This article was written by Leah Zerbe and repurposed with permission from Rodale News.
Unfortunately, gross food has become the norm in most supermarkets, with packaged food ingredient lists reading more like chemistry homework than something you'd want to eat. But in many cases, marketers have figured out a way to keep toxic additives and disease-promoting food packaging off of the label, making your job as a consumer harder than ever. We're here to clear up the confusion and help you avoid some of the grossest foods on the market!
Flame Retardant-Laced Soda
What it is: The toxic flame retardant chemical brominated vegetable oil (BVO) was initially used to keep plastics from catching on fire.
Where it is: For decades, the food industry has been adding it to certain sodas, juices, and sports drinks. BVO's purpose? To keep the artificial flavoring chemicals from separating from the rest of the liquids.
Why it's bad: Scientists have linked too much BVO to bromide poisoning symptoms like skin lesions, memory loss, and nerve disorders.
Salad Dressings with Paint Chemicals
What it is: Titanium dioxide is a component of the metallic element titanium, a mined substance that is sometimes contaminated with toxic lead.
Where it is: Commonly used in paints and sunscreens, big food corporations add it to lots of things we eat, too, including processed salad dressing, coffee creamers, and icing.
Why it's bad: The food industry adds it to hundreds of products to make dingy, overly processed items appear whiter. "White has long been the symbolic color of 'clean,'" explains food industry insider Bruce Bradley, author Fat Profits. "Funny, when you use real food, you don't need any of these crazy additives—I think I prefer the real deal."
Ammonia-Cleansed Beef
What it is: Factory-farm conditions are rife with bacteria. On top of that, processing plants mix meat from hundreds or thousands of different cows, potentially creating a public health hazard in the mix. To try to make the meat "safer," the industry typically puts the beef through an ammonia gas bath.
Where it is: The USDA deems the gross process safe enough and allows the meat to be sold without any indication that it received the gas treatment. The process is banned in meats earning organic certification.
Why it's bad: You might order your burger with pickles or lettuce, but you likely don't want a side of ammonia. The kicker? Evidence suggests that blasting beef with it might not even be fully effective at killing germs. Look for organic, pasture-raised meats for a safer option. Often, you can buy these meats directly from local, sustainable farmers.
Cloned Cow's Stomach
What it is: Traditionally, cheese makers used rennet (enzymes) derived from the mucosa of a veal calf's fourth stomach to create the beloved, versatile dairy product. But Bradley notes that cost and the limited availability of calf stomachs have led to the development of several alternatives, including vegetable rennet, microbial rennet, and—the food industry's rennet of choice—a genetically modified version derived from a cloned calf gene.
Where it is: It's used to make the vast majority of cheese sold in the U.S.
Why it's bad: The long-term health effects of eating genetically engineered foods has never been studied in humans. And since GMO ingredients aren't listed on the label, it can be tough for consumers to avoid rennet from this source. "With all these rennet varieties often listed simply as 'enzymes' on an ingredient panel, it can be very hard to know exactly what kind you're eating when you buy cheese," says Bradley.
Milk with Sex Hormones
What it is: Today's cows produce double the amount of milk they did just 40 years ago, thanks largely to a genetically engineered, synthetic hormone called recombinant bovine somatotropin (rBST).
Where it is: It could be in milk that's not organic or not labeled as rBST free.
Why it's bad: Scientists link rBST to prostate, breast, and colon cancers. It's banned in other countries, and although still legal here, many dairies are moving away from it due to consumer demand. Choose organic milk to ensure that the cows producing your milk are fed a diet free of antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides.
Crushed Bugs
What it is: Carmine—a bright red food colorant—is actually the crushed abdomen of the female Dactylopius coccus, an African beetle-like insect.
Where it is: Look for it in red candies and red-tinted yogurts and juices—particularly ruby red juices. It's often listed as carmine, crimson lake, cochineal, or natural red #4 on ingredient labels, according to Bradley.
Why it's bad: Not only is the thought of eating bug juice gross, but it also poses an ethical issue for some vegetarians and vegans.
Shrimp Coated in Cleaning Chemicals
What it is: Depending on where your shrimp comes from, it could be tainted with chemicals used to clean filthy shrimp farm pens. Just as gross, farmed shrimp from overseas is often full of antibiotics, mouse and rat hair, and pieces of insects. (Learn more about the dirty side of the seafood industry in The Perfect Protein by Andy Sharpless, CEO of the nonprofit Oceana)
Where it is: Contaminated shrimp tends to come from critters imported from overseas shrimp farms. If you're looking for safer options, choose domestic shrimp. For the best options, consult the good fish list.
Why it's bad: Only about two percent of all imported seafood is inspected, meaning this nasty stuff is making its way onto your plate.
Click HERE to see eight more gross foods you might be eating from Rodale News.
More from Rodale News:
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Foods Athletes Should Never Eat
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