6 Many shredded cheese and cereals contain cellulose (wood pulp). This is because cellulose absorbs moisture and acts as an anti-caking agent. This anti-caking property prevents the shredded cheese from balling up. 

We all are big fans of shredded cheese as it is convenient and easy to use. When you look at the packing of shredded cheese, you’ll uncover three ingredients that aren’t cheesy.

They are potato starch, powdered cellulose, and natamycin. Potato starch is used to thicken the cheese and keep them from clumping together. Natamycin is a mold inhibitor that keeps the cheese fresh. The problem arises when we see cellulose in the list. 

Although there are no side effects of consuming cellulose, and it’s legal to add it to the food. We don’t know how much we are consuming when we buy pre-packed shredded cheese. Therefore, for peace of mind, it’s better to buy a block and grate it yourself. (source)

7 It was found that potatoes can absorb and reflect WiFi signals. Boeing engineers proved that potatoes, due to their water content and chemistry, can reflect radio wave signals the same way as the human body does. 

Although major airlines provide in-flight WiFi on many flights, the connection can be poor. Therefore, the engineers at Chicago-based Boeing Co. used sacks of potatoes as stand-ins for passengers to prevent weak spots in the in-flight wireless signals.

They wanted the entire plane to test the results, but they couldn’t make people sit motionless for days to gather data. For this reason, they used sacks of potatoes instead of people. 

There, they observed that because of the water content and chemistry of the potatoes, they can absorb and reflect radio wave signals similar to the way the human body does. (source)  

8 Carrots were originally purple. It is believed that they were developed by the Dutch in tribute to the symbol of the House of Orange and the tussle for Dutch independence. Others believed that the carrots had more taste and flesh which made them popular worldwide. 

Before the 17th century, almost all carrots people cultivated were purple. They had mutated versions that occasionally included yellow and white carrots.

It is believed that today’s orange carrot is developed by crossing the mutated yellow and white carrots and the varieties of wild carrots, which are pretty different from cultivated varieties.

It is a popular belief that the reason for the orange carrot becoming so famous in the Netherlands was in tribute to the emblem of the House of Orange and the struggle for Dutch independence.

This can be true, but it is also believed that the orange carrots that the Dutch made had a sweeter taste and were more fleshy than the old purple ones. Thus, orange carrots provided more food per plant and were better tasting. (source)

9 Crackers will give you cavities faster than candy. Starchy foods are worst than candies because they stay on teeth longer than candies do. 

We often think that chips and crackers are alternatives for sweets as they are less harmful to our teeth. But little do we know that they are far more harmful than candies, and even people who take extreme care of their teeth are less likely to be affected by starchy food.

It’s not only candy that are trouble makers for the teeth, but potato chips, crackers, and different starchy foods are equally detrimental. 

Starchy food becomes soft and sticks to your teeth when chewed. They stay on your teeth even long after you’ve finished eating. Although they don’t taste sweet, the starches are broken down into sugar in the mouth by enzymes.

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry claimed that starchy foods are even worse for your teeth than candies because they stay on your teeth long after snacking has ended. Therefore, starches can lead to cavities just as sugars can. Also, caramels dissolve faster in the mouth than crackers.

To satisfy your cravings, you can eat apple slices or celery. They provide the same satisfying crunch as starchy food does. (source)

10 Botanists say that banana is a berry and strawberry isn’t. A berry has three different layers: exocarp, mesocarp, and endocarp, which a banana has but the strawberry doesn’t. 

Despite having the name “strawberry,” it isn’t a berry. And neither are the raspberries or blackberries. But, the banana, eggplants, oranges, and grapes are berries. The discrepancy in berry nomenclature arose when people started categorizing different fruits like berries, thousands of years ago.

Then, botanists came up with a precise definition of berries. It is commonly believed that berries are small, squishy fruits that can be picked off plants. However, the scientific explanation is far from this belief. 

Scientifically speaking, a berry consists of three different fleshy layers: the exocarp (outermost layer), mesocarp (fleshy middle), and the endocarp (innermost layer holding the seed). For example, a grape is a berry because it has the outer skin as exocarp, fleshy middle as the mesocarp, and the jelly-like endocarp holding the seed.

The same is the case with other berries like bananas and watermelon. However, their outer skin is a bit harder making it a form of a peel and a rind. Moreover, berries have two or more seeds and are developed from one flower that has one ovary. (source)