The Kandemir house has a pantry that is full of old junk food. Elif Kandemir/via TikTokOver 3,000,000 people have viewed a TikTok featuring a pantry filled with two-year-old junk foods.Elif Kandemir, Elif's mother, explains in the video that she keeps the food for "go off" purposes.Since then, there has been much debate about whether the lack of mold indicates that the food is unsafe.For more stories, visit Insider's homepage.TikTok has made a viral video showing a pantry full of junk food from two years ago, including McDonald's burgers and Domino's pizza.Over 7,000 people follow Elif Kandemir's TikTok account @elifgkandemir. On July 13, she posted about her long-running experiment by her mother to see if fast food actually rots.Her video has been viewed 3.7 million times and has provoked debate about whether lack of mold is evidence that food is unhealthy.Her TikTok Elif is from the UK and explains that her mother Leyla, a nutritionist, is "helping to combat obesity." She described the food in her cupboard as "ultra processed" and stated that it is what "80%" of the UK eat on a daily basis.Insider spoke to Leyla, a psychotherapist and also a trained shopper. She said that she started storing fast food after finding a half-eaten pizza that her son ordered for her. In her second year at university, she was doing "a lot" on trans fats, fast food, and ultra-processed foods.She was shocked to see the pizza and thought "Let's just check if what we're studying is real."She said, "I put them into a cupboard, and a month later, I returned to look at the food. It had meat on it and sausages and all kinds of other things, and nothing had gone wrong." Her experiment has grown to be a success. Now, Leyla's pantry contains everything, from old McDonald's fries, sausage rolls, and doughnuts.Continue the storySome people have however questioned Leyla’s theory after they have seen Elif’s video. Elif addressed a comment made by someone claiming that all food is acceptable provided it is eaten in moderation in a TikTok post on July 14.Although it is true that you can eat anything and everything, at least 80% of a person should avoid these foods. She concluded that my mom was simply trying to help people make better food choices and lead a happier, more healthy lifestyle.Insider was told by Dr. Wendy Bazilian (a registered dietitian) that the lack mold in the junk food could have been due to the absence of water. The video is likely to stir up controversy as food is so personal.Dr. Bazilian said that this is a common feeling among people. Others feel threatened or attacked because they eat the same way, sometimes more often, feel they don't have enough money, or are unable to afford it.Leyla addressed the debate directly, telling Insider that she loves controversy. "Look at where it has the TikTok. It has divided a nation, and we're all discussing it," she stated. "That's such an amazing thing."Leyla, a former teacher, hopes that her experiment can be used to combat obesity in schools. She said that while it is possible to eat this food in moderation, it cannot be more than 80% of your daily diet.Dr. Bazilian did not necessarily believe that "scare tactics", as used with children under the age of five, would be effective. She stated, "I don’t believe it’s a good approach. It could work well."She said that visuals can be compelling and can be used in nutrition education principles. We need to use a multi-pronged approach in order to address the real health issues of obesity and overweight, which can lead to poorer outcomes for children's health.Insider has the original article.
