Food Facts

Food Facts Infographics

A neurosurgeon from Canada once operated on a patient with epilepsy and discovered the brain’s ‘toast center’.

This part of the brain is solely dedicated to detecting when toast is burning. During this discovery, he went through many surgical techniques in various regions of the human brain. This allowed him to pinpoint the source of the seizures in the brains of patients.

A pineapple plant can only produce one pineapple a year.

After fruiting, the plant dies. However, before it dies it also produces an offspring. These plantlets were then grown into another pineapple.

The lettuce is a part of the sunflower family.

The sunflower is also a member of the daisy family. Lettuce is most often used for salads and also for soups and wraps.

Avocado was not called avocado originally.

The avocado was originally called āhuacatl by the Aztecs when they discovered it in 500BC, and which actually translates to “testicle”. (What?!) However, its name was changed by the Spanish to “aguacate”, which eventually became the word “avocado” today.

The second most popular fresh vegetable is the lettuce.

This is a ranking taken from a survey from the United States. Lettuce has a lifespan of about 10 days before it can go bad.  If they are uncut and stored properly, they can last much longer.

Blueberries contain high sources of Vitamin C.

Blueberries also provide an equally good source of fiber. Vitamin C is a necessary mineral for growth and the development of tissues. They also act as powerful antioxidants that help protect our cells against damage from diseased like free radicals.

People are eating more broccoli today than 20 years ago.

There is an approximate 900% increase in broccoli consumption. Broccoli is rich in vitamins and high in calcium. This vegetable is also able to support the detoxification process of the liver.

To keep yourself from crying while chopping onions, bite down on a wooden spoon.

You can also try chewing bubble gum while you chop onions. This method works because the chemicals that fly up to your mouth bind to the spoon. This acts as a shield for your eyes and prevents irritation.

Pumpkin flowers are edible.

The seeds, stem, skin, and flesh are all safe for human consumption. These flowers are also used in some native dishes in some countries. More commonly they are deep-fried.

Vanilla is (not) America's favorite ice cream flavor.

You may have seen articles on vanilla being America’s favorite ice cream flavor. This might not be really the case. According to this result, the real favorite is actually cookies and cream flavor, with 14 states in U.S. choosing this flavor as their favorite. And vanilla holds the 2nd position spot.

The rows of corn are always an even number.

This is because corn spikelets are borne in pairs. One is fertile and one is sterile. Therefore cornrows are always formed in even numbers.

The pumpkin originated in Mexico.

This was discovered around 9,000 years ago. This is believed to be the oldest domesticated pumpkins in the world. Research suggests that they originated somewhere in Central America.

Carrots have zero fat content.

Instead, carrots contain several minerals and vitamins that are good for your health. A carrot’s water content also ranges from 86-95%.

A watermelon’s weight is about 92% water.

The average weight of a watermelon is 25 pounds. It is also 6% sugar.

Alliumphobia is the fear of garlic.

People who have this fear may also avoid similar plants that have pungent odors. The origin of the word comes from Latin where Allium refers to a garlic bulb.

There are more than 10,000 different varieties of tomatoes.

The most popular variant is the Italian Heirloom which promotes a full tomato flavor. More than 60 million tons of tomatoes are produced annually worldwide.

Eating a large amount of beetroots can affect the color of your urine.

Digesting enough beetroots can turn your urine into a pink color. However, these color changes are said to be harmless.

Dynamite often uses peanuts as one of its components when being made.

Peanut oil can be used to produce glycerol, which can be used to make nitroglycerine.

Turnips are high in fiber.

They are also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, and calcium. Turnips also help lower the risk of intestinal problems like diverticulitis.

Pearls can melt when mixed in vinegar.

The acetic acid found in vinegar reacts to the calcium carbonate of the pearl which causes the bubbly reaction.

You can cure your hiccups with a spoonful of sugar.

It has been found that dry swallowing sugar can make your hiccups stop. This can stimulate the vagus nerve which makes your body forget about your hiccups. The sugar technique is also one of the most common hiccup cures apart from holding your breath.

You can gain calories by licking stamps.

Licking 1 stamp makes you consume 1/10 of a calorie. If you were to lick 3000 stamps a day that would equate to about 16 chicken nuggets from McDonald’s.

Lachanophobia is a fear of vegetables.

Lachno comes from the Greek word which means vegetables. This phobia can also be divided into sub types of fears.

Marmite was first introduced to the UK market.

It was first released in the year 1902. Marmite is primarily made from glutamic acid-rich yeast extract with lesser quantities of salt, vegetables, and spices. This savory spread is banned in Denmark due to the excessive number of vitamins and minerals it contains.

Ketchup was once used as medicine.

This was often sold at pharmacies in the 1830s. It was believed to be a cure for indigestion. Ketchup became popular as a condiment during the late 1800s.

Mageirocophobia is a fear of cooking.

This phobia can take on many forms and can only be treated based on the severity of the phobia. Subcategories of this fear include cooking for large groups or merely preparing food to consume.

The number 57 on the bottle of Heinz ketchup has a meaning.

This number represents the number of products the company has. However, in the beginning, it was said that Henry Heinz simply used the number because he believed it was lucky.

29% of adults have been splashed by hot drinks when dunking biscuits.

Biscuit dunking is a common occurrence in Italy.

Kentucky has a law that forbids you to carry an ice cream cone in your back pocket.

This is an old law that was placed to prevent horse theft. Often whenever a horse would go missing, police found that it was because horses followed people who had ice cream cones in their back pocket.

Almonds are one of the many members of the peach family.

They are also referred to as the Queen of the rose family. Other family members include the peach and apricot. Almonds were also grown for thousands of years without ever having an official name.

Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter.

Specifically, it is a fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth. Research suggests that this is a more generalized phobia for choking or sticky textures.

Grape growing is recognized to be the largest food industry in the world.

There are over 8000 varieties of grapes and over 60 species in total. These grapes can be used to make juice or wine.

Teabags were first introduced by Thomas Sullivan in 1908.

Thomas shipped his tea bags all over the world and successfully marketed them. He introduced this product to many countries by sampling them in small silk bags. His customers unintentionally submerged them into hot water which changed the course of tea drinking to what we know today.

Termites and ants are roasted and eaten like popcorn in South Africa.

Eating insects is a common occurrence in South Africa. This is also a common street food you can find in parts of Africa.

A coconut that has been cleanly split open without jagged ends is a good sign.

This is considered good luck in the Philippines. A coconut can also naturally crack on its own. If this happens, it is due to the surrounding atmospheric changes.

The average person eats a total of 8 pounds of grapes annually.

The best selling grape in the US is the Thompson seedless. A grapevine can grow over 50 feet long and has around 40 clusters of grapes.

The water from boiling beetroots can be used for scalp treatment.

Massaging your scalp with its water each night is a proven cure for dandruff. Keep the mixture on your scalp for 20 minutes before rinsing it off.

There are over 7,000 different varieties of apples in the world.

The most common variety of apples are Red Delicious and Granny Smith. According to studies, it would take you 20 years to sample each apple variety if you were to eat one apple a day.

The ancient Greeks chewed gum like mastic.

Mastic is a substance that comes from the bark of a tree. This bark was believed to be how the Greeks maintained oral health. Both chicle and mastic are tree resins.

Large pearl in Latin translates to Onion.

Ancient Egyptians once worshipped onions and buried them with pharaohs. Onions we believed to have found their way to Rome when they were called unio.

Apples, cherries, strawberries, and pears all have one thing in common.

They are all members of the rose family. This means that roses and apples are related and will have similarities with each other.

Ripe cranberries are bouncy.

Bouncing them is a common test used by farmers to see if they are ripe. A cranberry can jump as high as 12 inches or one foot. They are also good for 3-4 weeks if kept refrigerated.

One cluster of bananas is called a hand.

A single banana is also called a finger. All bananas are clones of each other.

Vegetable has no scientific definition.

By this logic, it is acceptable to call a tomato a vegetable as well. Research cannot find any reason why vegetables are called as such nor why we continue to refer to it as such.

133 is the record of the most eaten grapes in 3 minutes.

This record was achieved by Mat Hand in 2001. On the same day, he also claimed the record for pea eating.

Honey bees travel a lot to produce just one pound of honey.

Worker bees need to visit at least 2 million flowers to make a small amount of honey. A hive of bees must fly 55,000 miles to produce a pound of honey. On average, one colony can only make 60-100 pounds of honey annually.

Square watermelons cost more than round ones.

A square watermelon can be bought for $85. They are mostly expensive due to the intensive labor that is put into shaping them. Watermelons are also unable to fully mature when they are placed in a square mold.

There were over 300 banana related accidents in 2001.

Britain reported that these mainly involved people slipping on banana peels.

The third most popular fruit grown in America are peaches.

Peaches contain no fat and are sweeter tasting than apples. The top four states in peach production in the United States are California, South Carolina, Georgia, and New Jersey. Out of the four, Georgia is the most known for being the peach state.

Turning a pineapple upside-down will make it ripe faster.

This helps the flow of the sugars in the pineapple to make it ripe faster. This also helps it ripe evenly. This method also saves the pineapple from rotting faster.

Cadbury first sold its cream eggs in 1971.

Over 200 million creme eggs are sold between January to Easter annually in the UK. Originally they were introduced as Fry’s creme eggs.

Juicy Fruit is more than 100 years old.

So are Wrigley’s spearmint gums. Wrigley has reformulated its gum recipe to last longer and become chewier for its consumers. Juicy Fruit, on the other hand, are now able to experience the gum flavor much longer.

The Swiss are known to eat the most chocolate in the world.

This is closely followed by the British. Over 22.36 pounds of chocolate is consumed per person annually according to statistics.

Chocolate can directly affect the heart and nervous systems of dogs.

Feeding dogs chocolate can kill them. Chocolate is a type of stimulant similar to caffeine. For dogs, it increases blood pressure and causes them to vomit.

Deep-fried chocolate bars contain a lot of calories.

These chocolate bars contain about 850 calories in them.

Kit Kat was bought out by Nestle.

This chocolate was originally made by Rowntree Limited. Kit Kat is one of Hershey’s top products in the U.S. market.

The use of sprinkles have been dated back to at least the 19th century.

These sugar decorations are commonly used for confectioneries.

The oldest chocolates in the world are around 107 years old.

These chocolates date back to the coronation of King Edward VII, in the year 1902.

Most cheese products only contain less than 51% cheese.

If the label on the box says processed, prepared, or cheese food, then these products are not 100% cheese. The FDA announced that only cheese that is specifically labeled Pasteurized process cheese is 100% cheese.

On average, Americans eat 28 pigs in their lifetime.

The average person will consume a total of 7,000 animals in their lifetime. This can be broken down into 11 cows, 28 pigs, 2400 chickens, 80 turkeys, and over 4000 fish.

Egg yolks naturally contain Vitamin D.

Most of the fats and vitamins of eggs are also found in the yolks. Moreover, the whites contain most of the egg’s proteins.

Orthorexia Nervosa is an eating disorder associated with healthy foods.

Orthorexia refers to the obsessive behavior of attaining a healthy diet. Despite the drive to eat healthy foods, this can cause someone to miss out on fats and proteins the body needs to function normally.

Yorkie bars once launched an aggressively masculine campaign.

Originally, their candy bars had an “It’s not for girls” slogan that was plastered onto the wrapping of the candy. This was later changed to ‘Man fuel for Man stuff’ in 2012.

Walkers once sold a rival known as Cheetos on the UK market.

This was during the time before they owned Wotsits. Wotsits are a less crunchy version of a Cheetos but with a more delicate cheese flavor.

National Pigs in a Blanket Day is celebrated in the U.S. every year.

This occurs on the 24th of April. Americans celebrate this day by preparing a variety of dishes using hot dogs and sausages.

Chicken nuggets contain beef additives.

Mass-produced chicken nuggets are usually 50% meat and 50% fat, ground bone, and additives. At times, additives from other animals such as cow meat are added to create more texture.

French fries did not come from France.

Originally they come from the country of Belgium. However, they are most popular in the United States.

Shari’s Berries pioneered the idea of chocolate-covered dipped fruits.

This concept was introduced in 2006 and was to be delivered in freeze packs nationwide. This company is mostly known for its chocolate-covered strawberry retail.

The average person will consume at least 12 pubic hairs annually from fast food services.

These hairs get trapped between the employee’s clothing on their arms or hands when pulling up their pants. Later on, these hairs will either fall onto the floor or into your food. Thinking twice about having fast food now?

France once only allowed the members of the royal court to consume chocolate.

This was a common practice during the 15th century. This was because they were also the only ones that could afford the luxury at the time.

Baked beans are low in fat.

They also contain high traces of fiber and protein. Additionally, they also contain minerals like vitamin B, iron, and zinc.

The first soup ever recorded comes from a hippo.

This event dates back to 6000 BC. Soups were also believed to be the foundation of the earliest restaurants in history.

Bourbon biscuits were originally introduced as Creola.

This biscuit was introduced back in 1910. The name comes from the former French royal House of Bourbon.

Bacon was once a Middle English term used to refer to all pork.

This was a common practice during the 16th century. The terms come from many German and French dialects.

People from Britain eat over 300 million portions of fish and chips each year.

That equates to over 6 servings per person in all of Britain. Annually, a total of 1.2 billion pounds is spent on fish and chips alone.

On average, a person eats a total of 78.5 kg of meat each year.

The highest consumption footprint in the world is in the Republic of Korea. Their diet mostly consists of meat from fish and beef. Beef and pork are the most highly consumed type of meat around the world.

A Babybel weighs around 21 grams per egg.

This snack is the French version of Dutch Edam cheese. This is sold internationally by France since the 1950s and is mainly targeted towards younger consumers.

Worcestershire sauce is made from fish that were dissolved.

Specifically, it is made from dissolved anchovies. They are dissolved by soaking them in vinegar throughout the whole process. This sauce is well known in European countries.

The roast camel is the largest menu item in the world.

This is served as a whole camel that is stuffed with lamb that has been stuffed with chickens. The chickens are also stuffed with fish or eggs. Several stages of stuffing also includes rice or other fixings mixed in.

KFC was founded in 1952.

The business was established by Colonel Harland Sanders who became famous for his irresistible chicken recipe. This recipe consisted of fresh chicken and 11 different spices that give its signature aroma.

Anchovies are the least liked pizza toppings.

Pepperoni ranks first followed by mushrooms among the pizza toppings. Other common ingredients such as bacon and onions are also favored by the majority of pizza eaters.

White chocolate isn’t chocolate.

This is made from a blend of sugar and milk products along with some cocoa powder and vanilla extracts. The reason why this cannot be classified as chocolate is that it does not contain any chocolate solids in its making process.

You can turn coal mixed in peanut butter into a diamond.

With enough high pressure and equipment, the carbon material inside the coal can turn into a diamond. However, this process takes an extensively long time to complete.

Most cheeses and cereals contain small amounts of wood pulp.

Wood pulp is essentially sawdust. This is mixed into the product to prevent clumping. Another term for this is cellulose.

Green, red, and yellow bell peppers are not the same vegetables.

These plants are all uniquely different from one another. You can differentiate them from the kind of seeds they have.

Coffee creamers and ranch dressing have a component that is also used in sunscreen and paint.

This is titanium dioxide. This food additive is often used to make white substances look whiter. This compound is considered generally safe by the FDA. However, some research suggests that it could also cause inflammatory bowel diseases in some.

Ground beef used in hamburgers is often more than just one animal.

The ground beef normally sold at supermarkets is usually a combined mixture of different muscle tissues from animals. Some come from more than one cow, while others will have mixtures of pork and chicken in them.

Fruit snacks are coated in wax.

Colorful fruit-flavored snacks like gummy bears are often coated in carnauba wax. This is what makes then have that glossy shine. This is also the same wax that is used on cars to make them shine.

The popsicle was invented by an 11-year-old.

According to the story, an 11 year old by the name of Frank Epperson left his soda mixed with water outside in a cup overnight. When he returned, the mixture had frozen and he ate it.

He began calling this the Epsicle and sold it around Neptune Beach. When Epperson had kids, they began calling it pops sickles which later on became popsicles.

Farm-raised salmon is naturally white.

Naturally, wild salmon is already pink. However, farm-raised salmon do not have the same diet as wild ones do. They are later dyed pink due to the plant additives that are added to their feed.

Apple pie is not American.

This delicacy is said to originate from Medieval England. Variations of the original recipe were made popular by the Dutch which became the known favorite of today.

Potatoes can reflect your wi-fi signal.

In a 2012 experiment to test the wireless signals on new planes, potatoes were used and placed on the seats. The results found that because of the high water content of the potatoes, they can reflect and absorb radio and wireless signals. Human beings are also able to do the same.

The red dye used on skittles comes from boiled beetles.

This is also known as carminic acid which is a common food dye. This dye is also used for most strawberry flavored junk foods and lipstick. The dye is made from the crushed carcasses of the Dactylopius beetle.

The raw oysters you eat are still alive.

Chefs need to serve these delicacies fast because they deteriorate quickly. Some species of clams can live up to two weeks without being in water. Eating dead oysters are considered dangerous and a big health risk.

Chocolate was once used as currency.

The Aztecs are known for their love for chocolate. According to studies they also used to use chocolate as a form of currency. Those who lived under the Aztec rule could use cocoa to pay for their taxes and other purchases.

Honey will never go bad.

However, this is only so in its natural state. Honey is low in moisture and is highly acidic. In an environment such as a sealed jar, the bacteria will die almost instantly. Salt, raw rice, and sugar are also said to have a never-ending shelf life.

Most wasabi found in the United States are fake.

Most wasabi found in the U.S. is just dyed horseradish and most Americans can’t tell the difference. Wasabi costs about $80 a pound and is considered one of the most cost-effective imitations for restaurants.

Tomatoes were originally believed to be poisonous.

They were once dubbed as the poisonous apple in 18th century Europe because aristocrats would often die after eating them. However, this was later found to be the fault of their tableware and not the tomatoes themselves. The actual cause of their deaths was found to be from lead poisoning.

Grapes will explode inside the microwave.

For it to explode, you must split the grape almost in half and place it inside. This will create a fireball of plasma which is caused by radiation and heat. The grape cannot absorb much power which leaves the microwave nowhere to work on. This results in a concentration of energy which causes explosions.

Crackers give you cavities faster than candy.

When a cracker becomes sticky in your mouth and gets stuck between your teeth, bacteria gather around the area faster to feast. The sticky texture that your mouth creates from the crackers allows the bacteria to dig longer into your teeth which causes cavities.

Chilli peppers are not spicy.

The burning sensation in your mouth is a mental reaction and not a physical one. These peppers contain a chemical called capsaicin which naturally binds to the pain receptors in our nerves. This is what causes your brain to believe you are eating something spicy.

Processed cheese was not invented in the U.S.

It originated from Switzerland. Processed cheese was invented by Walter Gerber in 1911 along with Fritz Stettler. The reason behind this was that they wanted to figure out a way to extend the shelf life of cheese before it would be shipped out overseas.