Earlier this year, a blogger made headlines when she organized a consumer protest to remove azodicarbonamide from fast food chains including Subway and Starbucks. The standout headline was that this ingredient is also used in the production of some yoga mats and sneaker soles. That certainly doesn't sound great and is sure to grab the public’s attention, but it also doesn't help consumers understand why using azodicarbonamide in foods may be bad.
Based on scientific research, the Food and Drug Administration claims it’s safe to make bread with the additive, and continues to monitor and evaluate its safety in our food supply. However, what many consumers don’t know about the “yoga mat” controversy is that azodicarbonamide completely breaks down into another chemical called SEM during bread making. As it turns out, large amounts of SEM have been shown to increase the incidence of tumors in female mice. That also seems bad – until you consider that the amount of SEM used in animal studies far exceeds the amount in the bread products we eat.
Still, if there are ways to make bread with less controversial ingredients, is it reasonable for consumers to demand that food companies do so? Of course! The FDA has approved many substitutes for this additive, and both Starbucks and Subway promised to remove it from their foods.
Brominated Vegetable Oil
Coca-Cola and Pepsico addressed another controversy in May, when they announced that they are working to remove brominated vegetable oil from soft drinks including Mountain Dew, Powerade and Fanta. In this case, it was a Mississippi teen who started a petition for the ingredient to be removed from Coca-Cola’s Powerade and Pepsico’s Gatorade. She noted the ingredient, which is a flame retardant, is not approved for use in food in Japan or the European Union. Although both Coca-Cola and Pepsico claim that the ingredient meets U.S. regulatory requirements, they also chose to adhere to consumer demands and remove it from their products.
Concern and confusion about brominated vegetable oil is not new. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the FDA permitted the use of it on an interim basis in 1970, pending further research into its safety. Now, over 40 years later, the oil is still on the interim list – a sort of limbo that does not provide any conclusive comfort for customers.
Propylene Glycol
A few weeks ago, I weighed in on the latest controversial additive, propylene glycol, on the evening news. The additive, also an ingredient in antifreeze, is used to make the very popular Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. The additive was brought to light when Norway, Sweden and Finland recalled the whiskey after a batch of the North American formula, which contains higher amounts of propylene glycol, was shipped there. Apparently, the European Union has a tighter standard than the U.S. when it comes to this particular additive.
Propylene glycol is classified by the FDA as an additive that is “generally recognized as safe” for use in consumer products such as food, cosmetics, animal feed and pharmaceuticals, along with industrial applications. The FDA claims that very large doses have been reported to cause kidney damage in several species of animals, but the minute levels used in our food supply pose no hazard to the public.
Hale, Natural!
These additives have been in our food supply for years, so why are we making waves about them now?
Today’s culture has been swept up by the natural food trend, or the belief that all food should be free of preservatives and additives. Many consumers will buy foods with the term “natural” plastered on the label because it makes them feel as if they made the healthiest option.
When it comes to soft drinks and white bread, consumers are not seeing the bigger picture. Brominated vegetable oil being removed from drinks may be a positive step, but both sodas and sports drinks are a huge source of sugar consumption in the U.S. Similarly, replacing azodicarbonamide with other additives means a lot of consumers are still eating a lot of low-fiber white bread.
One takeaway from all this is not to let the term “natural” overly sway you into making food choices. Even the FDA seems to have no idea exactly what it means, saying “it is difficult to define a food product that is 'natural' because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth.” For that reason, the agency doesn’t have a definition for use of the term “natural” or its derivatives, nor does it object to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.
Wading Through the Confusion
There is no denying the overwhelming mixed messages surrounding food. But amongst all the controversy of food additives, the message of good nutrition is being lost. Removing azodicarbonamide from white bread will still give you low-fiber white bread and removing brominated vegetable oil from soda will still give you sugar-filled soda.
Although it may not sound sexy when a dietitian like me recommends eating a balanced diet of wholesome foods including fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fat, whole grains, low fat dairy, nuts and seeds, that’s what your body needs to achieve optimum nutrition. Learning to invest a little time in preparing wholesome meals is well worth the investment, and can help minimize consumption of unwanted food additives.
Article and picture source from usnews.com at this link
Based on scientific research, the Food and Drug Administration claims it’s safe to make bread with the additive, and continues to monitor and evaluate its safety in our food supply. However, what many consumers don’t know about the “yoga mat” controversy is that azodicarbonamide completely breaks down into another chemical called SEM during bread making. As it turns out, large amounts of SEM have been shown to increase the incidence of tumors in female mice. That also seems bad – until you consider that the amount of SEM used in animal studies far exceeds the amount in the bread products we eat.
Still, if there are ways to make bread with less controversial ingredients, is it reasonable for consumers to demand that food companies do so? Of course! The FDA has approved many substitutes for this additive, and both Starbucks and Subway promised to remove it from their foods.
Brominated Vegetable Oil
Coca-Cola and Pepsico addressed another controversy in May, when they announced that they are working to remove brominated vegetable oil from soft drinks including Mountain Dew, Powerade and Fanta. In this case, it was a Mississippi teen who started a petition for the ingredient to be removed from Coca-Cola’s Powerade and Pepsico’s Gatorade. She noted the ingredient, which is a flame retardant, is not approved for use in food in Japan or the European Union. Although both Coca-Cola and Pepsico claim that the ingredient meets U.S. regulatory requirements, they also chose to adhere to consumer demands and remove it from their products.
Concern and confusion about brominated vegetable oil is not new. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest, the FDA permitted the use of it on an interim basis in 1970, pending further research into its safety. Now, over 40 years later, the oil is still on the interim list – a sort of limbo that does not provide any conclusive comfort for customers.
Propylene Glycol
A few weeks ago, I weighed in on the latest controversial additive, propylene glycol, on the evening news. The additive, also an ingredient in antifreeze, is used to make the very popular Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. The additive was brought to light when Norway, Sweden and Finland recalled the whiskey after a batch of the North American formula, which contains higher amounts of propylene glycol, was shipped there. Apparently, the European Union has a tighter standard than the U.S. when it comes to this particular additive.
Propylene glycol is classified by the FDA as an additive that is “generally recognized as safe” for use in consumer products such as food, cosmetics, animal feed and pharmaceuticals, along with industrial applications. The FDA claims that very large doses have been reported to cause kidney damage in several species of animals, but the minute levels used in our food supply pose no hazard to the public.
Hale, Natural!
These additives have been in our food supply for years, so why are we making waves about them now?
Today’s culture has been swept up by the natural food trend, or the belief that all food should be free of preservatives and additives. Many consumers will buy foods with the term “natural” plastered on the label because it makes them feel as if they made the healthiest option.
When it comes to soft drinks and white bread, consumers are not seeing the bigger picture. Brominated vegetable oil being removed from drinks may be a positive step, but both sodas and sports drinks are a huge source of sugar consumption in the U.S. Similarly, replacing azodicarbonamide with other additives means a lot of consumers are still eating a lot of low-fiber white bread.
One takeaway from all this is not to let the term “natural” overly sway you into making food choices. Even the FDA seems to have no idea exactly what it means, saying “it is difficult to define a food product that is 'natural' because the food has probably been processed and is no longer the product of the earth.” For that reason, the agency doesn’t have a definition for use of the term “natural” or its derivatives, nor does it object to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors or synthetic substances.
Wading Through the Confusion
There is no denying the overwhelming mixed messages surrounding food. But amongst all the controversy of food additives, the message of good nutrition is being lost. Removing azodicarbonamide from white bread will still give you low-fiber white bread and removing brominated vegetable oil from soda will still give you sugar-filled soda.
Although it may not sound sexy when a dietitian like me recommends eating a balanced diet of wholesome foods including fruits, vegetables, lean protein, healthy fat, whole grains, low fat dairy, nuts and seeds, that’s what your body needs to achieve optimum nutrition. Learning to invest a little time in preparing wholesome meals is well worth the investment, and can help minimize consumption of unwanted food additives.
Article and picture source from usnews.com at this link
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Tag: food safety info, health important tips, food additives news, food science info, food technology update, science research result, food adulterants info, dangerous additives news
Tag: food safety info, health important tips, food additives news, food science info, food technology update, science research result, food adulterants info, dangerous additives news
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