December
Scintilla
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2003
- Posts
- 12,424
Another thread gave me the idea for this one. I had been looking in to this a couple of weeks ago, as I am strongly considering drastically changing my diet permanently.
Have you ever taken a good hard look at the additives in the foods you are consuming? Do you care what may be in it, or does it just have to taste good and look good?
Lets take a look at some known food additives in this thread. See how many you were aware of, and decide for yourself whether or not you want to keep eating some of the foods you may not have realised were made with....sort of icky ingredients.
Fertilizer in Subway Sandwich Rolls
While chemical fertilizers inevitably make it into our produce in trace amounts, you would not expect it to be a common food additive. However, ammonium sulfate can be found inside many brands of bread, including Subway’s. The chemical provides nitrogen for the yeast, creating a more consistent product.
Beaver Anal Glands in Raspberry Candy
The anal glands of a beaver, conveniently euphemized as castoreum, are a common ingredient in perfumes and colognes but are also sometimes used to — believe it or not — enhance the flavor of raspberry candies and sweets.
Beef Fat in All Hostess Products
While this may not bother the most ardent omnivore, others are shocked to discover that their favorite childhood treats contain straight-up beef fat. The ingredient comes included a list of other oils that may or may not be used, so it is always a gamble! It is enough to make some of us want to go vegan.
Crushed Bugs as Red Food Coloring
After killing thousands at a time, the dried insects are boiled to produce a liquid solution that can be turned to a dye using a variety of treatments. Some people worry that the coloring — often called carmine or carminic acid — could be listed as a “natural color,” disguising the fact that there are bugs in the product.
Beetle Juice in Sprinkles and Candies
You know that shiny coating on candies like Skittles? Or the sprinkles on cupcakes and ice cream sundaes? Well, they get that glaze from the secretions of the female lac beetle. The substance is also known as shellac and commonly used as a wood varnish.
Sheep Secretions in Bubble Gum
The oils inside sheep’s wool are collected to create the goopy substance called lanolin. From there, it ends up in chewing gum (sometimes under the guise of “gum base”), but also is used to create vitamin D3 supplements.
Human Hair and/or Duck Feathers in Bread
What’s in your morning bagel? If you get it from Noah’s Bagels, it contains either human hair or duck feathers, and it’s your guess as to which. The substance, called L-cysteine or cystine, is used as a dough conditioner to produce a specific consistency. While artificial cysteine is available, it is cost prohibitive and mostly used to create kosher and halal products.
http://webecoist.com/2009/05/08/10-weird-and-gross-ingredients-in-processed-food/
Have you ever taken a good hard look at the additives in the foods you are consuming? Do you care what may be in it, or does it just have to taste good and look good?
Lets take a look at some known food additives in this thread. See how many you were aware of, and decide for yourself whether or not you want to keep eating some of the foods you may not have realised were made with....sort of icky ingredients.
Fertilizer in Subway Sandwich Rolls
While chemical fertilizers inevitably make it into our produce in trace amounts, you would not expect it to be a common food additive. However, ammonium sulfate can be found inside many brands of bread, including Subway’s. The chemical provides nitrogen for the yeast, creating a more consistent product.
Beaver Anal Glands in Raspberry Candy
The anal glands of a beaver, conveniently euphemized as castoreum, are a common ingredient in perfumes and colognes but are also sometimes used to — believe it or not — enhance the flavor of raspberry candies and sweets.
Beef Fat in All Hostess Products
While this may not bother the most ardent omnivore, others are shocked to discover that their favorite childhood treats contain straight-up beef fat. The ingredient comes included a list of other oils that may or may not be used, so it is always a gamble! It is enough to make some of us want to go vegan.
Crushed Bugs as Red Food Coloring
After killing thousands at a time, the dried insects are boiled to produce a liquid solution that can be turned to a dye using a variety of treatments. Some people worry that the coloring — often called carmine or carminic acid — could be listed as a “natural color,” disguising the fact that there are bugs in the product.
Beetle Juice in Sprinkles and Candies
You know that shiny coating on candies like Skittles? Or the sprinkles on cupcakes and ice cream sundaes? Well, they get that glaze from the secretions of the female lac beetle. The substance is also known as shellac and commonly used as a wood varnish.
Sheep Secretions in Bubble Gum
The oils inside sheep’s wool are collected to create the goopy substance called lanolin. From there, it ends up in chewing gum (sometimes under the guise of “gum base”), but also is used to create vitamin D3 supplements.
Human Hair and/or Duck Feathers in Bread
What’s in your morning bagel? If you get it from Noah’s Bagels, it contains either human hair or duck feathers, and it’s your guess as to which. The substance, called L-cysteine or cystine, is used as a dough conditioner to produce a specific consistency. While artificial cysteine is available, it is cost prohibitive and mostly used to create kosher and halal products.
http://webecoist.com/2009/05/08/10-weird-and-gross-ingredients-in-processed-food/
