'Baby' or mini carrots are not just a staple of Christmas, but they're also great for snacking on throughout the year - or as a tasty addition to any roast dinner.

However, many food lovers have been left feeling deceived after discovering a shocking truth - most aren't actually baby carrots at all.

Instead, they are regular carrots that have been shaved down to achieve their distinctive shape. The TikTok account NowThis revealed to its social media followers how these carrots are made, leaving many stunned.

"No, they aren't just small carrots," they captioned the video. In the clip, titled "how baby carrots are made", viewers get a glimpse inside a factory where carrots are processed.

The voiceover explains: "They are usually grown as skinny versions of regular carrots. After harvest, they go to a processing facility to be washed. Then [....] stems are removed and they are sent inside. Thick carrots get sorted out. And what's left gets cut into two inch pieces."

According to the video, they are then categorised into different size groups before being peeled and polished, giving them their characteristically smooth finish. They are then packed into plastic bags, ready to be shipped off to supermarkets.

It seems many carrot enthusiasts were completely unaware. "Really thought baby carrots were baby carrots," commented one person.

"I guess you learn something new everyday," said another. A third admitted: "Wait am I the only one that thought they were grown that way."

The revelation that baby carrots are simply shaved down regular carrots has taken the internet by storm after Joe Jonas posted a video expressing his astonishment. The American musician quipped: "I just learned that baby carrots are just regular carrots shaved down to look like baby carrots," before humorously concluding: "Going back to bed."

Echoing Jonas's surprise, YouTuber ASB confessed he was "today years old" when he came across the fact, thanks to the American singer's video, and remarked Joe was the "weirdest source you could find out this kind of information from".

According to some sources, you'll know if the carrots aren't true baby carrots if they are described as "baby cut carrots". A true baby carrot is harvested before reaching maturity, and will most likely not be peeled before being sold.

The baby carrot was actually invented by Mike Yurosek, a carrot farmer from California. Back in 1986, he wanted to make use of all the misshapen carrots - and instead of throwing them out, decided to cut them down. And after seeing its success, other carrot producers started doing the same. In 1987, the year after he started doing this, carrot consumption jumped by almost 30%, according to data from the USDA.

David Just, a professor of behavioural economics at Cornell University, told The Washington Post: "The majority of consumers have no clue what they're eating or how it's produced. There are so many people who honestly believe there are baby carrot farmers out there who grow these baby carrots that pop out of the ground and are perfectly convenient and smooth."