So, do you want flies with that?
By Cai Wenjun, Jin Jing and Li Xinran |
March 23, 2010, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
HOW long does a McDonald's Happy Meal last if it's put on a shelf? Well, according to an American nutritionist, at least a year because of the high levels of preservatives.
Joann Brusco posted the results of her year-long experiment on her blog and news groups around the world, including London tabloid The Daily Mail, picked up the story and photos.
McDonald's Shanghai quickly responded. "No preservatives, just salt and pepper, are added to our beef patties," said Liu Xiaolin, its city public relations manager.
Brusco said she took the photos a year apart and there was little sign of decay.
The beef hamburger and fries in the photos showed the beef patty slightly shrivelled and the burger bun cracked.
"Food is supposed to decompose, go bad and smell foul eventually," Brusco said on her blog.
"The fact that it has not decomposed shows you how unhealthy it is for children."
McDonald's in the United States has questioned the veracity of Brusco's experiment.
"Our food passes dozens of checks for sanitation and quality control before being served at tables with quality and freshness absolutely guaranteed," Liu said.
Officials from the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration said yesterday they would closely monitor proceedings as the story unfolded.
Gu Zhenhua, director of the FDA's food inspection department, said preservatives were illegal in hamburger making. "We have never found such problems in local major fast food chain stores like McDonald's and KFC," he said.
Brusco said she left the Happy Meal uncovered on a shelf at her home near Denver, Colorado.
The 62-year-old, who has eight grandchildren, admitted that the dry conditions in her home near the Rocky Mountains meant there was little moisture in the air with which to speed decomposition.
But she said during the experiment, no flies or insects were drawn to the food.
"I had the windows open many times, but flies and other insects just ignored the Happy Meal," she said. "What does that tell you, if they can't be bothered with it?
"Food is broken down into its essential nutrients in our bodies and turned into fuel. Our children grow strong bodies when they eat real food.
"If flies ignore a Happy Meal and microbes don't decompose it, then your child's body can't properly metabolize it either."
"Now you know why it's called junk food."
Joann Brusco posted the results of her year-long experiment on her blog and news groups around the world, including London tabloid The Daily Mail, picked up the story and photos.
McDonald's Shanghai quickly responded. "No preservatives, just salt and pepper, are added to our beef patties," said Liu Xiaolin, its city public relations manager.
Brusco said she took the photos a year apart and there was little sign of decay.
The beef hamburger and fries in the photos showed the beef patty slightly shrivelled and the burger bun cracked.
"Food is supposed to decompose, go bad and smell foul eventually," Brusco said on her blog.
"The fact that it has not decomposed shows you how unhealthy it is for children."
McDonald's in the United States has questioned the veracity of Brusco's experiment.
"Our food passes dozens of checks for sanitation and quality control before being served at tables with quality and freshness absolutely guaranteed," Liu said.
Officials from the Shanghai Food and Drug Administration said yesterday they would closely monitor proceedings as the story unfolded.
Gu Zhenhua, director of the FDA's food inspection department, said preservatives were illegal in hamburger making. "We have never found such problems in local major fast food chain stores like McDonald's and KFC," he said.
Brusco said she left the Happy Meal uncovered on a shelf at her home near Denver, Colorado.
The 62-year-old, who has eight grandchildren, admitted that the dry conditions in her home near the Rocky Mountains meant there was little moisture in the air with which to speed decomposition.
But she said during the experiment, no flies or insects were drawn to the food.
"I had the windows open many times, but flies and other insects just ignored the Happy Meal," she said. "What does that tell you, if they can't be bothered with it?
"Food is broken down into its essential nutrients in our bodies and turned into fuel. Our children grow strong bodies when they eat real food.
"If flies ignore a Happy Meal and microbes don't decompose it, then your child's body can't properly metabolize it either."
"Now you know why it's called junk food."
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