# Coca Cola, Pork, and Worms **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 18, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536 "2007-05-18T01:55:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![axis736](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@axis736](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/axis736)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/1 "2007-05-18T01:55:42Z")
😕 There has been much talk about this, and I have even seen some videos but still not sure if it is true. The question is: If you let raw pork marinate in Coca Cola, will little worms to come up out of the pork? Apparently it has something to do with the acidicy of the cola but i still dont know. Anyone wanna take a stab at it? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/2 "2007-05-18T01:56:52Z")
Spontaneous generation. Happens all the time. ---
**Author:** ![axis736](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5fc32e/32.png) [@axis736](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/axis736)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/3 "2007-05-18T02:00:00Z")
eh… apparently since pigs are filthy eaters worms got into their food, and they ate the worms, and its in the meat so that rules out spontaneous generation ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/4 "2007-05-18T02:00:02Z")
[Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/porkworm.asp) calls this a “meta-legend.” ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/5 "2007-05-18T02:13:53Z")
However, if you cook pork chops in a combination of Coca-Cola and ketchup, you get a pretty decent bar-b-qued park chop. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/6 "2007-05-18T02:20:26Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] [Snopes](http://www.snopes.com/cokelore/porkworm.asp) calls this a “meta-legend.” [/QUOTE] They also plainly call it **false**. ---
**Author:** ![Sapo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ec9cab/32.png) [@Sapo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sapo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/7 "2007-05-18T02:40:53Z")
[QUOTE=SnakesCatLady] However, if you cook pork chops in a combination of Coca-Cola and ketchup, you get a pretty decent bar-b-qued park chop. [/QUOTE] I have done this with smoked pork chops. I would hesitate to do this with regular ones. Is it good? ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/8 "2007-05-18T02:49:11Z")
[QUOTE=axis736] eh… apparently since pigs are filthy eaters worms got into their food, and they ate the worms, and its in the meat so that rules out spontaneous generation [/QUOTE] Humor…it is a difficult concept. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Peanuthead](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peanuthead/32/360_2.png) [@Peanuthead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peanuthead)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 5:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/9 "2007-05-18T05:55:50Z")
A guy walks into a bar and orders a glass of whiskey and a glass of water. He then takes a worm from his pocket and drops the worm into the water. The worm wiggles around and swims for a while. The man then removes the worm from the water an puts it in the glass of whiskey. The worm stiffens up and dies within seconds. He says, “See that? You drink whiskey you’ll never get worms”. 😃 Old Redd Foxx joke ---
**Author:** ![Contrapuntal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e274bd/32.png) [@Contrapuntal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Contrapuntal)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/10 "2007-05-18T06:07:53Z")
[QUOTE=axis736] eh… apparently since pigs are filthy eaters … [/QUOTE] What if the pig has personality? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/11 "2007-05-18T06:26:29Z")
[QUOTE=carnivorousplant] Humor…it is a difficult concept. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Humor- it is not for GQ. He asked a legit question. I agree with what \*\*samclem \*\*and others have said- it is a false UL. ---
**Author:** ![ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/12 "2007-05-18T07:03:16Z")
[QUOTE=SnakesCatLady] However, if you cook pork chops in a combination of Coca-Cola and ketchup, you get a pretty decent bar-b-qued park chop. [/QUOTE] I ate more than my share of delicious tiny sausages at a friend’s party once. She had heated them up in a crockpot, mixing in mustard and grape jelly. I had no idea such a delicious sweet/savory sauce could be made of mustard and grape jelly. ---
**Author:** ![Horatio\_Hellpop](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Horatio\_Hellpop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horatio_Hellpop)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/13 "2007-05-18T10:43:31Z")
[QUOTE=Contrapuntal] What if the pig has personality? [/QUOTE] Some pigs are great dancers and know a lot of jokes… ---
**Author:** ![si\_blakely](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d9b06d/32.png) [@si\_blakely](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/si_blakely)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 10:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/14 "2007-05-18T10:45:12Z")
I cook **Gammon** in _Coca Cola_ - full fat only. Never seen any worms 😉 Yummy Si ---
**Author:** ![RiverRunner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/977dab/32.png) [@RiverRunner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RiverRunner)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 2:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/15 "2007-05-18T14:03:48Z")
[QUOTE=ComeToTheDarkSideWeHaveCookies] I ate more than my share of delicious tiny sausages at a friend’s party once. She had heated them up in a crockpot, mixing in mustard and grape jelly. I had no idea such a delicious sweet/savory sauce could be made of mustard and grape jelly. [/QUOTE] Yeah, I had the same reaction the first time I found out how it was made. Since then, I’ve prepared the same thing myself many times. People always love it. ---
**Author:** ![Mike\_Fun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a9adbd/32.png) [@Mike\_Fun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mike_Fun)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/16 "2007-05-18T16:09:38Z")
> [@](#): > > What if the pig has personality? Well we’d have to be talking about one charming motherf\*\*\*ing pig. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/17 "2007-05-18T16:43:39Z")
The urban legend about pork, Coke and worms probably arose in part because Coke is mildly acidic. The much stronger acid in the stomach is what dissolves the cysts of Trichinella in infected pork products and releases worms which can parasitize other parts of the human body. From [cdc.gov](http://cdc.gov): “When a human or animal eats meat that contains infective Trichinella cysts, the acid in the stomach dissolves the hard covering of the cyst and releases the worms. The worms pass into the small intestine and, in 1-2 days, become mature. After mating, adult females lay eggs. Eggs develop into immature worms, travel through the arteries, and are transported to muscles. Within the muscles, the worms curl into a ball and encyst (become enclosed in a capsule). Infection occurs when these encysted worms are consumed in meat.” Even if you marinated worm-ridden pork (or, for that matter human muscle tissue) in Coke indefinitely, there’s zero evidence that the cysts would dissolve and worms emerge. However if you take an aspirin and drink Coke your stomach will explode. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Auntbeast](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Auntbeast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Auntbeast)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/18 "2007-05-18T17:06:31Z")
This would be a bad time for me to bring up grouper, eh? I once had a chef tell me that he’d never cleaned a grouper yet that didn’t have worms. Mmmmmm…worms! ---
**Author:** ![pinkfreud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pinkfreud/32/17603_2.png) [@pinkfreud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pinkfreud)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/19 "2007-05-18T18:08:57Z")
[QUOTE=Jackmannii] However if you take an aspirin and drink Coke your stomach will explode. 🙂 [/QUOTE] Also, if you use your aspirin-and-Coke mixture as a douche, it will not prevent pregnancy, but it may attract ants who have headaches. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![freckafree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/freckafree/32/3050_2.png) [@freckafree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/freckafree)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2007, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/coca-cola-pork-and-worms/404536/20 "2007-05-18T19:05:42Z")
[QUOTE=pinkfreud] Also, if you use your aspirin-and-Coke mixture as a douche, it will not prevent pregnancy, but it may attract ants who have headaches. 😃 [/QUOTE] That’s OK. Vagina dentata will take care of the ants.