Sloane here. A decade ago, one really powerful Facebook post helped lock in one of the internet’s most incredible fast-food myths straight into the public consciousness: the idea that McDonald’s food “doesn’t rot.” Sure, the images were unsettling, and yes, the implications were super gross, and the explanation, such as it was, went completely unchallenged until a decade later. Let’s dive in.
What most people never realized is that the viral photos of McDonald’s burgers and fries sitting out for weeks or months were not showing food resisting decay. They were showing food that had dried out. The big science news here is that mold and rot require moisture, and when moisture is removed, food does not decompose. This isn’t just a McDonald’s thing. It’s a food-all-over-the-planet thing. Without moisture, it dries out. But when it came to those Micky D’s photos, that basic fact was never mentioned. So once the outrage and disgust kicked in, no one stopped to ask, “Hey, wait, is there some additional context here?”...
