Top 10 Myths About Famous Treats

We've all heard some of the most popular food myths, passed down through generations or spread by word of mouth. Whether it's about the gum you accidentally swallowed or the sugar-free candies you thought were harmless, these myths have taken on a life of their own. In this article, we’ll debunk ten common food myths, separating fact from fiction, so you can enjoy your meals with a clearer understanding of what's true and what's just a tasty tale.

1. Bubble gum will stay in your stomach for 7 years

Many believe that if you swallow bubble gum, the stickiness will stick in your digestive system. You could have heard it from your mom, dad, or even your teacher. But the truth is that the gum gets digested right after you swallow it. The gum can’t be decomposed by enzymes or other decomposers. The gum is just too flexible, so instead, it just goes out of the digestive system.

If you have other problems with swallowing gum, click here to get more information, or talk with your doctor: https://www.mayoclinic.org/digestive-system

2. “Sugar Free” can still cause harm to teeth

Even though candies or sodas are sugar-free, it doesn't mean that everything about “sugar-free” is better than original sugar. Yes, it does (probably) not contain sugar, but it does contain artificial sweeteners, which could have a high range of acidity. For example, citrus sugar-free candies contain this artificial sweetener, which could be as bad for your teeth as ordinary sugar.

So next time you're going to eat a full bag of sugar-free drops, just think about not consuming it all, even if you think it’s healthy and doesn't cause harm. And if you do, you may have to take a visit to your dentist.

3. Sugar Kick

Speaking of sugar, you probably remember that time when your parents said you can’t eat sugary treats before bedtime. They said you would get hyperactive and wouldn’t fall asleep for countless hours. Well, did you know that the sugar kick is just a placebo effect of what you think is true? Yes, you get hyperactive because your brain responds to the thought of eating sugar, which results in you thinking you are hyperactive. So you really don't get more active than you already are from eating sugar.

Just remember not to eat too much sugar!

4. Oreos are 100% vegan

Many believe that Oreo cookies are 100% vegan, and are perfect for vegans and for those who are kosher as a tasty treat. Because they don’t contain any dairy products or animal fat. But not all of it is true. Oreos can have cross-contact with a small amount of milk, which means that the Oreos may have come in contact with other equipment while baking the cookies.

If you want 100% vegan Oreos, then you probably have to take a trip to your kitchen and bake some.

5. The Five-Second Rule

You can’t eat something off the ground within five seconds and think it’s just fine. Actually, anything you drop on your kitchen floor becomes contaminated with bacteria within milliseconds. If you drop something, just give it a little wash, and if you think it’s clean, you can eat it.

6. Honey Expires

When you're doing a pantry cleanout and discover a plastic bear-shaped container of honey that's been hibernating in a corner for years, you might be tempted to toss it. But honey doesn't actually expire! When it's properly stored in sealed containers, it can remain stable for centuries, according to the National Honey Board. The honey is also too dense to let other bacteria decompose it.

However, it might crystallize or lose some of its aroma and flavor over time, so that's why you may see an expiration date.

7. The food is safe by looking at it

Many people believe you can tell if a food is safe to eat by giving it a good look or even sniffing it. But dangerous germs like E. coli or Salmonella won't cause your food to look or smell different.

8. Cereal doesn't expire

Many believe that cereal doesn't expire because of its dry texture, which doesn't let any bacteria in. Well, technically, that is true, but cereal can still be decomposed by fungus or other decomposers. Cereal has an expiration date of 6-12 months and loses most of its flavor. Ready-to-eat cereal can last about 2-3 days until the fungus arrives.

9. Froot Loops are different flavors

It's a Toucan Sam scam! You'd think those multicolored loops would have varying flavors that match their colors. But, nope! They're all the same "froot" flavor. Food Beast confirmed this with a blind taste test and concluded the loops "taste like mildly sweetened cardboard, with negligible or no differences between them." The same goes for Fruity Pebbles and Trix.

10. White chocolate is the same as traditional chocolate

Technically, white chocolate isn't chocolate. It's made with sugar, milk products, vanilla, cocoa butter, and lecithin but doesn't have chocolate solids. To be labeled white chocolate, though, it must have at least 20 percent cocoa fat, according to the Food and Drug Administration's requirements.

Even most of the world-famous chocolate companies, such as Nestlé, Twix, and Mondelez, use most of the ingredients found in white chocolate. The reason is that the cocoa beans used to make the traditional chocolate we know today are too expensive. So instead, chocolate factories made cheap, affordable chocolate that uses some similar ingredients as white chocolate.