Guest guest Posted October 5, 2008 Report Share Posted October 5, 2008  http://blog.stayfreemagazine.org/2005/06/mcdonalds_exper.html Got a blog tip? Contact us « "Entertainment Every Night," Indeed | Main | Discovering buried rocks » An Inquiry into the Effects of Preservatives in Mc's Food, or, What Does the Fungus Know That You Don't? Everyone knows Mc's food isn't healthy, but is it really any worse than other fast food? A friend of mine told me about an experiment Spurlock did for Supersize Me comparing Mc's food to a place that made homemade burgers and fries. (The experiment wasn't in the movie but it's one of the DVD extras.) Spurlock let food from both places sit out for weeks in order to see see how Mc's use of preservatives and other additives affected the way the food broke down. I liked the idea but wanted to see what would happen if, instead of using gourmet stuff, I experimented with the local equivalent of Mc's -- a cheap restaurant/take-out joint. So I went and bought burgers and fries from a nearby diner, New College Restaurant, and from Mc's and compared the two. As you can see here, the local place uses crinkle fries that come frozen, not unlike Mc's. (I suspect the burger came frozen too, but, to be honest, I didn't ask.) Next, I photographed each food item (see burgers | fries), put them all in a plastic bin, and placed the bin outside my apartment in the hallway. Then, I waited and observed. Here's what happened. Day 3 The crinkle fries from the local joint show signs of mold. Nothing on Mc's. The Mc's burger has a pronounced white spot (some kind of growth) toward the bottom right. The local burger has several white areas and a thin white film coating sections of the burger. None of the spots on the local burger are quite as large as the one on Mc's. * * * * * * * Day 5 Local burger is now encrusted with something resembling cold sores; fuzzy white areas of a slight greenish tint. The white spot on the Mc's burger has grown considerably, but the burger otherwise weathers the storm. Thick green spores cap off the fuzzy coat on the crinkle fries. Mc's remains unharmed. Unfortunately, after putting the fries back in the bin, I accidentally knocked over the tray that they were on so that the Mc's fries fell on top of the local fries, contaminating them. (I didn't notice the mistake until.....) * * * * * * * Day 7 Local burger: pigeons wouldn't eat this. Mc's has a .7" cluster cake on the top right region, and two small growths on the bottom section, but is otherwise clean. Mc's fries now show signs of decay, though perhaps that is due to the fact that I found them laying on top of the crinkle fries and had to move them back to their own tray. CONCLUSION Are Mc's products worse for you than other fast food? Anecdotal data suggests that Mc's is less like food than its local equivalent and therefore the answer is "yes." (However, for people who tend to leave food unrefrigerated around the house for days, Mc's may be an ideal choice.) Incidentally, Spurlock used individual glass jars for his experiment and didn't identify any appreciable differences in burger decay. His Mc's fries, however, remained unvarnished and fungus-free for weeks. Since I contaminated my fries, I can neither confirm nor refute Spurlock's findings. And I wasn't going to repeat the test and risk pissing off my landlord, what with the stench and all. You? - - - ALSO FROM STAY FREE!• The Freaky Universe of Mc's Advertising• Flavor Makers: Ex-Food Factory Workers Discuss the Mysteries of Flavor Science Archives September 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 About our blog team Subscribe to this blog's feed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.