Alice Gifford - YW Connection - I wanted to
research food labels and this is just a small portion of what I came up
with. Hopefully it is helpful in putting together a fun presentation.
(10/3/05)
Have
you ever wondered what all of those strange “ingredients” are in your Pop
Tarts, Corn Nuts, or Mac & Cheese. Do you wonder about partially
hydrogenated vegetable oil (an indicator of the presence of trans fatty
acids in the food (as well as other "unnatural" substances).
If you
don’t recognize it, you know you’ve come across an UFI – Unidentified Food
Ingredient! What is it doing in your food, and who put it there? It's
not in your spice drawer...at least you don't think it is :-)
Here's
a list of some food additives.
Xanthan
gum
(zantham gum)Description: A polysaccharide produced by Xanthonomonas
campestris bacterium used as a stabilizer, thickener, foam enhancer, and
gluten substitute. (That's right - just try saying those words :-) In the United States, xantham gum is mostly produced from
the fermentation of corn starch by the Xanthonomonas campestris bacterium.
Side Effects: No clear side effects. Common Uses: Gluten-free flour, salad
dressings, ice cream, yogurt, sour cream.
Red #40
- Red
Dye #40 (and all FDA certified dyes) is referred to as a "Coal Tar"
dye. The
phrase has little meaning today but a hundred years ago it was used to
describe synthetic chemicals that started out with coal tar as a precursor.
It's more likely today to find a petrochemical as the original base of most
synthetic chemicals, though they're so highly refined that you won't find
any residual petroleum in the product.
Usually provide the color in factory
made foods. Usually the presence of dyes means that the food is deficient.
eg... Yellow 5
(Tartrazine) and Yellow 6 are put into
noodles to make them look as if they have more egg in them. Presently only
Blue 1, 2, Green 3, Red 3, Red 40, Violet 1 and Yellow 5, 6 are
allowed. Probably only Yellow 5 should be allowed. Red 4 can be used
ONLY in maraschino cherries and Citrus Red 2 can be used ONLY to dye
oranges. Canadian studies show Red 40 and Violet 1 are definitely
dangerous . Blue 1 probably harmless Blue 2 linkage with more
susceptible to viruses, especially fatal ones. Green 3 - No problems
but suspected not safe. - Liver nodules. Colors Hot dogs . Many
companies are not using it and letting their hot dogs be white. Very similar
to Red 2 which caused breast cancers. Red 2 - birth defects and
breast cancers. Banned in 1976 after YEARS of arguments. Red 3 does
not seem to be harmful. Red 4 - banned except in cherries. Affects
the adrenal glands and bladder cancer. Since nobody eats very many
maraschino cherries, it can be used there. Red 40 - Newest dye.
Poorly tested, thought to be a carcinogen. Yellow 5 -Tartrazine - Not
harmful Yellow 6 -Affects the eye, causing blindness in dogs. Creates havoc
with asthmatic children It is best to TOTALLY bypass coal tar dyes. They are
not natural and are stored in the fat areas of the body. They have been
associated with cancers for years. Why eat them?
Common Uses: Custards, beverages, ice cream, confections,
preserves, cereals
Partially Hydogenated soybean and/or cottonseed oil
- (#2 on Corn Nuts List -
Hydrogenation is a process used to convert fats into a solid spreadable
form, or to increase shelf life of products. Partial hydrogenation is
achieved when some (but not all) of the "spaces" in the fatty acid chain
have been filled with a hydrogen molecule. This hydrogenation process
results in a product that is higher in saturated fat and trans-fatty acids,
thus destroying much of the nutritional value.
Trans fatty acids,
also known as trans fat, is an artery-clogging fat that is formed when
vegetable oils are hardened into margarine or shortening. It is found in
many other foods besides margarine and shortening, however, including fried
foods like french fries and fried chicken, doughnuts, cookies, pastries and
crackers. In the United States, typical french fries have about 40 percent
trans fatty acids and many popular cookies and crackers range from 30
percent to 50 percent trans fatty acids. Doughnuts have about 35 percent to
40 percent trans fatty acids.
Trans fat is known to increase blood levels of low density lipoprotein (LDL),
or "bad" cholesterol, while lowering levels of high density lipoprotein (HDL),
known as "good" cholesterol. It can also cause major clogging of arteries,
type 2 diabetes and other serious health problems, and was found to increase
the risk of heart disease. Many food companies use trans fat instead of oil
because it reduces cost, extends storage life of products and can improve
flavor and texture.
One
problem with the use of trans fat is that food companies were not required
to list it on nutrition labels so consumers had no way of knowing how much
trans fat was in the food they were eating. Further, there is no upper
safety limit recommended for the daily intake of trans fat. The Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) has only said that "intake of trans fats should be
as low as possible."
While some foods like bakery items and fried foods are obvious sources of
trans fat, other processed foods, such as cereals and waffles, can also
contain trans fat. One tip to determine the amount of trans fat in a food is
to read the ingredient label and look for shortening, hydrogenated or
partially hydrogenated oil. The higher up on the list these ingredients
appear, the more trans fat.
You can also add up the amount of fat in a product (saturated,
monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), provided the amounts are listed, and
compare the total with the total fat on the label. If they don’t match up,
the difference is likely trans fat, especially if partially hydrogenated oil
is listed as one of the first ingredients.
BVO
Description: Acts as an
emulsifier (helps keep oils in suspension). Side Effects: Small residues of
BVO are left in human body fat. The effect of these residues is unknown.
Common Uses: Keeping flavored oils in suspension. Citrus-flavored soft
drinks.
Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA)
Description: A phenolic chemical
compound with preservative properties. Keeps food from going rancid; also
used as a defoaming agent for yeast. Side Effects: Inconclusive; in large
doses may cause tumors in lab animals Common Uses: Foods high in fats and
oils such as butter; also meats, cereals, baked goods, beer, snack foods,
dehydrated potatoes, chewing gum.
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
Description: A phenolic chemical
compound that acts as a preservative. Keeps food from changing flavor, odor,
and color. Side Effects: Inconclusive, in large doses may cause tumors in
lab animals Common Uses: Cereals, shortening, foods high in fats and oils.
Caffeine
Description: A mildly addictive
stimulant naturally occurring in coffee, tea, and cocoa. One of two
