Have you ever been a little creeped out to find a surprisingly well-preserved French fry underneath your car seat, even though you were sure it had been months since your last trip through the drive through?
This phenomenon may be more common than you think.
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A U.K.-based nutritionist has created a museum of seemingly undead fast food treats, from French fries and pizza slices and hamburgers and fried chicken, according to the New York Post. TikTok users got a peek into the collection through video posted by the nutritionist’s daughter Elif Kandemir, said the outlet.
As of Monday, the video already had more than 3.3 million views. It shows pantry drawers are filled with food that looks like it could have been recently picked up. However, Kandemir said most of the items are one to two years old.
“My mum is a nutritionist helping to tackle obesity,” said text accompanying the video. “These foods shown here are ultra-processed foods that 80% of the U.K. consume on a regular basis.”
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According to a 2020 report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 36 percent of children in the U.S. consumed fast food on a given day. A 2018 report showed that around the same percentage of adults consumed fast food on a given day.
Kandemir’s mother is not the only person who has sought to document the strange, ageless quality of fast foods.
Chiropractor Jaqueline Vaughn of Waterford, Mich., had kept up a display of rot-free Taco Bell and McDonald’s foods in her office for around two years when Business Insider caught up with her in 2015. The outlet also reported in 2013 that a Utah man claimed to have kept a McDonald’s burger for 14 years with no signs of rot or mold.
Last summer, McDonald’s addressed why some of their foods don’t appear to decompose.
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“In the right environment, our burgers, like most other foods, could decompose,” said an Aug. 2020 company statement. “But, in order to decompose, you need certain conditions – specifically moisture.”
In the absence of moisture or high humidity, McDonald’s thin burgers – which lose moisture through a steaming process – dry out rather than rot, Business Insider further explained.
“The reality is that our burgers are made only with 100% USDA inspected beef,” said McDonald’s. “There are no preservatives or fillers in our patties and the only thing ever added is a touch of salt and pepper on the grill.”
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Other fast food destinations, including Burger King, have tried to eliminate preservatives from their menus.
The Cleveland Clinic doesn’t recommend making any food a regular staple of your diet if it is high in sodium (which can be used as a preservative) or saturated fats.
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