UK’s biggest food myths revealed, as a third think the ‘five second rule’ is legitimate
In fact, the poll carried out by British Lion eggs found a third (33 per cent) of the nation think that the ‘five second rule’ is legitimate, while over a quarter (28 per cent) think eating cheese before bed can cause bad dreams.
Similarly, vitamin A, essential for eye health, is plentiful in carrots, yet eating them won't directly improve vision, something 36 per cent believe.
A large majority (80 per cent) think that different parts of the tongue have receptors for different tastes - a belief that may stem from the ‘tongue map’, a discredited concept taught in UK schools in the mid-20th century.
Incredibly, more than one in 20 (6 per cent) of the nation even reckon that eating spicy foods will 'put hairs on your chest'.
But the British Lion eggs research shows it’s not just old wives’ tales that are causing confusion, with a lack of transparency also creating an issue.
More people (43 per cent) believe the myth that food products marked ‘Made in Britain’ will only use British produce, than who know that not to be the case (29 per cent).
While products labelled as 'Made in Britain' may predominantly use British produce, there are many exceptions.
In the case of a lunchtime staple, a pre-packaged egg and cress sandwich, a third thought the egg would need to be from the United Kingdom if the product were marked as 'Made in the UK’.
In fact, there is no requirement that all the ingredients used in foods labelled as ‘Made in the UK’ will be British; the product will be compiled in the UK, but the ingredients don't necessarily have to be from the UK.
Even in the case of one of the nation’s favourite snacks, one in five (17 per cent) believe the egg in a Scotch Egg will be from the United Kingdom.
In reality, there is no requirement for products containing eggs to display their provenance, so it is not guaranteed that the eggs used will be British, unless the product features the British Lion eggs logo, which will provide assurance the eggs used are from the UK.
Gary Ford, from British Lion eggs said: "There’s a whole lot of confusion out there and while it might be funny to think that many of these old wives’ tales are still believed today, the research is also showing that a lack of transparency and education around where our food comes from is playing a part.
"Given a pre-made quiche or a simple sandwich labelled as 'made in Britain' could well be made with imported eggs, it’s understandable there’s so much confusion.
"In the case of eggs and products with egg in, like sandwiches and quiches, the only way to know they are made with British eggs that have world-leading safety standards, is to look for the British Lion mark".
When asked which logo would guarantee a product containing egg would use UK eggs, more than two-thirds (69 per cent) correctly identified the British Lion eggs mark.
However, over a quarter (27 per cent) wrongly believe seeing a Union Jack would be enough to guarantee provenance.
Most Brits (71 per cent) agree that food myths and misconceptions are common in British society, with three-quarters (77 per cent) of those saying the reason is because they are passed down from generation to generation.
A third (34 per cent) think it’s because we’re generally susceptible to marketing claims and a similar number (32 per cent) think it is due to old advertising campaigns sticking in our memories.
British Lion is urging shoppers to think about where the eggs in products that contain them come from.
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