The internet is a magical place. It can teach you how to make sourdough, connect you with people across the world… and convince you that steak belongs in a dishwasher.
In 2025, food myths spread faster than hot oil in a pan. From skincare trends involving beef fat to fears about ingredient lists that look like chemistry exams, misinformation had a great year. So when confusion started winning, science stepped in.
To reset our food brains for 2026, food scientist and educator Abbey Thiel, PhD, broke down some of the most common myths she kept seeing online — and explained why they don’t hold up once facts enter the chat.
The moral of the story? Learning about food sometimes means unlearning things you were very confident about.
Myth 1: Organic produce is grown without pesticides or fungicides
“Organic” sounds like it means nothing artificial ever touched this plant. That’s the vibe. That’s also not how it works.
According to Thiel, organic farming does allow pesticides and fungicides. The real difference isn’t whether sprays are used — it’s which ones and how tightly they’re regulated.
Organic farmers are restricted to a specific list of approved substances, most of which come from natural sources. These include things like copper-based fungicides, sulfur, neem oil, spinosad, and even naturally occurring microbes such as Bacillus thuringiensis.
Why does this matter? Because without some form of pest control, crops would fail constantly. That means lower yields, higher prices, and fewer options at the grocery store. Organic food doesn’t mean “spray-free.” It means different rules, not zero science.
Myth 2: If you can’t pronounce an ingredient, you shouldn’t eat it
This one thrives on social media. Someone dramatically reads an ingredient list, stumbles over a long word, and implies the food is basically toxic waste.
Thiel doesn’t mince words here: pronunciation has nothing to do with safety.
Long ingredient names usually come from chemistry or biology, not danger. Scientists use precise names so everyone knows exactly what a substance is. Precision makes words longer — not scarier.
For example, 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol is just vitamin D in its active form. Same vitamin. Same function. Fancier name.
Other greatest hits:
- Ascorbic acid = vitamin C
- Sodium chloride = table salt
- Dihydrogen monoxide = water
If we banned everything we couldn’t pronounce, we’d be left with… vibes and air. Not a balanced diet.
Myth 3: Margarine is basically one molecule away from plastic
This myth has been lurking for decades and refuses to log off.
Thiel explains that it sounds scientific, which is why it sticks — but chemically, it collapses immediately. Saying margarine is one molecule away from plastic is like saying water is one molecule away from hydrogen peroxide. Technically adjacent on paper, wildly different in reality.
In chemistry, structure determines function. Small molecular differences can completely change how a substance behaves. Our bodies digest margarine as fat, not construction material. We do not absorb plastic. We are not becoming Tupperware.
Margarine is food. Plastic is not. End of story.
Both butter and margarine have their place. If you choose margarine because of cost, taste, dietary needs, or medical advice, you’re not secretly eating polymer science.
The Takeaway
Food myths thrive on fear, simplicity, and catchy phrases. Real food science is messier, more nuanced — and way less dramatic. Organic doesn’t mean spray-free. Long words don’t mean danger. Margarine is not a chemical prank.
The more we understand how food actually works, the less power misinformation has. And honestly, that’s a pretty good way to start a new year.
References & Further Reading
- USDA Organic Standards
https://www.usda.gov/topics/organic - FDA: Food Ingredients & Labeling
https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging - Harvard T.H. Chan – Processed Foods & Health
https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/processed-foods/
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