A common misconception about bread molding may be the biggest food science fallacy on the internet. The question, and the fear and outrage that accompanies it, is driven by repeated instances of viral online experiments in which someone buys several loaves of store-bought sandwich bread, sets slices out on a kitchen counter or leaves a … Read more
Since the late 1970s, Betty Crocker has been printing the words “Pudding in the Mix” on some of its cake mix boxes. The marketing suggests that in the dry ingredients package is a secret payload of prepared pudding or even a dedicated packet of pudding mix that will make your cake super moist. But, of … Read more
Yes, you can safely eat raw mushrooms but it’s best to do so in moderation. Slicing raw white buttons or creminis onto a salad won’t poison you or trigger acute toxicity. Yet an enduring internet myth insists that eating raw common button mushrooms (Agaricus bisporus) is a gamble. Rumors warn commercial portobellos harbor dangerous carcinogens, … Read more
Yes, tilapia is completely edible and safe. It’s one of the most widely consumed fish in the world. Yet for over a decade, tilapia has been dogged by viral horror stories. According to hundreds of online graphics and chain emails, tilapia is a synthetic frankenfish with no bones, grown in a lab. As if that’s … Read more
There are two fundamental truths about Cheerios. It’s an iconic, wholesome breakfast staple so trusted that parents feed it to their toddlers as finger food, and there are seemingly endless flavors of it. Alongside the classic yellow box, grocery shelves host a perpetual carnival of permanent spin-offs and limited-edition flavors: Honey Nut, Apple Cinnamon, Chocolate … Read more
What you’ve heard it true. Walk into almost any grocery store in France, Germany, or the United Kingdom, and you’ll find cartons of eggs stacked regular room-temperature shelves shelves next to the baking flour and dry pasta. In the United States, that same display would be a gross health code violation and quite shocking. This … Read more