Why does McDonald's throw out food that is more than 15 minutes old?

Question

It really doesn't make sense. Why can't someone just send all those hamburgers of to 3rd world countries? Or, at least, donate them to chairity or homeless people? Your thoughts, please. P.s. I need to find info on this subject for a school assignment, so please, no "no brainer" answers. Thanks! :-)

Answer 1

OK for the assignment lets put if in nice word.
Firstly the burgers are cook very fast and at a very high heat so the burger will be totally healthy for 5 Min's but by the time it reaches 20 Min's the germs would have multiplied greatly, Making the food a health hazard to any one who eats it, And It is not possible to send cooked food any where without it going off. Try it yourself buy 2burgers have one in store and take the other home and then you will see and taste the difference.
Also it help the company with the image of a healthy place to eat, and it's a also a company guide line and all restaurants must follow it. So if you find one that is not you can sue them.

Hope this helps

Answer 2

Because the cost of doing so would be too prohibitive (expensive). It's nice to say you should donate a hamburger to a starving kid in Somalia, but how would you transport it? Prevent it from going bad? Not really feasible.
Same problem even transporting to local shelters, food safety would be a major concern.

Now I happen to know, that some McDonald's (at least in NYC where I'm from) would leave out their "leftovers" every few hours or so and let the local homeless people pick them up.

As far as to why they throw them out otherwise (say in a more rural area without any homeless), its really a health issue. They can't serve their customers burgers that have been sitting around all day, it's unhealthy... food poisoning and such.

Answer 3

It is totally wasteful. However,there are laws about it.
I'm not sure if it has to do with the burgers at McDs being frozen-at Wendy's, where they buy fresh meat every morning and make up their burgers, they keep burgers on the grill at all times, but after like 5 minutes, they put the cooked burgers in the walk in freezer and use them to make the chili. That way both the burgers and the chili meat are fresh.
Also, in some towns the managers will give the food to homeless people, but in one McDonald's my brother worked at, the manager would purposefully mix the leftovers with coffee grounds, etc., so they couldn't even pick them out of the dumpster!

Answer 4

I've wondered this too. I used to work in restaurants and there is a tremendous amount of waste. There is no way of getting already cooked food to any 3rd world country, but what about the people in your home town that are hungry? That's a good way to help the homeless and there are plenty of them in your own neighborhood.

Answer 5

Because people would love to sue a multi-million dollar corporation like MCDonald's if they get sick on old food. McDonald's knows this and covers all the bases. Remember the hot coffee incident?

Answer 6

Well I'm quite sure I have had a double cheeseburger that had to have been 2 days old. Dried up crusty old thing.

Answer 7

It is a health dept regulation. Plus, who wants to eat cold, re-heated food?

Answer 8

I'VE WORKED IN FAST FOOD AND THEY THROW ALL THE BREAKFAST ITEMS OUTS WHEN LUNCH TIMES ROLLS AROUND I WAS TOLD THEY RATHER TOSS IT IN THE GARBAGE THAN BE SUED FOR FOOD POISONING WHICH PEOPLE JUMP AT THE CHANCE TO DO

Answer 9

They should throw it out immediately. It's poison.

Answer 10

It's against the law other than throwing it away.