Mechanic Finds Years-Old McDonald’s Burger Inside a Car — Then He Used a Hammer to Break It

McDonald’s downplays the longevity of its cheeseburgers. Apparently, they remain intact even after sitting outside for years. A mechanic from Brisbane, Australia, discovered a “fossilized” burger from the trunk of a car he was working on. Cameron Holland, who goes by @whats_the_issue on TikTok, was surprised by the burger’s resistance to the elements and showcased how it appeared in a viral TikTok clip with 3.5 million views. When Holland was working on a 12-year-old Toyota Camry, he found the food item behind the spare wheel and figured it had to be at least a year old because the wheel looked like it “had never been moved before.” 

“We found this in a car. Rock hard,” said Holland, smacking the burger against a solid surface. He was expecting the soft burger to crumble at the first hit, but it did not. One would almost believe it was a fake used for pranks. The McDonald’s product did not even have mold growing on it, except a little. Ants and bugs also refrained from eating the now-solidified burger. “Found this cheeseburger in a spare wheel well at work, has to be at least 1-3 years old. The burger is rock hard without one bit of mold on it. It wasn’t even eaten by ants,” the caption revealed.  

When the burger remained undeterred, Holland smashed it with a hammer. Shockingly, the food item needed multiple blows before it split into halves. “That’s like a biscuit,” he exclaimed. In an interview with News.com.au, the mechanic divulged, “I’ll never eat McDonald’s again.” Describing the fossilized burger, he said it almost looked “fresh” besides its texture, which was as packed as cement. The viral clip caused quite a stir among fast food fans in Australia, forcing a statement out of the popular burger chain. “Our food is made to be consumed upon purchase or delivery to ensure quality and freshness,” the McDonald’s representatives told News.com.au in their official statement following the controversy. 

The fast food chain “prides itself on serving up great quality products.” However, there have been more than one instance of preserved McDonald’s food reported across countries. The speculation is that the chain uses superior preservatives and mold-free meat strains to prolong their products and cut down on losses of raw ingredients. In 2009, anthropologist Hjortur Smarason from Iceland picked up a McDonald’s meal from a store that was shutting down permanently. He meant to experiment to deduce how time affected the chain’s food products. 

After three years of preservation, when he looked inside, the meal looked as fresh as the day it was bought. The preserved meal is now on display at Reykjavik’s Bus Hostel as “The Last McDonald’s Cheeseburger sold in Iceland,” per TODAY. Meanwhile, Holland’s video caused widespread concern among viewers, receiving 146,800 likes. One person (@talz_29) wrote, “So concerning that there’s no mold. What are we eating?” While another (@leondaglish) admitted, “That’s why I haven’t eaten McDonald’s in 15 years.” “Chemical burgers with cheese,” mused @user919887781734. 

You can follow @whats_the_issue on TikTok for more videos.