If we've learned one thing from the past 18 months it's this: People tend to believe things they read on social media. I've been guilty myself of seeing something cool and passing it on, only to find that it wasn't true. Luckily not for anything important.
This falls into the "not important" category but it's certainly interesting from a plastics perspective.
It seems that one current item making the rounds is about high density polyethylene milk jugs and why there's a circular indent in their shape. The claim goes that if the indent bulges out, that's a sign the milk has gone bad.
"I get the general idea behind this," writes Dennis Lee on the website The Takeout. "It seems reasonable: Sometimes rotten stuff produces gas, and if you're lucky enough, you'll notice it and avoid that nasty old food. But experts say that bacteria can spoil milk without creating any gas whatsoever."
And as USA Today reporter Bayliss Wagner goes on to note, the indents are all about maintaining consistent volume whether milk jugs are molded in hot or cold conditions, while also providing structural support, and not an indication of excess gas.
"So, if this 'fun fact' about milk jugs crosses your path online, now you'll be able to help stop the spread of misinformation," Lee adds. "We've got way too much of that going on already."
