Despite their differences there’s one thing people agree on, they love food. What they don’t agree on are some of the myths surrounding food. Is seafood actually the most likely food to make you sick? Should you wait to swim after you eat? Is it bad if ground beef looks brown instead of red? To alleviate your confusion, Asylum debunked 10 common food myths. The myths, inside…

The Debunked Myths:

10. It’s OK to eat boxed pizza out of the garbage.
Leftover pizza that hasn’t been refrigerated within two hours after being served can be dangerous, whether or not it has been in the garbage.

9. Moldy food can be salvaged.
Actually by the time there is visible mold, there are probably other malevolent bacteria already present. Moldy food should be thrown out. The exceptions to this rule are firm fruits and cheeses which can be saved if you cut an inch beyond the moldy area.

8. You should never buy food past its “sell by” date.
“Sell by” dates have a built in grace period, therefore if you buy some food a few days after the “sell by” you should be safe as long as you eat the food within about 24 hours.

7. The five-second rule
Some people consider this more of a joke than an actual myth but don’t be confused since it only takes a split second for bacteria to attach itself to some dropped food.

6. Frozen turkey can be thawed on the counter.
A defrosting a turkey on the counter is the perfect storm for salmonella and other baddies which can easily cross contaminate your food if turkey juice is flowing freely on your counter top. You should thaw the turkey in water below 40F or let it thaw in the refrigerator in a container or dish where the juices can’t escape.

5. Don’t swim for at least a half-hour after eating.
Your mother probably tried to lay this one on you since digestion diverts oxygen away from the extremities, a common cause of cramps. Nowadays experts agree that there is ample oxygen in the body for digestion and skeletal muscles. Sorry, Mom.

4. Hamburger meat shouldn’t be brown on the inside.
The reddish color in meat, also called bloom, is actually the result of a reaction between the meat and oxygen. If the inside of the patty is brown it indicates a lack of oxygen exposure and poses no health risk.

3. Meat soaked in alcohol can be left marinating outside of the fridge.
Unless your meat is submerged in grain alcohol, the normal alcohol in meat marinades which is further diluted with the meat’s juices will have very little effect against killing bacteria.

2. Gum remains in the stomach for 7 years.
It is true that gum cannot be completely digested by the body but it will pass through the digestive system and not be lodged in you for an inordinate amount of time.

1. Seafood is more likely than other meats to cause sickness.
According to the FDA you are 10 times more likely to get food poisoning from chicken than fish. However, fish still needs to be properly inspected and stored to be safe.

Asylum Debunks 10 Gross Food Myths [Asylum]

(Photo: Getty)

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