US media reported on the 24th that on July 7, 1999, Whipple, who lived in Logan, Utah, bought a beef hamburger at McDonald's for 79 cents. Instead of eating the hamburger, Whipple planned to store it for a month to see if it went bad and then show his friends how much preservatives were in it, but I later forgot about it.

In addition to the hamburger, Whipple also retained the packaging bag and purchase receipt from the time. Initially, he stuffed it into his coat pocket and then left the coat in the trunk of his car for about two to three months. Later, Whipple took the coat home and kept it.

It wasn’t until two years later that the hamburger was uncovered. In 2006, Whipple dug out this "immortal" hamburger when he moved. From then on, the Whipple family began to deliberately continue this "experiment" to see how long it would last without deterioration.

Recently, 14 years later, Whipple was shocked to find that the hamburger was still not rotten and looked the same as the one he bought yesterday. "I didn't mean to keep the hamburger for such a long time." Whipple said in an interview while holding the "immortal" burger. After inspection, the host of the "Doctors" show and guest Dr. Stock found that the bun and patty of the hamburger were not moldy, had no bacteria, or even had an odor. The only change is that the pickles and onions inside have shrunk and broken down.

Although the burger looked fresh, no one dared to actually take a bite. Whipple, 63, said he planned to show the burger to his grandchildren to encourage them to eat healthily. After the relevant TV program was broadcast, the fast food chain stated on the 24th that it is not a big deal for hamburgers to not become moldy for many years. McDonald's said that assuming the incident was not a hoax, the reason why the burgers did not spoil should be the result of dehydration and preservation, not the role of preservatives.

Question: A scam?

After the report came out, it also aroused a lot of doubts. Some people suspected that Whipple might have done something, and some even questioned whether the hamburger had really been preserved for 14 years.

There are reports that Whipple once tried to put the hamburger up for auction on Ebay, with bidders paying up to $2,000. Whipple also actively disclosed to the media that he had "the oldest hamburger in the world." He once wanted to collaborate with a radio station on a tasting event of "immortal" hamburgers, but gave up because he was asked to sign a statement guaranteeing that the tasters would not get sick. When questioned, Whipple said he did not lie and never put the hamburger in the refrigerator.