# How did we learn what was safe to eat?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-we-learn-what-was-safe-to-eat/605930>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [December 12, 2011, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-we-learn-what-was-safe-to-eat/605930 "2011-12-12T18:27:51Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![tr0psn4j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@tr0psn4j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tr0psn4j)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-we-learn-what-was-safe-to-eat/605930/21 "2011-12-13T22:14:38Z")

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The article talks about roast meat. Didn’t these guys know eating roasted, and most likely burned, meat causes cancer?

Sorry bored.

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**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\
**Post date:** [December 13, 2011, 11:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-we-learn-what-was-safe-to-eat/605930/22 "2011-12-13T23:07:21Z")

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I’ve always wondered about really spicy peppers and how we came to be eating those. Maybe we had to work our way up to that.

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**Author:** ![Grestarian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grestarian/32/3227_2.png) [@Grestarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grestarian)\
**Post date:** [December 14, 2011, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-did-we-learn-what-was-safe-to-eat/605930/23 "2011-12-14T21:02:11Z")

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> [@ralph124c](#):
>
> Probably by observing animals. If the cow/pig/goat eats it, it is probably OK.  
> As for the exotic stuff (rotten shark, caviar, jellyfish, snails, etc.)-trial and error?

Yeah!  
Somebody 'splane to me Natto, Kimchee, SauerKraut, half-developed chicken eggs…  
Aww, never mind.  
Someone start a thread on the strangest stuff you’ve ever eaten.  
Aww, I suspect it’s been done before – Cafe (Strange Diner) Society?

===G!??!

EAT THE RICH!  
Take one bite now; come back for more.

. --Tyler & Perry (Aerosmith)  
. _Eat the Rich_  
. Get a Grip

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