So in my previous article, I discussed how common food labelling can be misleading.
Especially for the busy shopper.
Today, I want to look at how even the more conscientious shopper may be being duped.
Even if you are a shopper that reads the ingredients of your foods with a bit more diligence and time, then are you aware that ingredient listings can also contain hidden nasties? There are some ingredients throughout Europe that, by law, have to be mentioned on the label, because of their potential allergen response.
These include; gluten, celery, eggs, seafood, nuts, milk, sulphites etc.
However, some of these ingredients have been so heavily processed that they don't need to be listed as they have been so denatured that they cannot give an allergic response.
Food additives are an absolute minefield when it comes to examining their health benefits or risks.
Additives can include; antioxidants, sweeteners, preservatives, stabilizers, colouring, and flavour enhancers.
Of all these additives, those that are given E numbers mean that they have been approved by the European Union as "safe".
The problem is an additive may be approved as "safe" in it's own right, but there are so many combinations of these compounds, that even the most brilliant scientists are yet to know what impact the chemical soup of these additives has on the body! Our bodies are an on-running science experiment that other generations may learn from.
The problem is we are struggling with increased rates of cancers and other horrible life debilitating illnesses, and we are still struggling to understand the relationship between disease, sickness, and the modern diet.
Additives are increasingly used in our diets.
Where some savvy shoppers are now trying to avoid obvious additives, we are now told they can be "natural additives".
For example, beetroot juice can be a "natural" additive, typically used to make red or pink foods more appealing by making them a brighter, more enticing colour.
However, as an extract, we cannot control the factory processes it may have been through.
Quick hint, by law, pictures on packets and labels are not allowed to be misleading.
If your strawberry yoghurt doesn't have a picture of strawberries on it, then it probably doesn't contain strawberries in any form.
It is most likely from chemically created, artificial flavours.
However, ingredient labels contain many scientific names that don't differentiate whether they are man-made, naturally occurring, or synthetically produced.
Approach these with extreme caution! Let's face it.
The food industry is worth MAHOOSIVE £billions.
So for food manufacturers to keep food looking fresher, prettier, and more attractive for longer is big business! Supermarkets, suppliers and major food manufactures want to make the food look as appealing as possible, without upsetting the consumer.
It only takes the sudden highly-responsiveness of a certain major supermarket on their "what we have learned" about the horse meat scandal to understand the impact that they fear from these exposures.
Let's use an example of the sinister case of MSG.
Most of us are familiar with the dangers for of MSG, but humour me for a moment for those that aren't.
Most of us think of monosodium glutamate (MSG) as something used heavily in Chinese take-aways as a flavour enhancer.
It is commonly blamed for the reason you can eat a huge take away, and then get hunger cravings just a short time after.
However, this response has been linked to food cravings, over eating, ADHD in children, and many more serious health issues.
It's essentially an excitotoxin that can damage the brain, induces obesity, causes liver inflammation, and many more problems.
You can also easily spot it as E621 on labels.
So as more and more of the population are becoming aware of the dangers of MSG, the better the food industry has become at hiding it from us! So many of our convenient foods or processed foods hide MSG content.
Amazingly, food industry rules mean that they have to declare MSG as an ingredient, but it may be included in numerous ingredients that all add up to your ingredient listing without them declaring it! Without wanting to put myself up for personal attack, I have found over six ingredients in certain crisps, cereals etc that all hide MSG, without having to declare it! To give you an idea of some of the secret MSG or similar glutamate hiding ingredients; "natural flavours", "malted barley", "yeast extract", soy sauce or extract, stock, spice (if it's a spice, why not just name it!), milk powder, pectin, barley malt, soy protein...
And the list goes on, and on! That is just listing one of the food cons we have been delivered when we start to examine ingredients in foods.
Just because it says healthy on the label - I would avoid anything that requires a label! Hope that helps you make some health conscious decisions.
If it's processed, if it requires an ingredient label, then you may well be being tricked into a "health" label.
My advice, remember, an apple doesn't have to carry a label - because it is just an apple! What do you trust as "natural" or "healthy"?