[HamburgerSseokhigi]⑤ The 34 Days Burger King Promised... How Has the Whopper Changed?

4 Years Ago, Moldy Burger Released to Prove No Preservatives
Asia Economy Experiment Day 34 Compared to Burger King Whopper
Different 3D Effects Depending on Packaging but All Covered in Mold

Burger King conducted its own experiment to announce that no artificial preservatives were added to its hamburgers in 2020. The appearance of a Whopper right after being made and after 34 days. Burger King advertisement capture

In 2020, the headquarters of Burger King in the United States aired a shocking visual advertisement. It showed unfiltered how a freshly made Whopper changes after 34 days. During that time, yellow, blue, and white molds grew thickly on the Whopper.

At the end of the ad, Burger King added the phrase "The beauty of no artificial preservatives" alongside the rotten Whopper. This was to demonstrate that from the bread to the beef patty, cucumber pickles, sliced onions, sliced tomatoes, lettuce, and sauce, no artificial colors, additives, flavorings, or preservatives were used.

On the 9th, exactly 34 days after Asia Economy began an experiment on the decay of signature burgers from six hamburger companies?McDonald’s, Mom’s Touch, Lotteria, Burger King, KFC, and Five Guys?on the 7th of last month, they checked the condition of the Whopper. How had the Whopper changed?

The Whopper stored in a plastic container at the Asia Economy studio was completely covered with white and blue mold. While the Whopper’s exterior showed no issues during the first week, after about 30 days, fluffy mold evenly settled on the top of the bread. On the sesame seed spots, round mold grew even taller. The bottom of the bread, which was not exposed to air, showed relatively little change.

The experiment and visuals from Burger King were quite different. This was due to packaging. Burger King used freshly made products without packaging, so even the rotten Whopper preserved the three-dimensionality of the bread, beef patty, and lettuce as much as possible. In contrast, Asia Economy started the experiment with a Whopper that had been packaged and then unwrapped, so the bread was compressed together. As a result, the contents inside the bread were barely exposed, limiting the ability to observe the condition of each ingredient.

Also, due to differences in storage conditions such as temperature and humidity, the mold seen on the burgers differed from Burger King’s, which had various colors of mold. However, it cannot be said that it was less decayed than the ad from four years ago, so the "beauty of no artificial preservatives" can be considered proven.

The appearance of Burger King Whoppers on Day 1 and Day 34 of the hamburger rotting experiment. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju

Among the six companies’ signature burgers, Five Guys’ Bacon Cheeseburger was still the most decayed. The hamburger had transformed into a volcanic island shape, resembling a mold island. Thick blue and white mold covered the bread, and white mold also clung to the patty, proudly showing that it was made from fresh ingredients.

KFC’s Zinger Burger and Mom’s Touch’s Cyburger, both containing chicken patties, quickly began to catch up to Five Guys. Until the third week of the experiment, white mold was mainly on the chicken patties, but now the mold had spread to the bread, making it difficult to distinguish the brands by appearance. The melted cheese and sauce mixed with the mold made the burgers look even more grotesque.

The 34th day of the hamburger rotting experiment: Mom's Touch Cyburger (left) and KFC Zinger Burger (right). Photo by Yoon Dong-joo

Slow changes were also detected in Lotteria’s Bulgogi Burger, once called the phoenix, and McDonald’s Big Mac. White mold about the size of a second finger appeared on the underside of the Bulgogi Burger’s bread. Unlike the other products, it had a dry appearance, as if dusted with white powder. So far, no abnormalities were found on the meat patty. Changes also progressed in the Big Mac, proving that the experimental subjects were living organisms, not models. Unlike Lotteria, the Big Mac’s bread still had no mold, but white mold about the size of a fingernail appeared on the meat patty. Otherwise, it maintained its previous appearance.

Day 34 of the hamburger rotting experiment: Lotteria Bulgogi Burger (left) and McDonald's Big Mac (right). Photo by Dongju Yoon

As of the 14th, the hamburger decay experiment has reached 40 days. Asia Economy plans to continue observing under the same conditions which hamburger visually resists decay the longest.