Food Contamination

Does the polio-causing poliovirus infect people exclusively through direct contact between "fecal matter" and "facial orifices"? No, that's not true: While multiple health agencies say that the fecal-oral route is common, that includes a number of possibilities. For example, polio may spread through consuming contaminated food or water. The claim appeared in an image (archived here) being commented on in…

Was a 2024 recall of instant ramen noodles linked to deaths of five children in the U.S., as a post on TikTok suggested? No, that's not true: At the time of this publication, one voluntary recall was listed on the Food and Drug Administration website for Sun Noodles products because they may contain undeclared egg white powder. Sun Noodles confirmed…

Does a video that shows what is said to be a magnet sticking to packaged supermarket chicken prove that such products contain nanotechnology and heavy metals? No, that's not true: The U.S. Department of Agriculture ensures that poultry products are safe and unadulterated, an agency spokesperson told Lead Stories. Magnets, they added, may stick to meat and poultry products due…

Are all mainstream commercially branded sunscreens toxic? No, that's not true: The Food and Drug Administration regulates sunscreens to ensure they meet safety and effectiveness standards. While some sunscreens may contain ingredients that some people consider potentially harmful or irritating, all commercially branded sunscreens are not toxic in their formulation. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) on Facebook…

Do Tyson Foods brand meat products contain insects and are the bugs listed on the labels, as implied by a post on Facebook? No, that's not true: In a phone interview with Lead Stories, a spokesperson for Tyson Foods responded to the social media post by saying that insects are not being added to human-grade meat products, nor does the…

Did Tennessee prohibit the inclusion of vaccines in the food supply? No, that's not true: The proposed law, Tennessee House Bill 1894, was awaiting Gov. Bill Lee's signature as of April 8, 2024, and would consider any food containing vaccine or vaccine-related ingredients as a drug. It wouldn't ban the sale of such foods, which are not currently on the…

Did Moderna admit that its COVID-19 mRNA vaccines cause cancer? No, that's not true: Moderna made no such admission that its COVID mRNA vaccines are contaminated, nor that that they cause cancer or birth defects. There is no publicly available credible evidence that any mRNA vaccines cause cancer, a doctor of infectious disease told Lead Stories. A "study" the cancer…

Is the Pfizer mRNA COVID-19 vaccine "contaminated" with a type of DNA that causes permanent genetic changes in vaccinated people or leads to death due to cardiac arrest? No, that's not true: The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) told Lead Stories that residual DNA found in Pfizer's COVID shot has produced "no safety concerns." Additionally, an infectious disease expert said…

Does a video of a non-laboratory test using the T-Square brand oral fluid drug test prove that Red Bull energy drink contains the drugs buprenorphine and cocaine? No, that's not true: There is no way to confirm that the people featured in a video shared on social media used the drug test correctly and used an uncontaminated cup to hold…

Did a legitimate, peer-reviewed study successfully demonstrate that COVID-19 mRNA vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna were shown to contain simian virus 40 (SV40), a DNA virus that has been linked to certain cancers? No, that's not true: The research in question was not published in a peer-reviewed journal and as such, has not been vetted for accuracy by scientific…