Category Archives: additives

Shellac: A Horrifying Additive Probably In Your Halloween Candy

by additives, ingredients

With Halloween just around the corner, there will be a huge assortment of candy going into goody bags and candy dishes all over the country.

Candy corn, malted milk balls, milk duds, jelly beans, chocolate covered nuts and fruits, and more are all part of the holiday festivities.  

In addition to the potential for artificial colors and chemical additives, these treats also come with a little something extra.  A “natural” ingredient that falls into the GRAS (General Recognized As Safe) category — Shellac.

In the interest of helping you to understand what's really in your food, I wanted to explain exactly what shellac is and where it comes from.

Most of us tend the think of shellac as something found in furniture polish.  It can also be found in personal care products such as hairspray or shampoo, in cosmetics like mascara, or even in perfumes.  Shellac also has the potential to be used in dentures.

It also appears in the above-mentioned foods as well as some others.  Sometimes hidden on the label (because food manufacturers would prefer that you not know what's in your food)  it may be referred to as “confectioner's glaze,” “confectioner's resin,” “candy glaze,” or even simply “natural glaze.”

So what is shellac?  It's essentially the insect version of castoreum*.  Harvested from trees where the female lac bug lays down cocoon-like secretions, it is scraped off the trees (often along with bark and insect parts) and heated until it liquifies.  

It's strained and then allowed to cool in thin sheets.  This is then reconstituted with denatured alcohol when manufacturers are ready to use it to give foods that shiny coating. Because these secretions, or resin, are not harvested until after the female has died (according to web research) The Vegetarian Society has determined that it is a vegetarian product.  Vegans, on the other hand, do not consider it to be an acceptable food-product because it is produced by an insect.

Other food-grade uses for shellac include the coating found on some pharmaceuticals and supplements.  A coating of shellac can be used to create the enteric coating on pills.  Another use includes adding the shine back to apples in order to replace the natural wax coating lost when the fruit is cleaned before shipping.

Although research reveals that some people may suffer from allergic dermatitis from contact with shellac, there appear to be no other highly significant health issues, but rather a strong, “ick” factor.  There is a vegetable alternative to shellac.  It is called zein and is a corn-based protein.  It is important to note that in order for this to be an acceptable solution it would need to be from organic corn as most corn is highly contaminated with GMOs.  Zein can be hard to identify on the label as it is also frequently referred to as “confectioner's glaze.”

If eating shellac (and potential bug parts) is a concern for you I suggest you contact the manufacturer of any product with confectioner's glaze, confectioner's resin, candy glaze, or natural glaze on the label to identify its origin.

*I refer to this item as “beaver butt.”  It's the anal gland secretion of beavers, used to flavor foods with vanilla, raspberry or strawberry flavoring.  However, on the label, it always appears under the term “natural flavor.”

What’s In Your Juice?

by additives, ingredients

As you know, I'm all about reading the label.  It's the most important skill you can learn when it comes to understanding what's really in your food.  After many people responded via Facebook, twitter, and online to my blog post about ingredients in Ranch Dressing I thought I would share another post highlighting how your food isn't always what it seems to be.

Manufacturers spend enormous amounts of money trying to figure out how to misdirect and mislead you so that you will purchase their product.  Leaving aside the issues of packaging inherent in plastic containers, here is a perfect example:

aa-juice

 

At first glance this seems to be exactly what a juice purchaser might be looking for.  100% in very big letters.  100% juice all together.  The 100% directly above large print Wild Cherry.  It even says “no sugar added” which more consumers are focusing on.  Many people have learned that juice drink is not really juice.  And they've learned that what they really want is a pure product.  So manufacturers are shifting their labeling to try to take advantage of that.

Now for the ingredient panel:

aa-juice2

 

So the first thing we notice is that while the item may be fruit juice it's mostly from apple, followed by pear.  And these juices are from concentrate.  The package also lists “natural flavors” which could be any number of things including MSG.  Ascorbic acid, despite popular thinking, is not the same as vitamin C.  It's a laboratory version and may not be as well absorbed.  It's also frequently made from corn syrup making it highly likely that this ingredient is genetically modified.  Ascorbic acid is often used instead of a more natural form of vitamin C as natural vitamin C tends to break down under the pasteurization process that most juices go through.  Ascorbic acid doesn't, making it the vitamin C additive of choice for most manufacturers.

Obviously what the manufacturer wants to you to believe via the front-of-package labeling is not quite everything that you need to know.  Read the label, learn to understand what's really in your food and become an educated consumer

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What’s Really In Your Food

by additives, dairy, herbs and spices, ingredients, recipes

As you know I spend a lot of time at the grocery store and in people's pantries looking at labels.  The other day I was at a grocery store for a book signing.  I was there for two days.  While I obviously couldn't see every person in the grocery store I was sitting in an area where I had a pretty good field of vision for quite a few aisles.  It took until halfway through the second day before I saw someone actually look at a label.  I was so excited that this woman actually read the label that I ran over and told her so.  Most people either simply selected their favorites or only looked at the front of the package to compare products.

Unfortunately when we shop on autopilot we don't realize what's in our food.  Reading the label is the only way to know what you're really eating.

Below is a list of ingredients that belongs to a very common item found in many homes.  It's also especially popular with children so they consume quite a bit of it:

 Soybean Oil, Water, Egg Yolk, Sugar, Salt, Cultured Nonfat Buttermilk, Natural Flavors (Soy), Spices. Less than 1% of Dried Garlic, Dried Onion, Vinegar, Phosphoric Acid, Xanthan Gum, Modified Food Starch, Monosodium Glutamate, Artificial Flavors, Disodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid and Calcium Disodium EDTA as Preservatives, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate.

So what is it?

Ranch dressing.  Specifically Hidden Valley Ranch.  I'm not focusing on them, I simply had to pick a bottle and a label.

So let's break this label down and understand what we're looking at:

Genetically modified – the soybean oil and quite possibly the modified food starch which often comes from corn.

Sugar – added sugars in the diet increase inflammation, lower the immune system response, and, in things like dressing, are, in my opinion, not necessary.

rBGH – the buttermilk almost certainly contains this hormone which was given to the cows to make them produce more milk.  Linked to an increase in IGF-1 which is linked to diabetes it's not something you want in your food.

MSG – flat out, right on the label.  This ingredient may make things taste better but it can cause a wide range of symptoms from headaches, rashes, and flushing to muscle weakness and fatigue.

Artificial flavors – why would you want to eat anything fake?

Unknown ingredients – do you really know what Phosphoric Acid, Disodium Phosphate, Sorbic Acid, Calcium Disodium EDTA, Disodium Inosinate and Disodium Guanylate are?  If you don't know what it is you shouldn't eat it.  Just as a brief example of some of the health risks, phosphoric acid may be linked to lowered bone density, and calcium disodium EDTA is a preservative which has the potential to cause kidney damage.

I cannot recommend strongly enough how important it is to know what's in your food and to read the label.

Looking for an alternative to packaged ranch dressing?  Try making your own, simple to make, fresh tasting, tangy and the flavors can be modified to be exactly to your personal preference.

homemade ranch dressing

Homemade Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup organic whole milk*
1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley
1 teaspoon fresh chopped chives
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons organic sour cream
fresh ground black pepper to taste

Pour apple cider vinegar into milk and let sit
In a separate, wide mouth bowl place garlic and salt
Mash together with a fork until garlic turns into a paste
Add chopped herbs, mayonnaise, sour cream, and black pepper
Blend this mixture with milk, combine well
Best served immediately, however leftovers store well in the fridge for up to a week

This is delicious not only on vegetables but as an addition to mashed potatoes, as a dressing for pasta salads, and is the perfect dipping sauce for homemade wings.

*Note:  there was a typo in the original which called for 1 cup of milk.  That will make a very thin ranch dressing.  I prefer mine a little creamier and so have amended it to reflect my initial recipe.

photo: Diádoco

Sad American Exports

by additives, health
candy | photo: mikebarry

In nutrition circles there is a abbreviation for the standard American diet, SAD.  And SAD it is.  Often overloaded with sugar, fat and/or salt, nutritionally deficient, mostly beige, it's not a health-sustaining, nourishing diet.

It's not a good thing that many of our fast food choices, McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut, Coca Cola, Pepsi and more have all gone abroad, encouraging obesity and poor nutritional choices.

Now the SAD exports have gone one step further.  Apparently British shoppers have begun to develop a taste for “American” foods; something they call squeezy cheese as well as  jell-o, Hershey's, tootsie rolls and more.  Bringing these products into the grocery stores will create easier access and increase the potential for further destruction of health and nutrition.

Although some of the products may be manufactured slightly differently as I've mentioned in articles before, it can still be an overwhelming deluge of non-healthy food items.  I can only hope that the novelty of having foods from another country will wear off and the British will choose to avoid the over-processed, highly chemical versions of not-food coming to a grocery shelf near them.  I'm sad to think that junk food is one of our big exports, it's not something to be proud of.

Unseen Labels – What’s In Your Fast Food

by additives, dairy, drinks

A friend recently posted this picture on their Facebook page.    And I've heard a number of people talking about the “hand-spun” shakes at Chick Fil-A.  I believe hand-spun means nothing more than using an old-fashioned, metal wand device, rather than a blender.  However, with the words home-spun in there it sounds wholesome.  And the picture, of course, makes it look tempting and delicious with a large peach right up front.  The limited time only is, I suppose, there to make you feel that if you don't get yours now you've missed out.

Unfortunately the ingredients tell a different story:

Icedream (whole milk, sugar, nonfat dry milk, cream, corn syrup, natural and artificial flavors, dried whole eggs, cornstarch, mono and diglycerides, disodium phosphate, cellulose gum, carrageenan, sodium phosphate, guar gum, sodium citrate, annatto and caramel colors, artificial color [Yellow 5&6]), peaches, sugar, dextrose, water, citric acid, pectin (pectin, sodium diphosphate, calcium orthophosphate), lemon juice concentrate, salt, turmeric extract (propylene glycol, extractives of turmeric), natural flavor, ascorbic acid, annatto, milkshake base (whole milk, sugar, cream, whey powder (milk), nonfat dry milk, artificial flavor, disodium phosphate, mono and diglycerides, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, guar gum, cellulose gum, carrageenan), whipped cream (cream, milk, sugar, sorbitol, nonfat milk solids, artificial flavor, mono and diglycerides, carrageenan, polysorbate 80, mixed tocopherols [vitamin E] to protect flavor, propellant: nitrous oxide), cherry.

Rather than a whole food peach milkshake we have a host of chemicals which include artificial flavors (appearing three times), colors, preservatives and other unhealthy ingredients.

Considering that a traditional peach milkshake has ice cream (choose organic, whole fat and chemical free), milk (again organic and whole fat), and peaches (organic – to avoid pesticides), it's somewhat ridiculous that this lab-experiment-gone-wrong is being promoted as a tasty treat.

My suggestion?  Skip theirs and make your own.

Bubblegum Flavored Apples Anyone?

by additives, FDA, fruit, questions, ,

Consumer Question:

"We came across these apples at Stop & Shop here in town. We could not believe our eyes when we saw flavored apples!! I told my husband to take a pic to send to you because I wasn't sure you would believe me when I tell you that they had bubblegum flavored apples. I believe there were four flavors total to choose from. 

I'm curious what your thoughts are. I walked away all kinds of confused. Was this an attempt to help kids with poor eating habits cross over the healthy eating or the other way around? How exactly did they alter this apple to make it flavored? And of course the obvious...yet another example of FAKE food.

Oh and as you can see it was placed right next to the apples and the packaging says ready to eat snack.  What's so difficult about preparing an apple for eating?  hmmm you wash it?!?!"

The Answer

Good eye and good thinking.  This is very similar to something I just saw in my local grocery store called grapples.

Research indicates that the flavoring comes from "natural" (read possible MSG ingredients) and artificial flavoring. It seems that the apples are marinated for several days in an undoubtedly chemical concoction which allows the apple to soak up the flavor.  This process has apparently been approved by the FDA.

The Grapple company website assures the consumer that the product has not been genetically modified and there are no added sugars or calories.  Unfortunately, there is a huge chemical load, not just from the flavorings, but one assumes these are not organic apples and therefore potentially high in pesticide residue.

The Crazy Apple company website says they can't tell you how they do it but I assume it's the same sort of process.  They do however assure you that their apples are gluten free (duh!), dairy free (again, duh!), and contain no soy or nuts.

I believe this is seen as a way to market apples to kids but I'm not really sure why this sort of adulteration is seen as a positive.  Since apples by themselves are sweet, crunchy, and tasty I'm not sure what the appeal is here.  Unfortunately I see this as a big step backwards as items like these further dull the taste buds to what food should taste like.

Update:  It turns out these apples are being spotted all over the place and most of you are not happy about it.  My friend Adrienne suggests, "If you want a grape flavored apple take a slice of apple and some grapes.  Eat them together.  It's a party in your mouth!"  Good advice.

vitamins

What's In Your Vitamins?

by additives, ingredients

Not that long ago I was working with a client, we were having a Pantry Party.  For those who may not know, a Pantry Party is where I come to your house and we play in the pantry.

Working with you, based on your health goals, we go through the contents of your pantry and I help you understand what may be in there that really isn't food.  

We talk about ways to get rid of those non-food choices, suitable substitutions, and overall nutrition education.  I love Pantry Parties, they're a lot of fun, and my clients love them too.

This particular client happened to keep their vitamins in the pantry.  At one point, as we were talking about a number of the negative ingredients in various food items, I happened to grab one of the vitamin bottles.  That vitamin bottle brings us to today's blog entry.

It's important for you to understand that nutrition applies not only to food; it applies to whatever you put in your mouth.  If you eat it or ingest it in any way, you need to be aware of the ingredients that are in it; because if it goes into your mouth it gets into your system.   This includes Food, medicine, vitamins, mouthwash, and toothpaste.

Gummy Bear Vitamins

I am going to focus on one particular vitamin here but this information and thought process would apply to any supplement.  First, I will start by saying I do not get the gummy-bears-as-vitamin concept.  Sure, it sounds good in theory, make vitamins fun and perhaps more people will take them.  But vitamins are not candy and we should not be thinking of them as equivalents.

I am, admittedly, a huge proponent of food as medicine; however I do recognize the potential need for supplementation.  My theory is supplement, replete, and stop (having corrected the diet along the way).  Gummy vitamins/supplements fall very low on my list because all of that sticky, candy residue stays on your teeth and creates a perfect environment for bacterial growth.

I know, I know, some of you are going to complain that gummy candies are fun and I shouldn't be such a spoilsport.  I get that they're tasty and the chewiness is fun.  But every day?  Not a good habit to get into in my book.

This particular vitamin is meant for adults.  It's a calcium supplement with vitamin D3.

citracal
 

On the plus side:vitamin

  • Taking calcium with D3 is a good choice, the D helps the body to properly utilize the calcium and D3 is the better choice over D2.  
  • This supplement uses maqui berry (also known as Chilean winterberry) juice concentrate for color.  A good choice because it's a fruit, however why go all the way to Chile?  Why not use something like cherries or blackberries?  
  • The tricalcium phosphate is meant to provide the calcium supplementation.  There is some debate about which forms of calcium are best, but leaving that out of the discussion this is not an unreasonable form.

And that brings us to the negatives with this product:vitamins

  • The very first ingredient is corn syrup which is essentially a sugar.  
  • The second ingredient  is sucrose, also known as table sugar.  
  • If we look at the nutrition label we see that this product provides 7 grams of sugar for two gummies.  That's as much sugar as a 3.5 ounce cheese danish (not that I recommend you eat the danish either).
  • The artificial flavoring, Yellow #6 and Red #40 are definite negative ingredients. 

As many readers know, I am strongly opposed to artificial flavors and colors.  The colors are made from petrochemicals.  There is landmark study which shows a significant response among children who consumed artificial colors.  I feel, quite strongly, that artificial colors are not good for anyone, child or adult, and need to be removed from our food.  There are plenty of natural food color alternatives.  But that's a blog post for another day.  If you don't want them in your food (and believe me, you don't) then you certainly don't want them in your vitamins.

Inert or neutral ingredients would be the water, sodium citrate, citric acid and pectin.  These are used to make the form, or body, of the candy.  The citric acid is for flavor, the pectin is what makes it gummy.

Overall that makes this not a great choice if you are looking to supplement your calcium.  Considering the food as medicine concept, it is important to remember that if you eat right you can, in fact, support your health with food.  One study from 2007 concluded that, "Calcium from dietary sources is associated with a shift in estrogen metabolism toward the active 16α-hydroxyl metabolic pathway and with greater BMD and thus may produce more favorable effects in bone health in postmenopausal women than will calcium from supplements."

Am I telling you not to take supplements?  Absolutely not, that's a decision that you need to make for yourself, in combination with all of your health professionals.  But I am strongly suggesting that instead of trying to supplement your calcium with candy you may want to consider adding foods that are high in calcium to your diet.  Obviously this includes dairy, but for non dairy sources consider the following foods:

     salmon, sardines, collard greens, spinach, turnip greens, okra, white beans, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and sesame seeds

Update:  I just found this article stating calcium supplements may not be good for your heart, possibly even leading to cardiac arrest.  Especially if you are a woman.  The article points out that the body handles calcium very differently (and very well) when it comes from food sources.  The rush of calcium to the system from supplements however may not be so beneficial.  One of the study researchers, Dr. Ian Reid was quoted as saying,"A reassessment of the role of calcium supplements in osteoporosis management is warranted."

Want to connect with me for a Pantry Party?  Send me an email.

Another Helping Of Meat Glue?

by additives, FDA, ingredients

First it was pink slime. And no matter what anyone says I do not believe that is something that should be considered fit for human consumption. But I've already written about that.  Now we have meat glue as an adulterant in the food supply.

What is meat glue?

Approved for human consumption by the FDA, allowed in Canada, and defended by the American Meat Institute it is made from something called Microbial Transglutaminase (mTG).  mTG is made utilizing Streptoverticillium mobaraense which is a micro-organism that secretes mTG. (For a more extensive explanation visit the American Society for Microbiology.)  Used to put together pieces of meat, this powder can be used to make them look like a better cut of meat. It is also used to improve the texture of certain foods.

According to my research, mTG, or meat glue, can be found in processed meat and other foods such as imitation crabmeat, fish products, constituted “chicken breast”, and processed meats such as hot dogs, chicken nuggets, and ham products.  However it's not just used for meats; mTG can also be used in those food products where a gelling process is needed such as cheeses, jellies, yogurts, or frozen desserts.  Additionally mTG can also be used to increase volume and texture in breads. gluten free products such as pasta and baked goods.  

One complaint is that producers may be selling cheaper cuts of meat as a higher grade because it looks like something it's not. This is a valid point; it would definitely be a reason to get upset for being overcharged by a producer making cheap cuts of meat pieces look like a very expensive filet.  Searching the web it appears that one area where this may happen is buffet restaurant settings.  Those places where you can get as much filet mignon as you want for one low low price.  Apparently there's a reason that price is so low; it may not be what you think it is.  I want to point out, in all fairness, that there is a big kerfluffle about this issue but so far I have not found any legal cases where a producer or seller is being charged with this practice.

Health issues

The health challenge is potentially different.  The use of meat glue means that there could be a higher risk for bacterial contamination due to the increased number of surfaces.  The more surfaces, the more area for bacteria to live.  For those consumers who like their meat less well done this creates more risk.  If the meat is not fully cooked (i.e., rare rather than well done) the joined parts may not reach a temperature capable of killing bacteria. With the new meat nutrition labeling requirement we should be able to see if mTG is used on the meat at the grocery store.  However, I have yet to see a single package that is using this new labeling.

According to Dr. Peter Osborne, gluten expert and author of No Grain, No Pain, mTG treated dairy is a problem for those with gluten sensitivity issues.  This is because the immune system registers mTG treated dairy as a form of gluten.  This means that for those who struggle with gluten sensitivity, if you feel like you've been “glutened” you may also need to consider dairy as a possible source of contamination.

Made by Ajinomoto, the same company that makes MSG, I would like to point to a few other health issues that concern me.   This ingredient comes with a dose of maltodextrin and sodium caseinate.  Maltodextrin is corn based so there is probably some GMO exposure as the use of organic corn would not make financial sense.  Sodium caseinate is a milk protein  and according to Truth In Labeling always has free glutamic acid making it a form of MSG.  Additionally there is a possibility that the milk used to obtain the protein has rBGH in it, a hormone that makes cows give more milk.  That's a whole blog post in and of itself, but the bottom line is you don't want to consume rBGH.  The issue at hand is the possible reaction to corn or dairy that could be brought about by ingestion of meat in those with high level food sensitivities.

Avoiding meat glue

How to avoid meat glue?  That appears to be a little trickier.  It makes sense to be extra diligent about reading labels at the grocery store lately.  However, as yet, I have not seen mTG listed on any ingredient labels.  For meat products I believe the answer to be the purchase of organic meat or to buy from a trusted source.  It is important to note that Kosher meat is not exempt from the use of meat glue as there is a kosher version available.  Otherwise, until meat labeling actually happens, and unless they include mTG on the label, you won't know.  For other products I don't have an answer at the moment.  Purchasing organic dairy, which I recommend anyway, is a good option.  But until this product is properly labeled or removed from the food supply we may not know if we are ingesting it.

 

"natural" Doesn’t Mean Appetizing

by additives
dictionary | photo: Alex756

And the word of the day?

Castoreum

What's castoreum?  I'm so glad you asked.  It's a food additive that appears in many of our favorite foods but especially in ice cream.  It is used particularly in the following flavors: vanilla, strawberry and raspberry.

Sounds yummy right?  I mean who doesn't like vanilla.  Or strawberries.  Or raspberries for that matter.  Well, unfortunately for us castoreum is not really made from vanilla, strawberries or raspberries.  And because it's made from a “natural” ingredient it doesn't have to be listed as castoreum on the label either.  It's listed as a “natural flavor.”  I'm not exactly sure why this is…after all, vanilla is vanilla.  Why use something else and label it “natural flavor?”  I'm sure I don't have the answer but I do know that according to a number of different sources, and the Code of Federal Regulations, castoreum is an ingredient which is allowed in our food.

What is it made from?  I promise you, you will never look at things the same way again.

What to do about this unappetizing state of affairs?

Personally I'm planning on hauling out my ice cream maker to make my own this season.  I'm pretty sure I can't buy castoreum at the grocery store, and even if I could I wouldn't.  Nope, just real old fashioned vanilla and fresh fruits for us.

You will need an ice cream maker to make your own.  I have an old-fashioned hand crank machine.  The kids are no longer young enough to be tricked Tom Sawyer style into cranking it.  That's okay I could use the upper arm exercise.  I do however confess to occasionally dreaming about this Kitchen Aid Ice Cream Maker Attachment.   But honestly I'm trying to cut down on the embarrassing number of appliances I have in my kitchen.  If you don't have a Kitchen Aid, and don't mind cranking a little, this is a nice Donvier 1 quart which works well (we used to have one but it got lost in a move).

I love this recipe from David Lebovitz.  Which reminds me, I need to run to Penzey's one of these days to get some vanilla beans.  Here's another recipe for vanilla ice cream which is a little simpler if you don't want a custard style.

disclaimer:  cmp.ly/5