Monodigloco-WHAT? Secret Food Ingredient at Her Active Life

Click here for the Lead Stories

Monodigloco-WHAT? Secret Food Ingredient

Posted November 15, 2007 at 07:00 PM by Zola Jones

Section: Her Health, Her Nutrition, Diet Myths, Healthy Eating, Vegetarianism

Food Label If you’re a health conscious eater, you may be wary about buying packaged foods with long lists of incomprehensible ingredients - and you should be. Preservatives, sodium and trans fats abound in our grocery aisles, and we know they have serious health implications.

But what about more mundane sounding ingredients that we may brush off? What’s really hiding in that “all-natural” granola bar? Here is a round-up of some common food ingredients and what really goes into them.

Carmine: It may not pose a direct health risk, but it may make you think twice before picking up that strawberry candy. Carmine is a lot less innocent than it sounds, and is actually made from grinding up beetles to a fine paste. The resulting substance is used to add red color to candy, yogurt, ice cream, makeup and beverages.

Sodium Nitrite: This one is found in many packaged meats, and while it sounds like another name for salt, it actually has much more serious implications than mere high blood pressure. Sodium nitrite has been linked to cancer in several major studies, and is now considered a carcinogen in most scientific circles. Look for it on bacon, ham, pepperoni, and other packaged meat products - it is used to make the meats look redder and fresher, instead of drab and gray in color.

Casein: If you try to avoid dairy and pick up soy cheese as a way to get that cheddar flavor without buying the “real” thing, you may want to think again. Dairy products and soy counterparts both often contain casein, a milk protein that adds color and texture. Casein comes along with the same digestive difficulties that often plague other dairy products, and can cause bloating, gas, and chronic sinus congestion.

Lactic Acid: You might assume that lactic acid is only found in dairy products, but it can be derived from synthetic sources and used in dairy alternatives - like tofu cream cheese or faux sour cream. Unfortunately, if you avoid dairy because of digestive woes, you’ll have the same problem with alternative products that still contain lactic acid, so think twice when you pick up a tofu or soy version of something at the store. Lactic acid is also used in many sauces and dips that may not seem “dairy” in nature, as a preservative, so have a close look at the label.

Natural Flavor: We see this one all the time, and usually don’t bat an eye - the word natural sounds too friendly to be a bad thing. However, “natural flavors” means more than just tree bark or cinnamon. In fact, the flavoring can be of plant, animal, or synthetic origin, and can be used to add flavor, texture, or color to a packaged food. Did you know that V8 contains beef tallow? Yup - it’s a “natural flavor” to enhance the taste of the so-called vegetable beverage.

MSG: Sure, we all recognize this one on a label, and we know that some people suffer serious allergic reactions when they consume monosodium glutamate, which works to enhance taste by exciting the nerves on your taste buds. But some labels can be misleading, and if you’re wary of MSG, be on the lookout for yeast extract, autolyzed vegetable protein, or hydrolyzed vegetable protein. All three contain MSG, but you’d never know it from the name.