Burger King wants customers to know that its Whoppers go moldy — and that’s a good thing.
In a new campaign image released today, Burger King’s juicy Whopper looks completely unappetizing, with fuzzy green and white mold spreading over the meat, lettuce, and bun.
The photo is meant to highlight the fact that Whoppers will decay over time, now that Burger King has removed artificial preservatives from the Whopper sandwich in over 400 restaurants in the US.
Good ol’ mold! Burger King wants customers to know that its Whopper gets moldy over time — and that’s a good thing
Burger King is proud of the milestone, and promises that it will have preservative-free Whoppers in every US restaurant by the end of the year.
What’s more, the chain also removed MSG and high-fructose corn syrup from all of its food items.
‘At Burger King restaurants, we believe that real food tastes better,’ Fernando Machado, Restaurant Brands International Global Chief Marketing Officer, said in a press release.
‘That’s why we are working hard to remove preservatives, colors and flavors from artificial sources from the food we serve in all countries around the world.’
Fresh! In a campaign video, the Whopper starts off looking tasty, but while being filmed for several days, it decays and grows mold
Yuck! Burger King has removed artificial preservatives from the Whopper sandwich in over 400 restaurants in the US
The real deal: Burger King is proud of the milestone, and promises that it will have preservative-free Whoppers in every US restaurant by the end of the year
The new campaign also includes a video of the Whopper, seen decaying over time.
Though it starts out looking tasty with perfectly-placed beef, ketchup, pickles, onions, tomatoes, lettuce, and mayo on a sesame seed bun, fast-forward a few days and the lettuce begins to wilt.
Fast-forward further and the onions start to rot, and a white fuzz of mold spreads over the beef patty, eventually covering it and spreading over the other ingredients and turning green and black by day 34.
‘The beauty of no artificial preservatives,’ reads the tagline.
New? As recently as January, a man in Utah was showing off his 20-year-old burge, which he says looks like it was just purchased
Hmm… David Whipple bought it on July 7, 1999. The meat looks the same, though the bun is certainly decaying
The new campaign seems to be taking a dig at McDonald’s, which over the years has been the subject of several viral photos and videos spotlighting its burgers — and showing that they look the same even after years and years, with no sign of decay.
As recently as January, a man in Utah was showing off his 20-year-old burge, which he says looks like it was just purchased.
But David Whipple told KUTV that he actually bought it on July 7, 1999.
He didn’t set out to save it. At first, he stuck the burger in a pocket and forgot about it, leaving it there as the coat hung in his closet for two years.
When he saw that it still looked the same after so long, he kept the experiment going. However, as he pointed out recently, decay can be seen on the inside of the bun when it’s lifted up.
Back in 2016, a Reddit user, believed to be from the US, posted a photo of a McDonald’s burger and fries that were 10 years old this month but looked brand new.
Don’t eat! Back in 2016, a Reddit user, believed to be from the US, posted a photo of a McDonald’s burger and fries that were 10 years old this month but looked brand new
McDonald’s, meanwhile, has responded to what it calls a ‘myth’ that its burgers don’t decompose.
‘In the right environment, our burgers, like most other foods, could decompose,’ the statement reads.
‘But, in order to decompose, you need certain conditions — specifically moisture. Without sufficient moisture — either in the food itself or the environment — bacteria and mold may not grow and therefore, decomposition is unlikely.
‘So if food is or becomes dry enough, it is unlikely to grow mold or bacteria or decompose. Food prepared at home that is left to dehydrate could see similar results.
‘Look closely, the burgers you are seeing are likely dried out and dehydrated, and by no means “the same as the day they were purchased.”
The reality is that our burgers are made only with 100% USDA inspected beef. 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.’