14-Year-Old Burger from McDonald's Discovered in Coat Pocket Looks Edible

A Utah man's 14-year-old burger from McDonald's looks almost edible despite never having been refrigerated or preserved in any way.

David Whipple bought the burger at a McDonald's in Logan back in 1999 and let it age for a month to show others in his weight-loss advocate group about enzymatic action.

"At the little meeting, I showed the hamburger and the pickle, which was just starting to disintegrate," Whipple told KSL.com. "There was no decomposition to the meat or bun, nor any mold, fungus or smell. It had no bad odor at all."

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The hamburger patty, still in its original wrapping, was stuffed into a jacket pocket and forgotten about. Now, 14 years later, the burger and bun are still fully intact with no mold or fungus on either one. Whipple has held onto it to encourage his grandchildren to make healthy eating choices.

He has no idea how the burger survived more than a decade without any dehydration or chemical preservatives.

"That's the million-dollar question. They dig up things in King Tut's tomb," Whipple said. "It's going to take a smarter person than I am to figure that out."

Yahoo's Trending Now team reached out to McDonald's to ask about the shelf life of its burgers.

"McDonald’s hamburgers are freshly prepared in our restaurants. While not knowing the conditions in which the food was kept in this specific claim, what is scientifically known is that in bacteria and mold only grow under certain conditions," the franchise said in a statement.

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"For example, without sufficient moisture — either in the food itself or the environment in which it is held — bacteria and mold and associated decomposition, is unlikely. If food is/or becomes dry enough, it won’t grow mold or bacteria. In fact, any food purchased from a restaurant or grocery store or prepared at home that lacks moisture would also dehydrate and see similar results if left in the same environment."

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