Food Contamination

Does the ‘5-Second Rule’ Really Work?

• 20 February 2007

Is it true that dropped food remains germ-free if picked up off the floor within...

• Fact Check

Does the ‘5-Second Rule’ Really Work?

A Hot Dog Under a Microscope?

• 21 April 2022

"The World Through the Eyes of a Microscope" project aims to give viewers a glimpse...

• Fact Check

A Hot Dog Under a Microscope?

Do These 8 Teas Contain “Illegal Amounts of Deadly Pesticides”?

• 3 December 2018

Claims of dangerous pesticides “above the legal limit” in tea products rely on incorrect or...

• Fact Check

Do These 8 Teas Contain “Illegal Amounts of Deadly Pesticides”?

Was a Tapeworm Found in Welch’s Fruit Snacks?

• 9 October 2018

A viral Facebook claim about the supposed discovery of a parasite in a piece of...

• Fact Check

Was a Tapeworm Found in Welch’s Fruit Snacks?

Are Dragon Soop Beverages Contaminated with HIV?

• 1 October 2018

A variant of a years-old rumor about a worker adding HIV-infected blood to foods or...

• Fact Check

Are Dragon Soop Beverages Contaminated with HIV?

Scare Over Needles in Strawberries Spreads Across Australia

• 18 September 2018

No injuries have been reported, but the country's government has launched an investigation after the...

• AP News

Scare Over Needles in Strawberries Spreads Across Australia

Are Cadbury Products Contaminated with HIV?

• 25 February 2018

Rumors that a worker at Cadbury plant was arrested for contaminating the company's products with...

• Fact Check

Are Cadbury Products Contaminated with HIV?

Cancer-Causing Children’s Snacks Made from Petroleum-Based Products

• 2 October 2016

A viral post suggests that your kid’s snacks are laced with cancer-causing petroleum products, but...

• Fact Check

Cancer-Causing Children’s Snacks Made from Petroleum-Based Products

Maggots Found in Similac Formula Powder?

• 22 September 2016

Similac is investigating a Facebook user's claim she found live maggots in her infant's formula.

• Fact Check

Maggots Found in Similac Formula Powder?

Customer Reports Finding Rat Head in Popeyes Chicken

• 20 September 2016

A viral image purportedly depicts a deep-fried rat head served to a customer at a...

• Fact Check

Customer Reports Finding Rat Head in Popeyes Chicken

FBI Warning to ‘All Americans’ About Poisoned Produce

• 19 July 2016

An online article misleadingly suggested that the Federal Bureau of Investigation had warned Americans to...

• Fact Check

FBI Warning to ‘All Americans’ About Poisoned Produce

Did Burger King Admit Their Burgers Contain Horsemeat?

• 11 July 2016

A disreputable web site distorted a years-old story and falsely asserted that the Burger King...

• Fact Check

Did Burger King Admit Their Burgers Contain Horsemeat?