From rubbery fruit to stretchy meat, horrifying video allegedly exposes fake foods Americans eat everyday

Forget checking the expiration date.Americans have found a new reason to fear the grocery aisle.Stomach-churning videos showing rubbery fruit, stretchy meat, and eerily resilient bread are racking up millions of views, with horrified users attempting to expose what they believe is an increasingly artificial American food supply.The clips are part of a growing genre of social media food sleuthing, in which everyday groceries are dissected to reveal what they claim is “fake” — or even “poisonous” — food.But experts say bizarre textures aren’t proof that shoppers are being poisoned, and many of the viral oddities have surprisingly ordinary explanations.Still, the anxiety behind the shock value of some of these items isn’t entirely unfounded.“We understand why these videos take off, because they’re tapping into something real: people have lost a lot of trust in where their food comes from,” Justin and Travis Maderia, commercial fishermen and founders of Lobsterboys, told The Post.The brothers, who believe in getting as close to the source of their food as possible, have seen firsthand how ingredients and preservatives are added during transportation and processing.The reasons they give for much of it come down to aesthetics and economics.

Ingredients are added to extend shelf life, change texture, lower costs, or make a product more consistent.As a result, ultra-processed foods now account for nearly half of all calories consumed by Americans ages 1 and older, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Sandwiches and burgers were the leading sources of ultra-processed calories, which is not surprising because of the known preservatives and additives in meats.But baked goods, savory snacks, and sugary drinks were also major contributors.For adults specifically, breads, rolls, and tortillas cracked the top five.But it’s not just the internet questioning what’s in our food.Federal regulators have been increa...