Me wasn't enough.

Davies started this experiment on April 10, 2010 and the project is still ongoing.

Apparently, this isn't the first time that people have tested fast food burgers for science purposes. One lady has kept a burger for TWELVE years and still looks the same.

Why?

It's no surprise that McDonalds' food is bad for you. High in fat and salt, it's not on the top of your daily recommended food list. Gross but true, 50% of the 250 calories in one container of french fries is fat. According to Washington State University professor Barry Swanson, anything that is high in fat will be low in moisture. Low moisture on a surface means mold can't grow, which means the food can't decay. If you're into this stuff, more explanation at Salon.

You might want to think about adding the extra 5 minutes in the kitchen making a PB&J over the quick stop in the drive-thru.

Sally Davies Flickr

McDonald's spokeswoman Danya Proud said on Wednesday, "This is nothing more than an outlandish claim and is completely false."

...Right.

Noteworthy Headlines/Articles:

REFINERY29: "Why we're scared of Happy Meals"
GRUBSTREET: "McDonald's Hamburgers: Almost Entirely Indestructible"
LA TIMES: "Blame the Fat"
SALON: "The secret to the Immortality of McDonald's Food"
NBC: "Half-life of a Happy Meal?"
THE STAR: "Davies realizes her Happy Meal Project may be hard to swallow"


Now ya heard, spread the word.