Today we will be sharing a scary story. It’s the kind of true story that brings chills down the spine. It’s the tale of what’s lurking in your pantry.
It’s important to check food labels, but how often do you consider them before adding a food item to your cart? In this article we are going to go beyond the “if you can’t read it, don’t eat it rule.” We’ll focus on ingredients you can read, or maybe didn’t even know existed in foods.
We’ll start with one of the basics. An ingredient that has established quite the reputation over the past decade with the rise in obesity and diabetes. Let’s dive into high fructose corn syrup.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
High Fructose Corn Syrup is a concentrated sweetener that is made from corn. When the sugar is first extracted from the corn it is in the form of glucose. Enzymes are added to the syrup to convert glucose to fructose.
In the 1970s high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) accounted for just 1% of total sweeteners in the US, but by 2004 it contributed to 42% of sweeteners. Today it is estimated that there are 52.7 lbs of corn sweetener available in food products per person in the US.
HFCS has been linked to an increased risk of developing:
- Type 2 diabetes- affecting insulin sensitivity
- Fatty liver disease – increases triglyceride levels and fat build-up in the liver
- Obesity- added non-nutritive calories to food products.
This sweetener is used in many different food products including some surprising ones like applesauce, ketchup, steak sauce and relish.
Glyphosate (A.K.A. Round-up)
Glyphosate, or roundup is an herbicide most commonly used to kill weeds. It is the most widely used herbicide in use to this day. Approximately 8.6 billion kg of glyphosate have been applied globally since 1974, 19% of which being applied in the US alone (Benbrook 2016).
The most common use is in crops such as corn, soybean, cotton, sugar beet, alfalfa, berries, leafy vegetables, cereal grains, citrus crops, herbs and spices, legumes and fruit bearing vegetables among several others.
Glyphosate is suggested to be genotoxic, meaning it can cause damage to DNA or chromosomes. Though these research findings are controversial in humans as only studies performed in rodent models have determined repeated carcinogenic effects.
Discussions for banning the herbicide in the EU have already begun, with a decision set to be announced in mid December this year, 2022.
You might be thinking…I buy organic produce, so I am fine, but fruits and vegetables aren’t the foods that contain the highest quantity of glyphosate…it is highest in grains like oats, cereals and corn products.
Cellulose: A.K.A Wood Pulp
Cellulose is found in many plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables. However, it is often added to other food products as an anti-caking agent. The cheapest and most accessible form of cellulose: wood pulp. You can find refined tree parts in pre-shredded cheese, baked goods and mixes, tomato sauce, salad dressings and many others.
The good news is they are not harmful to your body. In fact, humans can’t even digest the fiber due to a lack of cellulase, the enzyme that allows termites and other bugs to eat and digest your home foundation. Cellulose can actually help to increase bowel movement frequency and volume, but too much of a good thing isn’t always a good thing. Too much cellulose in the diet can lead to symptoms that are often associated with high fiber intake including bloating, gas and stomach pain.
Tip: minimize your intake of cellulose by paying attention to labels. Invest in a cheese shredder and shred your own cheese! Check the label of food products for added cellulose.
Arsenic
Arsenic is a naturally occurring mineral that can be found in soil and bedrock. It dissolves into sources of drinking water making food and beverage the most common sources of exposure for humans. Impacts of long term exposure include skin lesions and cancer, specifically affecting the bladder and lungs. Additionally, Arsenic exposure has also been associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, pulmonary disease and diabetes.
The most common sources of arsenic include water, rice, and seafood.
There are several things that you can do to prevent high exposure including getting your water tested, eating a variety of protein sources including beans, lentils and legumes, and soaking your rice before cooking it.
A study in China found that soaking rice in 70o C water for 1 hour resulted in a 40% reduction in arsenic. Soaking the rice also had an impact on mineral levels. Soaking decreased magnesium and calcium levels, but had no significant impact on iron or folate levels.
Unavoidable Defects
During food production and processing there are certain items that are unavoidable. The FDA’s Defect Levels Handbook (don’t read it if you don’t want to be grossed out) lists the “allowable limits” on these unavoidable defects in food. For example,Macaroni and noodle products, for example, can contain an average of 4.5 rodent hairs (or more) for every 225 grams. Meanwhile, there is an average of 1 rodent hair per 100 gram of peanut butter and 2 allowed per pound of popped popcorn.
Rodent hairs aren’t the only things that are hidden in your food. Insect parts, molds and certain fungi are lurking in varying quantities as well. It’s important to note the FDA’s effort in determining levels that are Generally Regarded As Safe, or GRAS. Defects are studied extensively to determine safe levels. Many of these defects like insects and mold are found on organically grown natural produce. However, some of these numbers may alarm you, especially when considering spices.
Ground pepper may contain up to 475 insect parts per 50 grams. Meanwhile ground oregano can have 1250 parts per 10 grams. Lastly sage can contain up to 200 parts per 10 grams.
The best advice is to buy whole sources of these herbs and spices. Dry them and crush them up as you need. Not only will you have less of these unwanted additives, you’ll also have the benefit of more intense flavor!
How do you transition to a healthy pantry?
Eat Food. Not too Much. Mostly Plants.
Michael Pollan
- Choose Organic as much as possible.
- Start with whole foods.
- Visit your local food coop.
- Go to your local Farmer’s Market and talk to the farmers.
- Perform a pantry clean-out. Click here to learn how!
Resources
Benbrook CM. 2016. Trends in glyphosate herbicide use in the United States and globally. Environ Sci Europe 28: 3.
F. Zhang, F. Gu, H. Yan, Z. He, B. Wang, H. Liu, T. Yang & F. Wang (2020). Effects of soaking process on arsenic and other mineral elements in brown rice. Food Science and Human Wellness: 9(2): 168-175. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fshw.2020.01.005.
Goodman MJ. The “Natural” vs. “Natural Flavors” Conflict in Food Labeling: A Regulatory Viewpoint. Food Drug Law J. 2017;72(1):78-102. PMID: 29140655.
M.P. Herbert, V. Fugere, & A. Gonzalez (20190. The overlooked impact of glyphosate use on phosphorus loading in agricultural watersheds. Front Ecol Environ 2019; 17( 1): 48– 56, doi:10.1002/fee.1985
Rippe, J. M., & Angelopoulos, T. J. (2013). Sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, and fructose, their metabolism and potential health effects: what do we really know?. Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 4(2), 236–245. https://doi.org/10.3945/an.112.002824
Tarazona JV, Court-Marques D, Tiramani M, Reich H, Pfeil R, Istace F, Crivellente F. Glyphosate toxicity and carcinogenicity: a review of the scientific basis of the European Union assessment and its differences with IARC. Arch Toxicol. 2017 Aug;91(8):2723-2743. doi: 10.1007/s00204-017-1962-5. Epub 2017 Apr 3. PMID: 28374158; PMCID: PMC5515989.
United States Environmental Protection Agency(2019). Glyphosate.retrieved online from website:https://www.epa.gov/ingredients-used-pesticide-products/glyphosate
WHO(2018). Arsenic.retrieved from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/arsenic
Zhang T, Yang Y, Liang Y, Jiao X, Zhao C. Beneficial effect of intestinal fermentation of natural polysaccharides. Nutrients. 2018;10(8):1055