Brace yourselves – Burger King are flaunting mould covered whoppers in their new ad campaign. Why? To herald the launch of a whopper that’s completely free from artificial preservatives.
The mega fast food company (known locally as Hungry Jack’s) posted a time-lapse video set to Aretha Franklin’s ‘What a Diff’rence a Day Made’. It features cinematic close-ups of a freshly made whopper and stays there until day 34, by which time the burger is infested with mould.
“The beauty of real food is that it gets ugly,” says the company’s official marketing copy. Preservative-free whoppers are now available in 400+ Burger King locations across the US and will be in all US franchises by the end of the year.
Watch: Burger King | The Moldy Whopper
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSDC4C3_16Y
Brandishing the mouldy whopper is commendable, but certainly not appetising. But whether or not it gets more people consuming the burgers, Burger King are clearly trying to tear down the cliche that fast food could withstand a nuclear holocaust.
But what’s so bad about eternal burgers? The argument in favour of artificial preservatives is that they stop bacteria growth, improve appearance and prevent spoilage. This means less wastage for the supplier, which reduces costs for consumers.
But the argument against artificial preservatives – which don’t just show up in fast foods, by the way – is that they pose a serious threat to our health. NDTV’s Food website warns artificial preservatives may set off breathing problems like asthma and bronchitis; cause hyperactive behaviour in children; weaken heart tissues, especially in older people; and lead to obesity.
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Dietician Stephanie Hnatiuk told Global News that artificial preservatives “increase our risk of colon cancer.” However, dietician Novella Lui said that “if preservatives are only consumed in small quantities, they shouldn’t pose any health risk.”
Hungry Jack’s made headlines in 2017 after a Melbourne customer discovered mould on his whopper. At present there is no official word on whether Hungry Jack’s will follow the lead of its US counterpart and roll out preservative free burgers.
