Men Who Kept 29-Year-Old McDonald’s Burger Reveal What It Looks Like Now

By [Author Name] | BBC News | 30 July 2025

Two Australian men who claim to have possession an incredibly rare burger that is among the oldest remaining McDonald’s hamburgers, have shown what it appears to be almost three decades after it was purchased.

“The “Senior Burger” – – a Quarter Pounder bought by the company in 1995 has defied time and expectations. There is no visible mold, and an astonishingly intact appearance it has become an internet meme and generated interest on social media platforms around the world.

A Burger Saved by Accident

The story of the burger’s origins began in 1995 in the year 1995, when Eduard Nitz and Cacey Dean were just teens enjoying a night out with their buddies.

While on their way back they stopped by the McDonald’s branch in Adelaide. One of the group members had ordered too much and was in a state of exhaustion. Instead of throwing out the additional Quarter Pounder, the pounder was passed Nitz. Nitz with a jolly instructions:

“Eduard, hold on to this burger until the next time I come and visit.”

As destiny would have it the guest never came back and the burger remained in the hands of Nitz. What began as an innocent joke slowly became a treasured souvenir that’s been around for nearly 29 years.

From Desk Ornament to Family Relic

In the beginning the burger was placed casually on the desk of Nitz. In time, it grew to become more of a novelty rather than a snack that was forgotten. In the end, the couple put it in a small container to keep it safe and, as time passed it was passed around among relatives.

In an interview on the Australian channel Channel 9 Today Show, Nitz reflected:

“It’s been here since the year 1995. We didn’t think we’d keep it for that time, but it kept on going. The burger became part of our household .”

The things that could have cracked or rotted away, or developed or rotted, most of the time was still remarkably solid.

Too Old for Mold?

What, then, do you think of the burger almost three years more later?

Surprisingly, it appears to be the same as its original. The meat patty and bun are as solid as stone, and the texture isn’t edible. However, the most important thing is that there’s no evidence of mold.

“We get asked all the time if we did anything to it,” Dean explained. “We didn’t even touch it We didn’t spray it, and we did not freeze it. We simply put it into a box. That’s all.”

At one moment, Dean even demonstrated its toughness by throwing the sandwich that had been solidified off the back of the box in which it was stored.

The Burger is Going viral – a BURGER for Fans

The bizarreness of “Senior Burger” first gained the spotlight in the past decade in the year Nitz and Dean started a wacky Facebook page that read:

“Can this 20-year-old burger get more likes than Kanye West?”

The web reacted enthusiastically. The message spread quickly fan art started to flood in and the burger became an interesting culture reference.

In the past, however, the two have taken a leap into surprising popularity. The burger doesn’t just has its own online fan following however, it has also inspired an music video in Spotify and According to Dean there are plans in the works for a full album of music dedicated to the hamburger.

“It sounds ridiculous,” Dean admitted. “But people enjoy it. We’ve had people send us memes, sketches as well as requests for us to “meet the hamburger. It’s more than just a sandwich; it’s a star .”

Giving the Burger a Digital Life

As one of most unusual developments, the pair is currently experimenting with artificial intelligence. Together with a tech-savvy friend they are creating the first chatbot that will be a character to be used by the senior Burger.

“The idea is to let people ‘talk’ to the burger, almost like it’s a therapist,” Dean explained. “It’s crazy, but hey, it’s a legitimately old burger – why not give it a voice?”

Social Media Reactions

In Reddit and other forums online the hamburger has been the subject of interest and entertainment for a long time.

One user commented: “Surprised there’s no mold even that it’s preservative-free. Imagine what it does to the body.” .”

Another joke: “I can see this burger going to the grave with one of them.”

A third person reminisced on their packaging “Woah! I completely did not remember these cardboard rings, which used to go around the hamburgers. It triggered a long-forgotten recall .”

The Science Behind the Shelf Life

Although the longevity of the burger has sparked internet-based jokes and conspiracy theories experts suggest the answer is fairly simple.

Australian nutritionist Tim Crowe, an Australian nutrition scientist said to ABC that the survival of burgers isn’t too baffling.

“There’s nothing sinister in this. The reason that a McDonald’s hamburger can last for this long and not show visible signs of decay is due to factors such as the high amount of salt in it as well as low moisture. This creates a climate in which bacteria and mold cannot thrive. .”

Crowe said that although such long-term stability may seem alarming but it doesn’t mean that the food is harmful.

“It’s no health hazard in and of itself. It’s not healthy. There are much better choices for food than an old-fashioned fast-food burger but that doesn’t mean it’s safe just because it’s not decayed. .”

McDonald’s Responds

If the burger appears on the news, McDonald’s has to be aware of the burger before it appears in mainstream media. While the company hasn’t issued any public statements regarding it’s Senior Burger, it has admitted its existence.

A McDonald’s spokesperson has previously stated that the issue isn’t limited to their food products. If the conditions are right, any dry, preserved food can last for a long time, without becoming decomposed..

More Than Just a Burger

In the case of Nitz and Dean The Senior Burger has evolved into more than just a curiosity for scientists it’s become a symbol for laughter, friendship and the internet’s culture.

“We never expected it to go this far,” Nitz told me. “But now, when people hear about the world’s oldest McDonald’s burger, they know it’s ours.”

It’s bounced off an object or featured in an the world of online artwork, or set to become an online therapy session, the burger’s bizarre course is not end.

A Relic of the 1990s

For many those who love many, the Senior Burger is also a sort of time capsule. It is a throwback to the mid-1990s when packaged food for convenience, pop culture and humour among teenagers were different from what we have today.

It’s an opportunity to remind ourselves of how tiny events – for example an unfinished Quarter Pounder can develop the life that is their own this digital age.

And as it gets closer to it’s 30th birthday Senior Burger continues to live up to its illustrious past: a sandwich that beat expectations, and maybe even its proprietors.