Fruit Roll-Ups, the sweet treat that debuted in U.S. grocery stores in 1983, has gotten quite the 21st-century update on TikTok.
Viral videos feature users eating the snack frozen; in some cases, people even fill them with ice cream. There's no problem there (though the frozen sheets appear tough to chew at times) — but some are claiming they're eating the Fruit Roll-Ups without removing the plastic, NBC News reported.
TikTok user @KitchenTool posted a video where he appears to take the Fruit Roll-Up out of the freezer, unwrap and eat it — plastic wrapper apparently included. It went viral with 1.3 million views — but he later admitted he misled viewers on purpose.
Related: How to Use TikTok to Promote Your Business | Entrepreneur
Although ingesting a small amount of plastic on accident isn't necessarily cause for concern, consuming food packaged in plastic on a regular basis has been linked to health issues like metabolic disorders and reduced fertility, per Harvard Health.
So no, you definitely should not devour that Fruit-Roll Up plastic wrapper and all.
Naturally, Fruit Roll-Ups is trying to set the record straight. In a stitched response to a different user's frozen Fruit Roll-Up video, the company shared its own TikTok to debunk the myth with the caption "legal is making me clarify that you should not attempt to eat plastic."
@fruitrollups #stitch with @hollyberry09 legal is making me clarify that you should not attempt to eat plastic #fruitrollup ♬ original sound - Fruit Roll-Ups
A spokesperson for General Mills, the manufacturer of Fruit Roll-Ups, reaffirmed that message in an email statement to NBC News.
"While consumers can enjoy Fruit Roll-Ups in many fun ways, including frozen, they should always remove the plastic wrap before freezing or consuming the product," the spokesperson said.
Related: How to Integrate TikTok Into Your Video Marketing Strategy
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