This burger experiment is more than just gross—it’s raising real questions
- Replies 0
If you’ve ever discovered a rogue French fry under your car seat and wondered why it still looks exactly like the day you bought it, you’re not imagining things.
Now, thanks to one Georgia doctor’s experiment, we have visual proof—and it’s raising more than just eyebrows.
Dr. DeBease, a physician based in Newnan, Georgia, recently shocked his 1.2 million social media followers by showing off a 62-day-old McDonald’s hamburger, fries, and even a slice of Papa John’s pizza.
The jaw-dropping part? None of them showed a single sign of mold, rot, or decay. No green fuzz. No soft spots. No funky smells. In fact, they looked disturbingly...fresh.
“There’s no mold, there’s no decay. Personally, I don’t get it,” DeBease told viewers while holding up the food.
He added that if it had been a regular piece of bread, “it would be the color of Kermit the frog right now.”
The startling lack of deterioration has sparked a wave of concern—and not just about what we’re eating, but what our bodies are doing with it.
So why doesn’t fast food rot like normal food? According to Dr. DeBease, the answer lies in the additives.
Fast food items like burgers and fries are often loaded with preservatives like calcium propionate, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), and TBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone)—chemicals specifically designed to slow spoilage and extend shelf life.
That may be good for inventory management, but not necessarily for your metabolism.
In his video, DeBease refers to the meal as a “chemistry experiment,” crafted to look fresh on the outside while possibly doing long-term damage on the inside.
Some of these preservatives have been linked in various studies to hormone disruption, insulin resistance, and even weight gain.
“If this food doesn’t rot, maybe your body doesn’t know how to break it down either,” he warned.
Naturally, the internet had a lot to say. One commenter joked that McDonald’s should bottle their anti-aging burger technology and sell it as a face cream.
Another was more blunt: “What’s insane is people are still eating this stuff even after knowing the facts.”
To be fair, McDonald’s has responded to past viral claims about their food’s longevity.
The company says their burgers and fries don’t rot because they dry out quickly in the right conditions, preventing mold and bacteria from thriving.
“Food prepared at home that is left to dehydrate could see similar results,” they’ve stated. In other words, it's not just the chemicals—it’s also the lack of moisture.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the bigger picture.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that frequent consumption of ultra-processed foods—like many menu items from fast food chains—was linked to 32 poor health outcomes.
That list includes cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, metabolic, and even mental health issues.
Have you ever found an old fry in your car that looked suspiciously fresh? Does this kind of food experiment make you rethink your takeout habits—or do you think the occasional fast food indulgence is no big deal?
Maybe you’ve even started making your own burgers at home and want to share your recipe. Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear from you.
Read next:
Have you ever found an old fry in your car that looked suspiciously fresh? Does this kind of food experiment make you rethink your takeout habits—or do you think the occasional fast food indulgence is no big deal? Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear from you.
Now, thanks to one Georgia doctor’s experiment, we have visual proof—and it’s raising more than just eyebrows.
Dr. DeBease, a physician based in Newnan, Georgia, recently shocked his 1.2 million social media followers by showing off a 62-day-old McDonald’s hamburger, fries, and even a slice of Papa John’s pizza.
The jaw-dropping part? None of them showed a single sign of mold, rot, or decay. No green fuzz. No soft spots. No funky smells. In fact, they looked disturbingly...fresh.
“There’s no mold, there’s no decay. Personally, I don’t get it,” DeBease told viewers while holding up the food.
He added that if it had been a regular piece of bread, “it would be the color of Kermit the frog right now.”
The startling lack of deterioration has sparked a wave of concern—and not just about what we’re eating, but what our bodies are doing with it.
So why doesn’t fast food rot like normal food? According to Dr. DeBease, the answer lies in the additives.
Fast food items like burgers and fries are often loaded with preservatives like calcium propionate, BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole), and TBHQ (tert-butylhydroquinone)—chemicals specifically designed to slow spoilage and extend shelf life.
That may be good for inventory management, but not necessarily for your metabolism.
In his video, DeBease refers to the meal as a “chemistry experiment,” crafted to look fresh on the outside while possibly doing long-term damage on the inside.
Some of these preservatives have been linked in various studies to hormone disruption, insulin resistance, and even weight gain.
“If this food doesn’t rot, maybe your body doesn’t know how to break it down either,” he warned.
Naturally, the internet had a lot to say. One commenter joked that McDonald’s should bottle their anti-aging burger technology and sell it as a face cream.
Another was more blunt: “What’s insane is people are still eating this stuff even after knowing the facts.”
To be fair, McDonald’s has responded to past viral claims about their food’s longevity.
The company says their burgers and fries don’t rot because they dry out quickly in the right conditions, preventing mold and bacteria from thriving.
“Food prepared at home that is left to dehydrate could see similar results,” they’ve stated. In other words, it's not just the chemicals—it’s also the lack of moisture.
Still, it’s hard to ignore the bigger picture.
A recent study published in the British Medical Journal found that frequent consumption of ultra-processed foods—like many menu items from fast food chains—was linked to 32 poor health outcomes.
That list includes cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, respiratory, metabolic, and even mental health issues.
Have you ever found an old fry in your car that looked suspiciously fresh? Does this kind of food experiment make you rethink your takeout habits—or do you think the occasional fast food indulgence is no big deal?
Maybe you’ve even started making your own burgers at home and want to share your recipe. Drop your thoughts in the comments—we’d love to hear from you.
Read next:
- Burger order leads to lawsuit: What went wrong at Whataburger?
- Is your neighborhood next? McDonald’s announces growth spree that you might see soon!
