"Natural" beauty has finally made its way into fast-food advertising.
On Wednesday, Burger King released a time-lapse video of its flagship burger decomposing and becoming covered in mold over 34 days.
The stunt is part of the chain's campaign to highlight its move away from preservatives and artificial ingredients. Burger King said in a press release that it had removed preservatives from the Whopper in most European markets and select US markets.
"At Burger King we believe that real food tastes better," Fernando Machado, Restaurant Brands International's chief marketing officer, said in the 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."
Burger King said it's rolling out preservative-free Whoppers across the US and will serve them in all US restaurants by the end of 2020.
This move reflects a trend in the fast-food industry toward "natural" and socially conscious foods. McDonald's said last year that its switch from frozen to fresh beef for its Quarter Pounders led to a spike in its burger sales for the first time in five years. And at the end of January, Popeyes became the latest major chain to sign onto the Better Chicken Commitment, which mandates higher welfare standards for poultry used in chains' food.
Artificial ingredients in fast food have long been a subject of fascination and scrutiny. In Iceland, a McDonald's hamburger and fries have remained on display since the last McDonald's restaurant in the country closed in 2009. The burger and fries have remained pristinely preserved and mold-free for over 10 years, seemingly showing no signs of decay.
