Pouring Coke on Raw Pork Causes Worms to Appear: Hoax

Story:

Pouring Coke on Raw Pork causes worms to appear.

Other Versions

1. Pouring Coca-Cola onto a piece of raw pork cause worms to come crawling out of the meat.

2. If you pour coke onto uncooked pork, worms will appear.

Picture about Pouring Coke on Raw Pork Causes Worms to Appear — Pouring Coke on Raw Pork Causes Worms to Appear

Analysis:

These messages and also videos shared online since many years warn people that when Coca Cola (Coke) is poured onto raw Pork, it causes Worms to come crawling out of the meat. They caution people to be wary of consuming pork, that it can make them really sick when the parasites inside are ingested along with the meat. Let us learn if the said claim is really a fact or not.

Source

These messages warning people that coke brings out the worms hidden inside raw pork have been shared online for more than a decade and were also shared through emails initially. They said that when coke is added to raw, uncooked pork, after 5 or 10 minutes, tiny worms will surface from the meat.

The claims in the messages seem to be referring to Trichinosis or trichiniasis, a parasitic disease caused by eating raw or undercooked pork in this case, when larvae of a species of roundworm Trichinella spiralis (commonly called the trichina worm) infects the victim. However, the parasite referred to as the “pork worm” also occurs in carnivorous and omnivorous animals like rodents, horse, bears, wild boar, fox, dog, wolf, seal, walrus and others. This concern of Trichinosis arises mostly when you eat raw, undercooked meats, or low quality pork for that matter.

Pork and Coke Videos

Some people posted videos online (like the one in this article) claiming to show that they have found worms in raw pork after soaking it in Coke. There is no credible evidence to prove the claim in question is a fact. The claims in the videos are hoaxes, misinterpretations or ‘deliberate findings’ perhaps using poor quality pork. Soaking pork or for that matter any meat in coke for hours together may even bring out their chemical (or residual) constituents that may be shown as worms. There are also many other videos showing no such thing happens.

Cooking pork meat to safe temperatures kills most of the worms, if any. CDC suggests safe cooking temperatures for various meats. You can use a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of cooked meat. Moreover, over the years, the prevalence of Trichinosis has declined considerably in domestic pigs, also because many countries have meat inspection programs in place.

Consumption of pork is forbidden in some religions. The pork meat from domestic pig is consumed worldwide because it is very high in thiamin (vitamin B1) and has good protein content. Nonetheless, it should also be noted that pork meat is high in cholesterol and saturated fat.

Conclusion

Soaking raw, uncooked pork meat in coke does not cause worms to surface, the claim, as such, is an urban legend that has been around for more than a decade now. But of course, one has to choose healthy, hygienic quality pork and also make sure to cook it well.