What kind of junk and poisons are in our food?
namaste
Some disturbing things have come to my attention about what
appears to be harmless vegetarian foods sold in the United States.
Pink, red and purple coloring
For me the question arises - 'If the FDA allowed food manufacturers to conceal ingredients thatSince Jan. 5, the FDA has required food manufactures to disclose whether red cochineal beetles are among their products' ingredients. These beetles are farmed, harvested, dried and crushed to produce a red dye called carmine that, until this year, had been disguised in the ingredient list as "artificial color," "color added" or the all-encompassing "natural and artificial coloring."
Carmine provides pink, red and purple coloring to foods such as ice cream, yogurt, candy, and fruit drinks (should you permit that last one to be categorized as a food). Because of lax labeling laws, the extent of carmine in foods and drinks is not known. http://www.livescience.com/9251-foods-beetles.html
most consumers wouldn't want, WHY would I trust them to vigorously enforce their new regulations?'
Caramel Coloring
Orange and purple food dyesAn artificial pigment created by heating sugars. Frequently, this process includes ammonia.
Why it’s scary: Caramel coloring shows up in everything from soft drinks and sauces to breads and pastries. When made from straight sugar, it's relatively benign. But when produced with ammonia it puts off 2-methylimidazole and 4-methylimidazole, chemicals that have been linked to cancer in mice. The risk is strong enough that the California government, a bellwether for better food regulation, categorized 4-methylimidazole as “known to cause cancer” earlier this year. Unfortunately, companies aren't required to disclose whether their coloring is made with ammonia, so you'd be wise to avoid it as much as you can. http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatt...food-additives
Trans FatsMany artificial food dyes-found in hundreds of everyday foods-are made from petroleum-derived materials. Food producers use these chemical dyes in cereals and candy to make them more "fun" for kids, in pickles to make them appear fresher, and in place of real ingredients in a variety of other packaged foods. ...
Why it's bad: Orange and purple food dyes have been shown to impair brain function, and other dyes have been linked to ADHD and behavioral problems in kids, as well as brain-cell toxicity. ... http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/5-gr...eating/slide/5
Salad DressingTrans fats are in moist bakery muffins and crispy crackers, microwave popcorn and fast-food French fries, even the stick margarine you may rely on as a “heart-healthy” alternative to saturated-fat-laden butter.
Once hailed as a cheap, heart-friendly replacement for butter, lard and coconut oil, trans fats have been denounced by one Harvard nutrition expert as “the biggest food-processing disaster in U.S. history.” Why? Research now reveals trans fats are twice as dangerous for your heart as saturated fat, and cause an estimated 30,000 to 100,000 premature heart disease deaths each year.
Trans fats are worse for your heart than saturated fats because they boost your levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol and decrease “good” HDL cholesterol. That’s double trouble for your arteries. And unlike saturated fats, trans fats also raise your levels of artery-clogging lipoprotein and triglycerides.
Check the ingredient list for any of these words: “partially hydrogenated,” “fractionated,” or “hydrogenated” (fully hydrogenated fats are not a heart threat, but some trans fats are mislabeled as “hydrogenated”). The higher up the phrase “partially hydrogenated oil” is on the list of ingredients, the more trans fat the product contains.
Replacing trans fats with good fats could cut your heart attack risk by a whopping 53 percent. http://www.rd.com/health/4-most-harm...ackaged-foods/
Mushrooms and other canned goodsBig food corporations often add the chemical titanium dioxide-commonly found in paints and sunscreens-to processed foods like salad dressing, coffee creamers, and canned icing to make them appear whiter.
Why it's bad: Titanium dioxide is a component of the metallic element titanium, a mined substance that's sometimes contaminated with toxic lead ... http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/5-gr...eating/slide/4
Potato chips and French friesThe FDA legally allows 19 maggots—tiny, rice-shaped fly larvae that feast on rotting foods—and 74 mites in every 3.5-ounce can of mushrooms.
... if you need another reason to ditch canned goods, consider this: Most are lined with bisphenol A (or BPA), a plastic chemical that causes unnatural hormonal changes linked to heart attacks, obesity, and certain cancers. http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/5-gr...eating/slide/6
Grain ProductsThese popular snack foods contain acrylamide, a known carcinogen and neurotoxin that is formed when foods are baked or fried at high temperatures. "I estimate that acrylamide causes several thousand cancers per year in Americans," said Clark University research professor Dale Hattis.
When CSPI conducted tests on some popular brands of French fries and chips, they found that the acrylamide in a large order of fast food fries was at least 300 times the amount allowed by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in a glass of water. http://www.sixwise.com/newsletters/0...-all-costs.htm
Azodicarbonamide - A synthetic yellow-orange dough conditioner ...
This chemical is used most frequently in the production of industrial foam plastic, and although the FDA has approved its use for food in the States, the United Kingdom has labeled it a potential cause of asthma. In a review of 47 studies on azodicarbonamide, the World Health Organization concluded that it probably does trigger asthmatic symptoms. The WHO concluded, “exposure levels should be reduced as much as possible.” I’ll put it more concisely: Avoid it. http://health.yahoo.net/experts/eatt...food-additivesFor me the answer is real whole foods preparedMany packaged breads and baked goods contain L-cysteine-a non-essential amino acid made from dissolved human hair (often from China) or duck feathers (mmmm). Food manufacturers use the ingredient as a commercial dough conditioner, meant to improve the texture of breads and baked goods. http://fitbie.msn.com/slideshow/5-gr...eating/slide/2
at home. The time and effort is well worth it.
Hari Aum
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Originally Posted by c.smith
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