One of the hottest trending topics on Twitter this week comes from a man who claims to have found shrimp tails in his box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch. Jensen Karp, author, podcast host and comedian, is the man behind the now infamous debacle that caught media attention The New York Times and prominent food websites like eater.
When the saga began, Karp appeared to be the victim of a nefarious plot of manipulation. Now, however, with the stratospheric reach of his thread, he sees himself as the latest version of Bean Dad: it’s been pointed out that Karp has a list of marketing credits, is married to actress Danielle Fishel, has been accused of being a “manipulative gas lighting narcissistic ex-boyfriend, ” in addition to being a downright liar.
Karp reveled in the spotlight, trumpeting other users’ claims that this whole caper looks a bit lazy.
Maybe this is all a perfect viral marketing storm staged by an actor who doesn’t seem inclined to quit. Karp’s full story is probably not true, despite the defense that grain manufacturer General Mills used to get rid of guilt didn’t help the situation much.
That means: this is probably a bit of stupidity. What are the actual chances of two pieces of faulty shrimp ending up in a bag of Cinnamon Toast Crunch Muesli bought by a man who has a knack for joke writing and a large platform to swing them?
However, Twitter’s freshest non-drama spawns other food myths that permeate culinary folklore and junk food folklore. Let’s look at some of these again so we don’t fall victim to the next Shrimp Tail Guy.
Is Mountain Dew Really Lowering Your Sperm Count?
Middle- and senior school-aged boys trembled over the green elixir when rumors spread about the food coloring Yellow 5 – also known as tartrazine – which lowered sperm counts. When it comes to Mountain Dew or any other FDA approved beverage that contains Yellow 5, there is never enough of the actual food coloring to affect sperm count.
How Medical news today explains that yellow 5 has no effect on fertility; It is one of the most widely used food colors on the market. The only side effects people can encounter are eczema, hyperactivity, and asthma, although they are extremely rare.
Is Taco Bell’s meat really … not meat?
Taco Bells meat is meat, at least under the US judicial system. A 2011 class action lawsuit filed against the chain alleged that Taco Bell’s beef did not contain enough beef to be classified as such. Plaintiffs, represented by Beasley Allen law firm in Alabama, alleged that the beef in question contained too much oatmeal, fillers, and condiments to meet USDA standards. NPR reports.
The company threw in the towel four months after Taco Bell launched a public relations offensive, but was still a little reluctant to release their official beef Ingredients on his website for the first time. Technically, it’s still beef.
Is chewing gum sticking to you?
First of all, if you’ve ever believed this I wish the answer was yes, but just for you specifically. But it’s not true.
Of the Mayo Clinic::
Although chewing gum is intended to be chewed and not swallowed, it is generally not harmful if swallowed. Folklore suggests that if you swallowed gum, it sits in your stomach for seven years before it can be digested. But that’s not correct. When you swallow gum, it is true that your body cannot digest it. But the gum doesn’t stay in your stomach. It moves relatively intact through your digestive system and is excreted in your stool.
Do Twinkies Really Never Expire?
The notion of indestructible Twinkies persists, even though it’s wrong. The actual shelf life of a Twinkie is somewhere in between 26 and 45 daysEven with all the preservatives that might lead you to believe they are impervious to rot.
Does chocolate milk contain cow blood?
Chocolate milk remains hidden in various urban legends for some reason. Some people might insist that it is less nutritious than white milk (not correct), or that it comes exclusively from brown cows (that would be unbelievable but unfortunately it is wrong).
Another, far more unpleasant rumor about chocolate milk is that it is leftover milk that was too full of blood and pus to be regular milk and is therefore mixed with chocolate. This is also wrong.
How Snopes writes::
In the United States, the Food and Drug Administration oversees the safety of food. Strict standards have been set for all consumer dairy products, including chocolate. It is significant that this agency’s specifications do not include allowances for the use of blood-contaminated milk. Dairy products (and other foods) that do not meet the agency’s criteria will not receive FDA approval and therefore cannot be sold to consumers.
