Tasmanian jeweller Emma Bugg turns 9-year-old Big Mac into a brooch out of curiosity and for charity

A nine-year old Big Mac burger has been turned into a brooch* to raise money for charity.

The idea for the unique creation by Tasmanian jeweller Emma Bugg came at a health retreat* where a talk was given about healthy eating in 2013.

“We were told that Big Macs never go mouldy*,” Ms Bugg said.

“I’m a curious person, so had to test the theory for myself.”

Ms Bugg bought her first McDonald’s Big Mac in January 2015 and decided to transform it into a brooch.

“It shrunk around 10 per cent, the lettuce went brown, but no mould,” she said.

“It was quite surprising to see that neither ants, nor the resident rat in my old barn-style studio, nor even mould considered it food.

“It has been stored in the brown paper bag it came in, and has not been treated in any way.

“It is 100 per cent ‘au naturale’*.”

Since she started her project she has eaten McDonalds “a handful of times and later regretted it”.

“It has made me think twice, and has certainly made me more curious about the ingredients.

“I’m not saying people should or shouldn’t eat it, but simply presenting the evidence, so people can make up their own minds. Food for thought!” she said.

The Big Mac brooch will be on display as part of the Namedropping exhibition opening at Mona art gallery in Hobart on June 15. It will then be auctioned off in Mona’s gala fundraising auction and Ms Bugg hopes it raises thousands of dollars for the Material Institute, a charity which funds community events, social enterprises* and food education programs.

“I imagine a philanthropic* art collector with impeccable* taste for the unique will buy it,” Ms Bugg said.

“Whether they wear it or not is hard to say – I imagine it might be more displayed as a conversation piece.”

GLOSSARY

• brooch: an ornament fastened to clothing with a hinged pin and catch
• retreat: a place to escape to
• mouldy: covered with a fungal growth which causes decay, due to age or damp conditions
• au naturale: French words for natural
• social enterprises: businesses that exist to create a fairer and more sustainable world
• philanthropic: the act of giving help to people in need, often with money
• impeccable: faultless or perfect

EXTRA READING
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‘Up’ house floats in midair for real
Macca’s burger still ‘fresh’ after 10 years

QUICK QUIZ
1. What made Emma Bugg curious about creating a Big Mac brooch?
2. What changes has the Big Mac experienced over 9 years?
3. How has it been stored and treated?
4. What has Emma Bugg regretted since starting this project?
5. What will happen to the brooch in June 2024?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Lasting ingredients
What sort of ingredients might a McDonald's Big Mac contain to not go "off" or mouldy in more than nine years? Work with a partner and list any ingredients that you think might contribute to its longevity:

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If a food we eat, from a popular fast food chain, stays in its actual state for such a long period of time, what does this tell you about the quality of this food from a health perspective?
Do you think it would be healthy for your body to eat this type of food regularly? Why or why not?

Time: allow 15 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

2. Extension
Imagine you're a staff representative from McDonald’s Australia and create a press statement explaining how a Big Mac lasts this long, while assuring customers that the food is still good to eat, to try and protect their company brand and reputation.

Time: allow 20 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English, Science, Personal and Social, Critical and Creative Thinking

VCOP ACTIVITY
1. Opener up-level it
Make a list of all the openers in the article. Pick three that repeat and see if you can replace them with another word, or shuffle the order of the sentence to bring a new opener to the front.
Don’t forget to re-read the sentence to make sure it still makes sense, and that it actually sounds better.