Sunday, August 10, 2014

Ingredients Revealed


 Ever wonder what exactly is in your Taco Bell burrito, or why your McDonald's burger will last 14 years with no signs of aging? The simple answer is chemicals, lots and lots of chemicals! Not only does fast food contain tons of sugar, salt, and fat that causes obesity, but also harmful chemicals that these companies list as "seasonings" or "preservatives".
I recently was on the McDonald's website reading some of the ingredients listed, and I couldn't help laughing my head off at the way they listed some ingredients. This was how the Double Cheese Burger was listed on the McDonald's website: Two 100% beefy patties simply seasoned with a pinch of salt and pepper, two slices of melty American cheese, tangy pickles, minced onions, ketchup and mustard.  When in fact the bun alone for this burger contains: [Enriched flour (bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, soybean oil, canola oil, contains 2% or less of each of the following: salt, wheat gluten, calcium sulfate, soy flour, ammonium sulfate, calcium carbonate, calcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, ammonium chloride, baking soda, sorbic acid, deactivated dry yeast, dough conditioners (may contain one or more the following: distilled monoglycerides, DATEM, sodium stearoyl lactylate, calcium peroxide, ascorbic acid, azodicarbonamide, mono- and diglycerides, enzymes, guar gum), calcium propionate & sodium propionate (preservatives), soy lecithin)]
What I thought was the funniest part was the fact that McDonald's claims everywhere that they use 100% beef, USDA inspected white meat (for the chicken nuggets), and fish from their "sustainable" fisheries! They aren't the only ones though, fast food companies often claim to have USDA inspected meat (notice how they say "inspected" not "certified"). You might think that this minor word change is no big deal, but it can make all the difference. USDA certified means that the USDA have approved the food as being safe, while USDA inspected means that they looked at the food but not necessarily deemed it safe. This meat scam includes other fast food "restaurants" besides McDonald's, watch this amusing video by Stephen Colbert on taco bell beef.
 Fast food places rarely, if ever, list their actual ingredients so in your bun alone you can be getting a dose of carcinogens, silly putty, and petroleum based ingredients!
 Here is a list of 6 of the many harmful fast food additives, what these chemicals can do to you, and where you can find them lurking.

Tertiary Butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) 
  • About- TBHQ is a petroleum bi-product that's a form of butane. It does not bio-accumulate in your body, but is very harmful. 
  • Health effects- According to A Consumer's Dictionary of Food Additives one gram of TBHQ causes: nausea, vomiting, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), delirium, sense of suffocation, and collapse. More health effects include: liver problems (at very low dose), bio-chemical changes (at very low doses), and reproductive effects (at very high doses). 
  • Where this chemical can be found- Click here for full list.  
Dimethyl Polysiloxane 
  • About- This type of silicone that has anti-foaming properties, it is also used in cosmetics, breast implants, silly putty, and to treat head lice. Mostly used as a filler for meat. 
  • Health effects- No known health effects, but will cause a rash on skin and irritate eyes along with being a danger if swallowed or inhaled in its raw form. 
  • Where this chemical can be found- Check out this article by the food babe to learn more.
Caramel Color 
  • All about caramel color, health effects, and some products that may contain it can be found at consumer reports. 
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT)
  • About- BHT is used as to prevent oxidation in many foods and cosmetics. It is also used in jet fuels, rubber petroleum products, transformer oils, and embalming fluid. 
  • Health effects- It's listed by the Nation Toxicology Program (NTP) in 2005 as "reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen" based on animal studies. Also, the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) warns that BHT should not be allowed to eneter the environment, that it is toxic for aquatic life, and can cause liver damage. 
  • Where this chemical can be found- According to Deseret News, BHT is commonly found in packaging materials, shortening, cereals, and other foods with fats and oils.


Yellow 5 and 6
  • About- Coloring found in many candies and other products.  
  • Health effects- Limited studies have been conducted about the safety of yellow 5 but the few tests that have been conducted show connections between yellow 5 and hyperactivity in children. Yellow 6 has caused adrenal and testicular tumors in rats and may be contaminated with a cancer causing chemical.
  • Where this chemical can be found- Some desserts and sweets, beverages, snacks, condiments and spreads, and a few other processed foods. according to Wikipedia yellow 6 may be found in orange sodas, marzipan, Swiss rolls, apricot jam, citrus marmalade, lemon curd,sweets, beverage mix and packet soups, margarine, custard powders, packaged lemon gelatin desserts, energy drinks such as Lucozade, breadcrumbs, snack chips such as Doritos, packaged instant noodles, cheese sauce mixes and powdered marinades, bottled yellow and green food colouring, ice creams, pharmaceutical pills and prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines (especially children's medicines) cake decorations and icings, squashes, and other products with artificial yellow, orange or red colours.  

Sodium Nitrite

  • About- Sodium nitrite is used to kill wild boars, it first reduces the amount of oxygen released into their blood stream so the animal will feel faint or pass out, and then die in a "humane" manner while it is unconscious. Sodium nitrite is used to achieve the nice pink color on meats, it keeps meat looking fresh longer. The more sodium nitrite applied the longer the color will last. 
  • Health effects- Sodium nitrite should only be used at very small quantities other wise it is fatal for humans. Can cause eye damage and eye irritation and is extremely toxic to aquatic life. There is limited information and studies conducted concerning sodium nitrite being bio-accumulative.  
  • Where this product can be found- Processed meats 

Resources 
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