A viral photo showing a worm-like object in cooked ground beef caused alarm online, with many people initially fearing it was a parasite or contamination.
However, after closer inspection, the object is most likely not a worm at all. Experts explain it is probably connective tissue such as fat, tendon, or gristle, which can twist and curl into unusual shapes when exposed to heat.
These parts are naturally present in meat and can look disturbing after cooking, even though they are harmless when the food is properly prepared.
What appears alarming at first is often just a normal part of the meat reacting to heat.