Browse evidence-based analysis of health-related claims and assertions
When young chickens are exposed to a toxin called ochratoxin A, it might mess up the balance of good bacteria in their gut, increasing certain types of bacteria that could be a sign their gut health is suffering.
When young chickens are exposed to a toxin called Ochratoxin A, it seems to mess with their gut cells by triggering unusual cell processes and causing iron to build up—this could be harmful to their digestion and health.
Giving broiler chicks a certain amount of a toxin called Ochratoxin A every day seems to hurt both their liver and kidneys, based on blood tests and tissue changes.
Eating feed with a toxin called Ochratoxin A might damage the gut of young chickens, making it leaky and possibly causing wider health problems.
Putting animal genes into plants (or the other way around) might cause ethical worries, and we don’t yet know if these lab-made foods are totally safe over time.
Scientists can tweak the DNA in foods to make them last longer or be more nutritious by adding or swapping genes.
GMO foods might help us grow more food, make it more nutritious, last longer, and survive tough weather — which could help feed more people around the world.
We don’t have a standard test to prove that all traces of GMO germs or their genetic leftovers are completely gone from the purified enzymes used to make cheese in factories.
Most cheese in the U.S. is made using enzymes from lab-altered microbes, but because the final enzyme is purified, it doesn’t count as a GMO and doesn’t need a GMO label.
They approved a lab-made enzyme used in cheese-making after only short animal tests, and those studies weren't shared in scientific journals for others to check.
For thousands of years, the key ingredient that turns milk into cheese has come from the stomachs of baby calves.
After making enzymes with GMO microbes, the cleanup process can remove all the GMOs, so the final product might not need a GMO label.
When mice are given ochratoxin A by mouth, it harms their liver and kidneys more the higher the dose, and the damage includes two types of cell death — one sudden and messy, the other controlled and programmed.
Some fungus used in making enzymes for industry can also make a harmful substance that might cause cancer in people.
If a lab-made protein is almost exactly like one found in nature, experts might say it’s safe enough that it doesn’t need extra testing.
Rennet cuts a protein on milk's tiny particles, making them clump together and turn into cheese curds.
Scientists can make rennet, an enzyme used in cheese-making, by putting a cow gene into bacteria and growing those bacteria in big tanks to produce the enzyme.
Stuff from toasted sesame seeds, especially when toasted really well, might help keep meatballs fresher in the fridge by slowing down spoilage and keeping them looking red and tasty for up to 10 days.
Roasting white sesame seeds at 210°C gives you the best mix of good oil, freshness, and healthy compounds without creating too many harmful fats.
Roasting sesame seeds at very high heat can create a small amount of unhealthy trans fats, but the levels stay low and under the safety limit.
Roasting sesame seeds might reduce some of the healthy plant compounds in them, especially when cooked at higher temperatures.
Roasting sesame seeds too hot—above 250°C—might make their oils go bad faster by creating more harmful breakdown products.
Roasting white sesame seeds might make them more antioxidant-rich because heat could help release or create beneficial compounds in the seeds.
Roasting sesame seeds makes the oil from them last longer without going bad when exposed to heat and air.