Here's What A 24-Year-Old McDonald's Burger Looks Like

You might wonder who would want to keep a hamburger hanging around in their closet — but there is not just one person who has held onto their McDonald's orders instead of eating them. In fact, there have been at least two. Earlier in 2020, a man in Utah presented the world with a 20-year-old burger that hadn't rotted away. Now, a grandmother on TikTok, which was posted by Aly Sherb, pulled a 24-year-old McDonald's burger out of a box. After you see how well this particular burger and fries aged, you might not want to eat it either (via Fox News). 

In the video, the woman first presented viewers with the original bag the meal came in from 1996. The bag itself actually had ads for a NASCAR race that happened that year. Next, she pulled out the fries followed by the burger, which she removed a bun to show the patty itself. "The fries look like they maybe could've fallen under your seat a month or so ago that never rotted or decayed," she said (via Delish). "The bread has never molded, the meat has never rotted, and it has never even broken. It's completely intact." 

That isn't exactly comforting news when you think about something that doesn't decompose after more than 20 years going into your body. Not to mention, the bag looks more age-appropriate than the food, which looks as though it's just been misplaced in the car for a month or two. 

McDonald's responded to the first incident with the man in Utah by explaining the chain's fast-food would decompose under the right conditions. Apparently, everyone who has been stashing burgers and fries over the past 20 years must not have enough moisture in their homes to help the food naturally deteriorate. 

"Without sufficient moisture — either in the food itself or the environment — bacteria and mold may not grow and therefore, decomposition is unlikely," said Anne Christensen, director of Field Brand Reputation for McDonald's. "So if food is or becomes dry enough, it is unlikely to grow mold or bacteria or decompose. Food prepared at home that is left to dehydrate could see similar results. Similarly, this particular burger is likely dried out and dehydrated, and by no means the same as the day it was purchased."

You might believe that McDonald's burgers don't rot because they lack moisture, but that might mean they're pretty dry to begin with. For whatever reason, it appears that these burgers and fries don't exactly decompose like most other foods. That conclusion is really up to you, though.