The Non-Decomposing Hamburger Myth

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billgiersberg
billgiersberg Posts: 163
in Food and Nutrition
Many people have heard about the McDonald's Happy Meal that won't decompose. According to this researcher, McDonald's is getting a bad rap. It turns out that a home-made burger won't decompose either under the same conditions. The reason why is that the food dehydrates preventing decomposition. In other words, burger jerky is formed. As he says, "Humans have known about this phenomenon for thousands of years." Now there are many other reasons to avoid McDonald's and, in fact, all fast food when we are trying to lose weight but thinking that a Happy Meal cannot be digested in our gastrointestinal tracts is not one of them. McDonald's advertises, "You deserve a break today" but I think McDonald's deserves a break too. Why is it that only McDonald's gets picked on in these "experiments?" My opinion is because they are at the top of the fast-food heap and some people have some kind of hidden political agenda to bring them, a successful corporation, down. Feel free to share your own opinions.

http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/11/the-burger-lab-revisiting-the-myth-of-the-12-year-old-burger-testing-results.html?ref=carousel

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  • FunkBunny
    FunkBunny Posts: 417 Member
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    I agree...who hasn't found the dried up french fry under the car seat? (Having kids I've found far worse...chicken nuggets and such, all perfectly preserved and hard as a rock.)
    This isn't a new concept at all and to me a video of dried food doesn't make it seem worse for me, it makes it seem like the person filming it is really, really bored.
  • CrimsonScotty
    CrimsonScotty Posts: 47 Member
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    i think you're exactly correct on McDonald's getting picked on so often because they're the biggest and most famous fast food brand, and i'm sure they're used to it by now. I personally don't discriminate between fast food chains, i choose not to eat at any of them most of the time and if they had to depend on me or people like me, they'd all been out of business a long time ago! My personal choices apparently aren't common though since most of them seem to be thriving, and that's perfectly fine with me, my choice doesn't have much to do with the non-decomposing myth, but more to do with what i know about what gets put into those "all beef patties" and chicken nuggets and most everything else they serve.
  • andieooh
    andieooh Posts: 5
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    McDonalds may or may not be getting picked on because they're at the top of the fast food food chain, but the results are true. Have any of you looked up what is in the burgers? The second or third ingredient in every bun is "high fructose corn syrup" - do you know what that stuff does to you? It makes you fat, is the short story.
    Also, their meat isn't considered meat because they process it so much.


    This article is of interest:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/how-bad-is-mcdonalds-food_b_754814.html

    Interesting fact:
    You would have to walk for seven hours without stopping to burn off the calories from a Big Mac, a Coke and an order of fries.

    There is good fat and there is bad fat. Your body can process good fat (i.e. avocaodos, nuts, etc.) versus bad fat (saturated fat from meats, etc.). McDonalds is mostly bad fat. Do yourself a favor and drive past the fast food restaurants, McDonalds or not. It's not worth it. Stop abusing your body, it's the only one you've got.
  • myfirstbaby
    myfirstbaby Posts: 7 Member
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    McDonalds may or may not be getting picked on because they're at the top of the fast food food chain, but the results are true. Have any of you looked up what is in the burgers? The second or third ingredient in every bun is "high fructose corn syrup" - do you know what that stuff does to you? It makes you fat, is the short story.
    Also, their meat isn't considered meat because they process it so much.


    This article is of interest:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/how-bad-is-mcdonalds-food_b_754814.html

    Interesting fact:
    You would have to walk for seven hours without stopping to burn off the calories from a Big Mac, a Coke and an order of fries.

    There is good fat and there is bad fat. Your body can process good fat (i.e. avocaodos, nuts, etc.) versus bad fat (saturated fat from meats, etc.). McDonalds is mostly bad fat. Do yourself a favor and drive past the fast food restaurants, McDonalds or not. It's not worth it. Stop abusing your body, it's the only one you've got.

    Very well said! :)
  • billgiersberg
    billgiersberg Posts: 163
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    McDonalds may or may not be getting picked on because they're at the top of the fast food food chain, but the results are true. Have any of you looked up what is in the burgers? The second or third ingredient in every bun is "high fructose corn syrup" - do you know what that stuff does to you? It makes you fat, is the short story.
    Also, their meat isn't considered meat because they process it so much.


    This article is of interest:
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-robbins/how-bad-is-mcdonalds-food_b_754814.html

    Interesting fact:
    You would have to walk for seven hours without stopping to burn off the calories from a Big Mac, a Coke and an order of fries.

    There is good fat and there is bad fat. Your body can process good fat (i.e. avocaodos, nuts, etc.) versus bad fat (saturated fat from meats, etc.). McDonalds is mostly bad fat. Do yourself a favor and drive past the fast food restaurants, McDonalds or not. It's not worth it. Stop abusing your body, it's the only one you've got.

    I agree that it's better to drive past fast food but not because it's McDonald's, but because it's fast food. I think we all realize that fast food is not a good idea when we want to lose weight. My point is that McDonald's gets picked on because they are a successful corporation. I argue that some people have a hidden political agenda to bring them down. You have quoted an article from the Huffington Post. This is a well know left-wing blog and anything they would post needs to be read in terms of their political agenda.

    I also think you missed a key point in the article I posted. The writer pointed out that even the home-made burger showed the same non-decomposition characteristics as the McDonald's burger. The problem is not McDonald's or their ingredients. The problem is us. Too many of us have sedentary lifestyles. Our children sit around playing video games and adults sit around behind a desk or in front of a TV and when we do eat, we don't practice portion control. That's not McDonald's fault.

    Why is McDonald's always the bad guy? Why has no one made pictures of a non-decomposing Wendy's burger? Because McDonald's is the icon of a big American corporation. Knock them off, put all their people out of work and then some people will sit around and pat themselves on the back. Then they'll go after number 2... Who's next? Burger King? Wendy's? Doesn't matter. Just put those evil corporations out of business as long as we don't have to accept personal responsibility for the choices we make.

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