Do McDonald’s Burgers Ever Rot? Company Answers Myth After 24-Year-Old Meal Goes Viral On TikTok

McDonald's is making it very clear in a new statement that despite a myth that doesn’t really ever die, their burgers will not still be as fresh as the day they were purchased years later.

In a statement released Monday, the company officially responded to the claims that their burgers don’t decompose, stating that while there have been several times where people have claimed to have burgers from years prior that haven’t gone bad, the burgers still do go bad, but in the right conditions, they don’t grow mold or exhibit other characteristics that suggest decomposition more.

“In order to decompose, you need certain conditions-specifically moisture. Without sufficient moisture—either in the foot itself or the environment—bacteria and mold may not grow and therefore, decomposition is unlikely,” the statement reads. “So if food is or becomes dry enough, it is unlikely to grow mold or bacteria or decompose...Look closely, the burgers you are seeing are likely dried out and dehydrated, and by no means ‘the same as the day they were purchased.’”

The company also reiterated their claim that their burgers contain no preservatives or fillers in the beef patties.

The statement came after a video went viral on Tik Tok that showed the poster’s grandmother unwrapping a burger from the company that she reportedly stored in a box in her closet since 1996. In the video, she opens a box marked hamburger, shows French fries from the restaurant that aren’t in the best condition, but don’t look to be 24 years old, and then unwraps the burger after pointing out the bag it came in announced a NASCAR race from 1996-meaning the entire meal was from 24 years ago.

After unwrapping the burger, the bread still looks intact, as does the meat patty, both of which have not molded or decomposed.

This isn’t the first time claims have surfaced which state that McDonald's food does not decompose. Back in 2004, at the end of Morgan Spurlock’s “Super Size Me” documentary, which showed what happened to him when he only ate McDonald's for 30 days, he also showed an experiment where different foods from the fast-food restaurant and another restaurant were left in jars for months. After 10 weeks, all of the other food, including a variety of sandwiches from McDonalds had all started to break down and grow mold. However, the French fries from there appeared to stay intact and not break down at all.

In 2015, a Detroit clinic called Vaughan Chiropractic also claimed to have seen how long it took for food from both McDonalds and Taco Bell to decompose, stating that after two years, a McDonalds cheeseburger and fries, as well as a Taco Bell soft shell chicken taco, were all still very much intact.