We all know that herbs, spices and vanilla can make our food taste much better. Flavor is what makes us enjoy our food using our sense of taste. However, taste and flavor are not synonymous. Both require a chemical reaction, either natural or synthetic, however, flavors come from the real source, and artificial additives and flavorings are made from a chemical process in a lab. Does one sound safer than the other to you?
In light of the recent announcement that Panera Bread has agreed to remove over 100 artificial ingredients by 2016 in their foods, it made me wonder, how many artificial flavorings and food additives are we really ingesting and how harmful are they? How common are chemicals in our foods and why use them? I visited several sites, and also listened to talks by Vani Hari, the Food Babe and have read her book.
Wouldn’t one think the FDA is protecting us? Oh contraire! They are actually part of the problem. Some of it is pure numbers. Years ago there were only a few hundred additives, and now there are over 10,000. In 1958 Congress enacted the Food Additive Amendment, but it exempts certain food ingredients as long as they are ‘recognized as safe’ (like vinegar and oil). There was a loophole that allowed companies to claim their new ingredients were safe without even notifying the FDA. Food companies now do their own testing, and put out their own reports. Sounds like many other industries heh? Over 5,000 food substances aren’t even required to be listed on packaging. Even words like ‘natural’ are misleading and often untrue because the “FDA does not have a definition for “natural” as it appears on food labels, and it’s willing to let marketers use it so long as the food does not contain any added colors, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances”.
Big AG also donates money to candidates (another reason to get money out of politics), hence no push on banning GMO’s or revising statutes that no longer serve us. Europe doesn’t allow most of these additives in their foods and requires that dyes in food be listed on the label. The US has the highest obesity rate in the world. The truth is the food industry is manipulating us and adding these chemicals to make food more addictive. It is actually the same process of addiction that the tobacco industry created. They do it to make money, and to make us addicted (and fat!)
Both artificial and natural flavors contain chemicals but the distinction between them is the source of chemicals. Natural flavors are created from anything that can be eaten (i.e animals and vegetables). Artificial flavorings are created in a lab and made from inedible ingredients such as petroleum. It is a big industry, and these labs spend a great deal of time and money making the best and most addictive flavorings per the book Fast Food Nation. It costs much less to use these synthetic flavorings than to use real ones, and it is also cheaper to use lots of salt and sugar (many forms like high fructose corn syrup).
Next I will talk about some of these crazy additives more specifically so you can watch for them on labels. First, take TBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, which is an antioxidant that comes from petroleum and is related to butane. It is often used as a preservative, applied for example to fast-food items or directly onto food. You can find TBHQ in McDonald’s chicken Mcnuggets (only in the US, not Europe) and is commonly sprayed onto fast food cartons. You can also find TBHQ in many of the great value foods that Walmart carries. The food and drug administration says it is OK for TBHQ to contain no more than .02 % of the oil in a food. Eating only 1 gram has shown health issues from attention deficit hyperactivity to asthma, allergies, dermatitis and dizziness, and even stomach cancer in lab animals. To find a list of foods containing this ingredient visit: http://miami-water.com/blog/1812/list-of-tbhq-products-petroleum-foods-are-toxic/
Synthetically-made or derived from petroleum, a known carcinogen, or from insect parts, artificial food dyes are rampant in our foods. Dyes show up in ice cream, pickles, candy, jam, cakes and more. Watch out for dyes as well as ‘caramel coloring’ in sodas, candies and baked goods. Dyes, like contained in Kraft mac and cheese have been linked to hyperactivity in children as well as asthma, allergies and skin issues. No wonder more and more kids have ADD and ADHD and have trouble with concentration. Some of the same foods companies produce the very same foods in Europe but do NOT have theses additives in them…why not here too?!
And how about dimethylpolysiloxane, a food additive found in Silly Putty and breast implants, is also contained in many salad dressings. Another additive, azodicarbonamide, used in yoga mats, is currently found in Subway sandwich breads, with plans by the company (thanks to Food Babe) to remove it in the coming year(s). Why does it take so long to remove something harmful? Again, it is NOT contained in European breads sold at Subways there.
Heard of carrageenan? It is a thickener and stabilizer, or can be used as an emulsifier to keep liquids from separating. Often found in toothpaste, desserts and many dairy products. It is used for appearance, not for nutrition. It is even found in some organic foods such as nut milks. It has been linked to gastrointestinal problems from IBS to colon cancer. One group is calling for the complete ban of it!
From Natural News, “Dr. Tobacman determined that carrageenan accumulation in the GI creates holes in the gastrointestinal tract, allowing undigested food particles to enter the blood system and potentially clog lymph glands. He also determined that the increased use of carrageenan correlates with the rise of breast carcinoma (cancer). The bogus medical claim of eating low and no fat products to lose weight by eliminating body fat invites breast cancer. Not a good trade-off even if were true. Also, many scientists think that stomach acidity degrades food grade carrageenan. Heating foods with carrageenan creates the same process. Degraded carrageenan is a definite inflammatory agent. It has also been linked to glucose intolerance and insulin resistance”.
Most of us have heard of MSG (monosodium glutamate), a flavor enhancer, used in most fast foods and many processed ones. Many are allergic to MSG, and it is linked to obesity as well. The sad part is that even though many are claiming “no msg” now, it can be masked in about 20 other common ingredient names , such as soy sauce, gelatin, whey protein, soy protein, magnesium glutamate and more. If you want a complete list, it is on pg. 54 of the Food Babe book.
Dr. Andrew Weil says, “If a food product contains artificial flavors, you should check to make sure that it doesn’t also contain less desirable additives. Read labels carefully to check for high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) used to sweeten soft drinks and juices. HFCS contributes to obesity in many people. Also, watch out for artificial colorings and dyes (look for the terms “artificial color added,” “U.S. certified color added,” “FD & C red no. 3” (or “green” or “blue” or “yellow” followed by any number), as well as artificial sweeteners and monosodium glutamate (MSG). I’m suspicious of chemicals used to dye foods. They are a group of highly reactive molecules that may interact with DNA and increase mutation or cell transformation. Read labels and avoid them”.
Bottom line, we must become educated and take control of our own diets. Step one is reading the labels on all products. Step two, use whole organic foods and cook as many of your own meals as you can. You can ask for your foods at restaurants to be cooked differently…leave off sauces and season with salt & pepper yourself. The main foods without dyes and preservatives are organic foods, eggs, lean meats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. Eaters beware!
