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FoodSurprise 5/5Difficulty 2/5Reviewed on September 17, 2026

In the eighteenth century, tomatoes were widely believed to be poisonous in Europe and called 'poison apples'.

Why it is true

Wealthy Europeans used pewter plates, and the acidity of the tomato caused lead from the plate to leach into the food, causing poisoning that was mistakenly attributed to the tomato itself.

Source: Smithsonian

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