These Carrots Were Grown In The Uk, Not Chernobyl
The Claim
An image depicts British carrots that were grown in Chernobyl.
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Emerging story
An image widely circulating on social media depicts a packet of carrots from British grocer Tesco with the label “Grown in Chernobyl.” The claim caused an unusual stir among users. Chernobyl is a town in Ukraine that was the site of a nuclear power disaster in 1986. This claim has been circulating since 2020.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar's team found the circulating image to be fake. Upon closer examination, it was visibly photoshopped; a zoom in on the label shows that the word “UK” was covered poorly, and “Chernobyl” was added beneath.
Another image of the same labeling was found on the 500g packet of carrots, showing that the product was grown in the UK.
There has been a previous incident of mislabeling from Tesco for which they apologized. However, that is not the case here, as these images have been edited. It is unlikely that any plants for consumption are grown in Chernobyl or surrounding areas since it is is still contaminated, according to research done in December 2020. Given the findings, the Misbar team rates the claim as fake. The carrots were not grown in Chernobyl.
