McDonald’s Happy Meal resists decomposition for six months

[kwame k]

http://i286.photobucket.com/albums/ll103/realtodd/180Happymeal.png

Vladimir Lenin, King Tut and the McDonald's Happy Meal: What do they all have in common? A shocking resistance to Mother Nature's cycle of decomposition and biodegradability, apparently.

That's the disturbing point brought home by the latest project of New York City-based artist and photographer Sally Davies, who bought a McDonald's Happy Meal back in April and left it out in her kitchen to see how well it would hold up over time.

The results? "The only change that I can see is that it has become hard as a rock," Davies told the U.K. Daily Mail.

She proceeded to photograph the Happy Meal each week and posted the pictures to Flickr to record the results of her experiment. Now, just over six months later, the Happy Meal has yet to even grow mold. She told the Daily Mail that "the food is plastic to the touch and has an acrylic sheen to it."

Link (http://news.yahoo.com/s/yblog_upshot/20101012/bs_yblog_upshot/mcdonalds-happy-meal-resists-decomposition-for-six-months)

[kwame k]

We eat more food with less nutrition than any generation before us.........we may well be the first generation that has a shorter life span than the previous generations.

[FORD]

I believe our Lord and Savior pretty much made the right call on this one........


Bottom line when it comes to food...... if Dad & I didn't create it, ye probably should not eat it.

[FORD]

I believe our Lord and Savior pretty much made the right call on this one........


Bottom line when it comes to food...... if Dad & I didn't create it, ye probably should not eat it.

[Little Texan]

I don't know about Mickey D's cause I hardly ever eat at that shithole and their nasty burgers, but those new Spicy Southwest burgers from Sonic are awesomely good! I'm eating one as I type...

[FORD]

Still waiting for them to build a Sonic around here. At least they're in the state now, so hopefully soon.

[GAR]

If they build a Sonic in Northridge that takes foodstamps, all the illegal aliens will have a new hangout!

[Dan]

Zip,Here Is A Happy Meal.:D

[Little Texan]

Zip,Here Is A Happy Meal.:D

Zip...here's a WHOPPER! :biggrin:

[Dan]

Zip...here's a WHOPPER! :biggrin:

Now That Is Very Rude.:D

[sadaist]

Still waiting for them to build a Sonic around here. At least they're in the state now, so hopefully soon.


No shit. They JUST built one a couple months ago near me. But for at least the last 3 years (prob more), I've been seeing commercials on TV non-stop for them. Made me wanna go so bad. Looked online and none were within 400 miles. Couldn't believe they advertised in this market for so many years before even opening a location.

[Seshmeister]

I believe our Lord and Savior pretty much made the right call on this one........

Whether I'm the new messiah or not is for others to say but I've already outlived the last one.

[ashstralia]

I believe our Lord and Savior pretty much made the right call on this one........

or drink it or smoke it..... rasta baby.

[ELVIS]

I don't know about Mickey D's cause I hardly ever eat at that shithole and their nasty burgers, but those new Spicy Southwest burgers from Sonic are awesomely good! I'm eating one as I type...

LMAO!

That crap is gonna kill you...

[Seshmeister]

Or preserve you

[Nitro Express]

Nobody makes a better burger than me. I make my own buns from scratch. I use a 50/50 mix of black angus and buffalo meat. If it's summer the lettuce and tomatoes are garden fresh and the cheese is real cheddar and swiss. Not that processed shit. Always flame broiled on a grill cooked to perfection.

[Nitro Express]

We eat more food with less nutrition than any generation before us.........we may well be the first generation that has a shorter life span than the previous generations.

Actually the hamburger gets a bad rap. It's got everything, grains, meat, and vegitables. It's a hand held meal. The problem isn't so much the food itself but the quantities people eat. The soda cups are huge as are the burgers. The Wendy's triple is totally obscene. So it's more eating a sloppy half pound burger with two pounds of fries washed down with a gallon of soda pop. The biggest killer in the US is sugar.

[Nitro Express]

I boycott McDonald's because they got granted a Obamacare exemption. That's right, McDonald's does not have to pay into it like the rest of us. Fuck them.

[PETE'S BROTHER]

I believe our Lord and Savior pretty much made the right call on this one........

:biggrin:4738

[Seshmeister]

The Wendy's triple is totally obscene. So it's more eating a sloppy half pound burger with two pounds of fries washed down with a gallon of soda pop. The biggest killer in the US is sugar.

Wendy's makes McDonalds look like haute cuisine.

[Seshmeister]

The Wendy's triple is totally obscene. So it's more eating a sloppy half pound burger with two pounds of fries washed down with a gallon of soda pop. The biggest killer in the US is sugar.

.....

[Nitro Express]

Wendy's makes McDonalds look like haute cuisine.

Why anyone goes to McDonald's is beyond me. I would rather eat Wendy's hot and juicy than be ass fucked by a Sammy Hagar looking clown.

[Little Texan]

I used to like Wendy's the best out of all the fast food joints, but lately Sonic has started to edge them out on my favorites list. Anyone here that has a Sonic near them, I strongly recommend that you try the new Spicy Southwest burger. It's gooooooooooooooood!

[Little Texan]

The last few times I've eaten at McDonald's, which has been few and far between, I've come away thinking that the food is just horrible! I can't believe that I actually used to like that stuff at one time in my life! The only thing worth a fuck at McDonald's is the McRib, and they only sell it for like 2 months out of the year.

I used to eat at McDonald's on a regular basis until a few years ago, when I got food poisoning from some Filet O Fish sandwiches I ate from there one night. I didn't eat there again for over a year, and have only gone there a handful of times since then.

[Diamondjimi]

McDonalds gives me the shits... :shiznit:

[Seshmeister]

I used to like Wendy's the best out of all the fast food joints, but lately Sonic has started to edge them out on my favorites list. Anyone here that has a Sonic near them, I strongly recommend that you try the new Spicy Southwest burger. It's gooooooooooooooood!

They don't have them here but I tried it once in the States and just went for something standard like a cheeseburger or something.

It was horrendous.

[sadaist]

Why anyone goes to McDonald's is beyond me.


They have the best french fries by a mile. And the $0.69 cent frosty cone is kick-ass. Burgers suck though.

[Blaze]

:umm:
Would not this be the same as drying out food?
It was a plain dry hamburger, err rather 2 pieces of bread and a meat patty. some piece of fried potato, no mayo, no mustard, no ketchup.
Even my best homemade bread dries out on the counter and if I leave even a raw piece of meat out it starts to dry out.
Assuming the person lives in an air conditioned environment, which would remove the humidity from the room, much of the food stuff would do this if properly laid out.

But whether or not food stuffs dry out in a low humidity environment does not address if or if not said food stuffs are good for you.
McDee's founder started the business with the idea of a inexpensive meal. Back then we thought meat and potato was a healthy meal. Science has advanced in nutritional intake needs of humans and we know now that 2 slices of bread, a meat patty, and potato is an unbalanced meal.

[Blaze]

Checker's is the best fast food. Their French fries are the Yum of the Yum!
Here is Checkers Steak burger

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/363403738_d24b65b984_z.jpg


Another $1.50 Checker burger
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/1506576141_90ac6ef23b.jpg

Buzz Hillman photographer
OPBuzz's photo stream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88019276@N00/)

And the awesome of awesome Checker fries!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3670218097_af9034270f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/3670218203_ffe83434f5.jpg

Photographer Danny
Food in Mouth's profile (http://www.flickr.com/people/foodinmouth/)

[Seshmeister]

My body is hardly a fucking temple but I couldn't eat that stuff above.

I don't eat bacon fat, or plastic cheese and those fries look as though they would climb up your throat into your lungs and from there try and make a grab for your aorta.

Bear in mind this is coming from a Scot and we're reported as having just about the worst diet in Europe. :)

[chefcraig]

I liked Back Yard Burgers when they were briefly in South Florida. Awesome burgers, the fries were simply the best, and the salads didn't make you question when in the last 5 months they might have been made. Naturally the chain failed, as the local denizens wouldn't know quality if it smacked them in the face.

Back Yard Burgers (http://backyardburgers.com/)

[Diamondjimi]

A dollar fifty? :barf:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/1506576141_90ac6ef23b.jpg

Cheapest heart attack you'll ever buy... :biggrin:

[sadaist]

I liked Back Yard Burgers when they were briefly in South Florida. Awesome burgers, the fries were simply the best, and the salads didn't make you question when in the last 5 months they might have been made. Naturally the chain failed, as the local denizens wouldn't know quality if it smacked them in the face.

Back Yard Burgers (http://backyardburgers.com/)


Yeah. They opened up in Pacific Beach across from my moms shop. Loved the burgers there but sadly, they lasted less than a year.

[Little Texan]

Checker's is the best fast food. Their French fries are the Yum of the Yum!
Here is Checkers Steak burger

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/363403738_d24b65b984_z.jpg






That looks awful healthy! What's it called, the Checkers Checkout Burger, or the Double Bypass Special? :hee:

[Blaze]

Oh goodness, if you are eating checkers for in some vain attempt of heath, you are way off track for that vanity :hitch:.
I can't remember the name of the burger I get from Checkers. But Checker's Loader Chill Cheese fries are truly a health consuier's bastion. :biggrin:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4760173419_5f63b53452_o.jpg
Photographer Jason Lam
Me So Hungry (http://www.flickr.com/people/mesohungry/)

To eat that kinda stuff, you would have to be doing 14 hours hard labor a day!

Locally, the best "comfort' food is a place that makes fried chicken and sweet tatter logs.

However, the best junk food around is my beet chips.
(not my picture)
http://thirdplanetfood.com/tidbits/wp-content/uploads/image/beets3.jpg

Fried Beets

As many raw beets as you want to make. Plan on about 2 large ones per person for hearty appetites.

about 1/4 cup olive oil
Wash and peel your beets, and cut them into slices.
Heat oil in a large, flat skillet.
Add beets in as close to a single layer as you can get. Fry the beets until very soft and starting to turn brown and crispy, turning at least once.
Salt, pepper and serve.

This dish is absolutely decadent. The high sugar content of the beets carmelizes as they cook, giving them a sweet taste and crispy texture.
http://thirdplanetfood.com/tidbits/?p=6713

My variation cut beets as thin as possible, have oil as hot as possible, move quickly when frying the beets.

[Seshmeister]

I forgot to debunk the original article.

As anyone who has ever shared a student apartment knows, food doesn't rot if it's kept dry and in an airy environment.

Basically all this artists exhibit tells us is that she probably has air conditioning and knows nothing about science. If she had put one of Nitro's homemade and no doubt much superior burgers on the shelf beside the McD the exact same thing would have happened to it too.

It would simply dry out.

[Seshmeister]

Oh goodness, if you are eating checkers for in some vain attempt of heath, you are way off track for that vanity :hitch:.
I can't remember the name of the burger I get from Checkers. But Checker's Loader Chill Cheese fries are truly a health consuier's bastion. :biggrin:

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4075/4760173419_5f63b53452_o.jpg
Photographer Jason Lam



That's like some sort of fast food road kill... :)

[Nitro Express]

They have the best french fries by a mile. And the $0.69 cent frosty cone is kick-ass. Burgers suck though.

I had to do a construction job at the plant where they make those fries. It's a place in American Falls, Idaho called Lamb Weston. We were building a cinderblock wall trying no to get ran over by fat assed Mexican women driving fork lifts. Big pallet boxes full of those famous fries. The real secret to McD's fries is they put tallow and lard in with the frying oil. Other than that they are just Idaho red potatoes cut to McD's specifications. Basically add some gamey pig fat and some tallow to your oil and that is it.

[Nitro Express]

Checker's is the best fast food. Their French fries are the Yum of the Yum!
Here is Checkers Steak burger

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/363403738_d24b65b984_z.jpg


Another $1.50 Checker burger
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/1506576141_90ac6ef23b.jpg

Buzz Hillman photographer
OPBuzz's photo stream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88019276@N00/)

And the awesome of awesome Checker fries!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3670218097_af9034270f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/3670218203_ffe83434f5.jpg

Photographer Danny
Food in Mouth's profile (http://www.flickr.com/people/foodinmouth/)

A good burger always looks like a sloppy pussy with cum dripping out of it.

[Nitro Express]

Checker's is the best fast food. Their French fries are the Yum of the Yum!
Here is Checkers Steak burger

http://farm1.static.flickr.com/113/363403738_d24b65b984_z.jpg


Another $1.50 Checker burger
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2077/1506576141_90ac6ef23b.jpg

Buzz Hillman photographer
OPBuzz's photo stream (http://www.flickr.com/photos/88019276@N00/)

And the awesome of awesome Checker fries!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3307/3670218097_af9034270f.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/3670218203_ffe83434f5.jpg

Photographer Danny
Food in Mouth's profile (http://www.flickr.com/people/foodinmouth/)

A good burger always looks like a sloppy pussy with cum dripping out of it.

[Nitro Express]

We used to eat at Bob's Big Boy a lot when I was a kid. I can remember they would pass out those big glossy menu's and the burger plate presentation photo on the menu looked perfect. It looked like the type of burger God would eat. Flawless. Then the waitress would deliver the food and your burger always looked like a sloppy lopsided mess that gave birth to a ten pound baby.

[chefcraig]

The real secret to McD's fries is they put tallow and lard in with the frying oil. Other than that they are just Idaho red potatoes cut to McD's specifications. Basically add some gamey pig fat and some tallow to your oil and that is it.

The simplest and cheapest way to make McDonald's fries at home is to do the following: Go to the store and buy a bag of supermarket brand frozen french fries. Before throwing them in your Fry-Daddy or frying them on the stove, roll them in sugar. (Of course, this wrecks the oil in your mini-deep fryer, so you might wish to consider just doing them on the stove.) It's that easy, and the fries will taste identical to McDonald's.

[ashstralia]

if you go to the maccas web but stick the .au on the end, you'll see that in oz, they almost sell health food!!!

but my $4.25 small cheeseburger meal (with real coke syrup made from local sugarcane sugar)

after a hard morning's golf always hits the spot. until 3 hours later.

[Little Texan]

if you go to the maccas web but stick the .au on the end, you'll see that in oz, they almost sell health food!!!

but my $4.25 small cheeseburger meal (with real coke syrup made from local sugarcane sugar)

after a hard morning's golf always hits the spot. until 3 hours later.

I looked through the Australian McDonald's site, and your menu is basically the same as ours save for a few subtle differences here and there, and a unique menu item or two.

One question, though:

I noticed that the Quarter Pounder w/Cheese is called the same in Australia. If you guys are on the metric system, why is it called a Quarter Pounder and not a Royale w/Cheese? :biggrin:

[Seshmeister]

Hah it's the same in the UK.

We kind of run a dual system, sort of and I'm guessing Australia is the same.

The move to metric is a very long term project. The weirdest thing we do here is Farenheight for warm weather and Celsius for cold...

[Seshmeister]

Also I have to stick up for McD's a bit.

They have tried a bit since Supersize Me and are better at publicising exactly what is in their stuff than most places. As someone else mentioned the killer shit in a McD is the fries, the milk shakes and the big drinks. Every so often I'll take the kids there and order them a Happy meal where they get a fruit bag rather than fries and a low sugar fruit drink and it's not bad for them. Doesn't do them any good but no harm done either.

Admittedly I don't think many people do what we do as the staff always seem a little confused by the order...

[ashstralia]

I looked through the Australian McDonald's site, and your menu is basically the same as ours save for a few subtle differences here and there, and a unique menu item or two.

One question, though:

I noticed that the Quarter Pounder w/Cheese is called the same in Australia. If you guys are on the metric system, why is it called a Quarter Pounder and not a Royale w/Cheese? :biggrin:

haha! and we have 'non-dairy gelatinous gum based beverage' instead of a 'thick shake' :)

but seriously, a once a month trip to maccas won't hurt. but the amount of obese people
walking out with enough kilojoules to last me a week is a worry....
their choice though, ay?

[twonabomber]

We used to eat at Bob's Big Boy a lot when I was a kid. I can remember they would pass out those big glossy menu's and the burger plate presentation photo on the menu looked perfect. It looked like the type of burger God would eat. Flawless. Then the waitress would deliver the food and your burger always looked like a sloppy lopsided mess that gave birth to a ten pound baby.

when i worked at the chicken joint, this nutty old broad was the marketing person. she'd bring in pics for the menu boards and displays. we'd ask about the photo shoots and she admitted that a lot of the food in the pics wasn't edible. the "sauce" on the wings was mostly paint, and the gravy and butter in the pics weren't the real thing either. biscuits would be airbrushed for the pics...just crazy shit, whatever looked good on film. of course now they probably Photoshop that grease glimmer on everything.

[twonabomber]

can't delete our own dupes?

[Nitro Express]

when i worked at the chicken joint, this nutty old broad was the marketing person. she'd bring in pics for the menu boards and displays. we'd ask about the photo shoots and she admitted that a lot of the food in the pics wasn't edible. the "sauce" on the wings was mostly paint, and the gravy and butter in the pics weren't the real thing either. biscuits would be airbrushed for the pics...just crazy shit, whatever looked good on film. of course now they probably Photoshop that grease glimmer on everything.

I was staying at the Royal Hawaiian and they had a Japanese resturaunt that had perfect plastic displays of all the dishes the resturaunt served. They looked totally real.

[Seshmeister]

I chose a plastic croissant once at a self service restaurant and took it to the check out.

Pretty embarrassing... :)

[chefcraig]

I chose a plastic croissant once at a self service restaurant and took it to the check out.

Pretty embarrassing... :)

At least you didn't take a bite out of it. Years ago, IHOP restaurants used to have a display of a giant ice cream sundae sitting on the low wall between the dining room and the kitchen. I always wondered why the ice cream never melted, so one day I tasted it. To my instant distaste, I discovered that the "ice cream" was in fact Crisco shortening. :barf:

[ashstralia]

I chose a plastic croissant once at a self service restaurant and took it to the check out.
Pretty embarrassing... :)

was it food? no, it was an exact replica of a food. not your fault.
at least you didn't take a bite out of it.

[Seshmeister]

I guess but having a waitress looking at you like you are completely insane when you have a stinking hangover is not a great feeling.

Did I mention this was at the canteen at work and there was a big queue behind me...? :)

[FORD]

At least you didn't take a bite out of it. Years ago, IHOP restaurants used to have a display of a giant ice cream sundae sitting on the low wall between the dining room and the kitchen. I always wondered why the ice cream never melted, so one day I tasted it. To my instant distaste, I discovered that the "ice cream" was in fact Crisco shortening. :barf:

But even Crisco would melt under the hot lights used on a set eventually. I read somewhere once that Baskin Robbins actually used colored mashed potatoes as a stand in for ice cream in their ads. So at least if someone had to take a bite on camera, it would still be edible.

[FORD]

At least you didn't take a bite out of it. Years ago, IHOP restaurants used to have a display of a giant ice cream sundae sitting on the low wall between the dining room and the kitchen. I always wondered why the ice cream never melted, so one day I tasted it. To my instant distaste, I discovered that the "ice cream" was in fact Crisco shortening. :barf:

But even Crisco would melt under the hot lights used on a set eventually. I read somewhere once that Baskin Robbins actually used colored mashed potatoes as a stand in for ice cream in their ads. So at least if someone had to take a bite on camera, it would still be edible.

[chefcraig]

But even Crisco would melt under the hot lights used on a set eventually.

We aren't talking of a tv ad here, I'm referring to the actual building. The way the kitchens were set up, there was a huge aluminum "hood" over the stoves, mounted into the ceiling with some ductwork that pulled most of the heat away in the first place. In addition, the building's a/c was designed to work alongside this feature, to allow customers to see the cooks but not have the heat flowing into the dining area. So the counter was essentially in a cool area, and had a curtain of cool a/c being blown down over it.

[Nitro Express]

I have a black powder cannon and us Crisco as the bore lube on it. It works wonderful! The shit will clog your arteries if you eat it but allows you to ram a cannon ball down the the bore.

[kwame k]

I have a black powder cannon and us Crisco as the bore lube on it. It works wonderful! The shit will clog your arteries if you eat it but allows you to ram a cannon ball down the the bore.

Must refrain........too many jokes there:lmao:

[Dan]

How Rude.:D

[ashstralia]

I guess but having a waitress looking at you like you are completely insane when you have a stinking hangover is not a great feeling.


aaahh, a regular occurrence for the ash-man.

[GAR]

HEY I get that comment in public without a hangover!