"Are they immortal?": why McDonald's burgers don't biodegrade

The artist Sally Davis from Manhattan once photographed fries and a hamburger she bought at McDonald's every day for six months. She stated that the food had not decomposed during this time.

Experts from ScienceNotes decided to find out why the hamburgers from the popular fast food chain do not spoil for a long time.

They found that the vegetables began to deteriorate over time, but the bun did not mould or rot at all.

Read also: A blogger shares a recipe for canned cucumbers: they taste like a McDonald's burger (video)

"There is a lot of data that indicates that the basic hamburger looks immortal... No, it's not some crazy preservative and it is not caused by the presence of any undesirable chemicals. The patty itself and the bun are not affected by time because they contain low levels of water," the researchers write.

According to them, moisture is needed for the bun and patty to become mouldy. Thin patties have a high surface area-to-volume ratio, so they lose moisture easily.

"When a hamburger is left out, it turns into dried bread and dried meat. Condiments contain enough acid (ketchup) or salt (mustard, pickle) to prevent them from rotting as well," the experts explained.

It is noted that this rule applies not only to McDonald's hamburgers.

"If you're willing to sacrifice a burger, make it yourself using a simple bun and the same seasonings. Make sure the patty is thin and fully cooked... Leave your test burger on the surface... You'll be surprised that your fresh, homemade burger looks immortal," the post says.

It is also noted that the burger patty is just dehydrated protein with a small amount of fat. Most of the fat was removed during frying.

Earlier, scientists explained whether it is possible to eat bread that has gone slightly mouldy.

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