A trending Facebook post has surfaced, claiming that a McDonald’s Happy Meal has remained unchanged and unspoiled for six long years. This new wave of viral content aims to remind us just how “unhealthy” fast food can be, especially when it comes to what we feed our kids. Recently, a woman from Alaska shared a photo of a Happy Meal, asserting that it has been sitting in her chiropractic office for six years without any signs of decay. The image features hardened French fries and chicken nuggets next to a box with a receipt dated January 2010. The post’s caption reads:
“It’s been 6 years since I bought this ‘Happy Meal’ at McDonald’s. It’s been sitting at our office this whole time and has not rotted, molded, or decomposed at all!!! It smells only of cardboard. We did this experiment to show our patients how unhealthy this ‘food’ is. Especially for our growing children!! There are so many chemicals in this food! Choose real food! Apples, bananas, carrots, celery….those are real fast food.”
Since its upload, this post has garnered nearly 250,000 shares, with countless people lamenting the state of fast food and how it impacts our health. One commenter even tagged a friend, urging them to reconsider what their kids are eating. While well-meaning, this kind of unsolicited advice can often feel patronizing.
The reality is, the notion that McDonald’s food is uniquely terrible and “never rots” has been debunked repeatedly. This specific photo has been identified as misleading by Snopes, and similar claims regarding the non-decomposition of fast food have been addressed by McDonald’s themselves. They explain:
“Food needs moisture in the air for mold to form. Without it, food will simply dry out—similar to bread left out on a counter overnight to create croutons. You may have seen experiments that suggest our food doesn’t decompose. This is usually because the food has dried out before visible deterioration could occur.”
A writer from Serious Eats, who conducted his own experiment with McDonald’s burgers, found that both fast food and homemade burgers left out on a counter didn’t rot. However, when sealed in a Ziplock bag, both types grew mold due to the presence of moisture. So, it’s not about sinister preservatives; it’s simply the fact that McDonald’s food dehydrates quickly, preventing mold growth. The same applies to similarly sized homemade foods. So, let’s stop sharing misinformation already!
If you want to criticize fast food, there are plenty of legitimate reasons. You can dislike it for its high sugar and salt content, which are linked to serious health issues. You can be frustrated by the fact that some families have no other options and feel forced to feed their children less-than-healthy meals. You can oppose their outdated practices, like asking whether you want a “girl toy” or a “boy toy” with kids’ meals, which reinforces ridiculous gender stereotypes. You can be angry about how fast food chains often mistreat their employees, denying them a living wage.
But let’s not propagate myths based on bad science and alarmist social media posts that serve only to shame others and elevate the sharer’s sense of moral superiority. We all recognize that fast food isn’t the healthiest choice, and we definitely don’t need to be reminded that apples are a better option than French fries. If your concern lies in improving nutrition, consider taking genuine action rather than relying on eye-catching gimmicks like leaving a Happy Meal to sit for six years.
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In summary, let’s move past sharing debunked viral posts and instead focus on meaningful discussions around health, nutrition, and social responsibility.
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