Do You Know What's in the Food You Eat?

Red Food Dye Made from Bugs

Insects are added to pink blush candies, ice creams yogurts, juices, cheeses and butter.  Even the Red cochineal bug is used as a natural food coloring.  As terrible as it sounds , it appears safe because reactions are small, while the FDA requires “cochineal extract” or “carmine” to be listed on the package label.

“Pink Slime”

A nickname for lean beef that is finely textured, is beef trimmings sprayed with ammonia to kill bacteria that can make you ill, for example, E-coli and salmonella.  It is mixed with ground beef to make it cheaper to buy.  A 2012 public uproar occurred over “pink slime” and put pressure on food chains like McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Burger King and Safeway to ban it.  While you can’t tell on the meat label in grocery stores that contain it, Congress may enact a label law, but hasn’t acted on the law as of yet.

Which Cereals Have the Most Salt?

Raisin Bran has a whopping 342 milligrams of sodium, which is more than a package of potato chips.  Lots of salt in your diet can raise your blood pressure and lead to heart disease.  Americans already eat more than twice their daily intake due to processed foods, including sweet ones, that have it in it.  This is because it preserves ingredients and makes them more appealing.

A Cocktail That Also Contains Ingredient to Treat Malaria?

Quinine, which also treats Malaria symptoms, also puts the bitter flavor in tonic water that is used in dinner drinks and soda.  British legend suggests that officers were looking for a way to ease malaria in the tropics when they came across quinine.  Used in drugs, can cause serious side effects, so it is important to use small amounts in drinks.

Can You Gain More Weight form Fructose Corn Syrup Than Table Sugar?

There is a myth that high-fructose corn syrup makes you gain more weight.  Truth is, corn syrup and table sugar are about the same, and table sugar is more likely to give you more trouble than any kind of sugar.  It is better to cut back on the sweeter foods and skip foods with high-fructose corn syrup.

What Is Xanthum Gum Used For?

If you’ve eaten foods like salad dressing, sauces, ice creams, and baked goods, you’ve eaten this additive.  Xanthum gum thickens and binds ingredients together so they don’t separate.  It is also in gluten-free or low-fat recipes.  Although it is safe to use, it has not been tested too widely as it is made from bacteria that feeds on corn and soy.  If you have developed allergies, you may want to try foods with guar gum instead.

How Many Packets of Saccharin Are Too Many?

Controversial in the past, saccharin is safe to use if you don’t overdo it.  According to the FDA, 9-12 packets of sweetener contain saccharin, 6 cans of diet soda have sucraclose, and 18-19 cans of soda contain aspartame.  If you have a concern over artificial sweetener and wish to go “natural”, try sparkling water instead of diet drinks.  And if you have phenylketonuria (PKU), try to avoid aspartame as the body can’t break down the parts.

What Do Sulfites Cause?

Sulfites are used to keep color in and bacteria in wine, dried fruits, frozen potatoes, fresh shrimp, and jams and jellies.  While it is deemed safe to use, it may cause mild to life-threatening reactions in 5% of people who have asthma.  If you want to avoid this, don’t eat foods that list sulfur dioxide, sodium or potassium sulfite, bisulfite, or metasulfite. 

An Additive That Can Cause a Burning Feeling in the Back of the Neck?

Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is used in canned soups, salad dressings chips and restaurant foods to enhance flavor.  Chinese foods usually use this additive.  Some people can experience headaches, nausea, neck tingling and burning, yet studies haven’t yet confirmed its cause.  Check labels and ask restaurants if they use it if you are avoiding the additive.

Does Foods with Nitrates and Nitrites Cause Cancer?

Nitrates and Nitrites are used in foods to prevent spoiling and give taste and color to cured meats like hotdogs, bacon, sausage, ham, and lunch meat.  This has also been used to convert a substance that causes cancer in animals.  Studies suggest that if you eats lots of processed meats for 10 or more years, it may double your risk of developing  colorectal cancer.  According to a 2005 JAMA study, lots of cured meat in women is 2 slices of bacon, half a hot dog 2-3 times a week and in men, the same amount of those foods 5-6 time a week.  But you can still develop a risk even if you eat smaller amounts over time.

What Is “Laughing Gas?”

A clear, slightly sweet gas, also called nitrous oxide, is used to make engines run faster and make people relax when they’re in the dentist chair.  “Laughing gas” makes foods like canned whipping cream light and airy and propel cooking sprays.  Nitrous oxide is coined “laughing gas” because of the feeling it gives the user.

Sorbitol

A sugar alcohol, is about as half as sweet as sugar, and is used in diet candies, chewing gum, drinks and other foods.  People with diabetes eat because it is absorbed slowly and less likely to spike blood sugar.  But it can have side effects like gas, stomach cramps, diarrhea, if eaten too much.  A best dose is about 50 milligrams a day.  And some foods with enough sorbitol can act as an “laxative”, but the label must indicate so.

Does Artificial Food Coloring Make Children Hyperactive?

The yellow dye no. 5, or tartrazine, is used in gelatin desserts, candy, ketchup, hot dogs and other foods.  It is blamed on the hyperactivity of children, but the FDA and European Food Safety Authority hasn’t approved it.  It rarely causes hives or swelling.  If you want to avoid yellow dye no. 5, skips foods that are not a color in nature.

Air as a Food Additive?

Air is used to puff out cheese puffs, lighten breakfast cereals and fluff ice creams.  Some brands of ice creams are nearly 50% air, unlike the heavier and richer tasting premium brands.  The airy brands are lower in cost and calories, and air is cheap and safe to use as a food additive.