by
Stepy —
September 1, 2014
- One important aspect of healthy living is doing research on the foods that are available to you, so you can make the best choices for your health.
- In an average supermarket, foods may come with more than meets the eye.
- Even the simplest foods may be genetically modified or grown with chemicals.
- TIME recently reported six food industry secrets that should be exposed, but are still hidden from the public.
- Let’s take a look at six food industry secrets that you should know about.
- 1. Farm-raised salmon is colored pink:
- Wild salmon swim around their habitats, eating what they want to eat. This gives them a more diverse and complete nutritional makeup. This increase in nutrition is what gives wild salmon their pink color.
- Farmed salmon, on the other hand, is fed genetically modified foods.
- Synthetic astaxanthin, which is not safe for human consumption, is added to their food to give the fish their pink color.
- Tip: Stay away from farmed salmon, and go for wild Alaskan salmon instead.
- 2. Some oranges are dyed:
- In the beginning of orange season, not all oranges are colorful enough to attract consumers, so some oranges are treated with Citrus Red No. 2.
- This artificial dye is known to cause tumors in animals, and is not approved for use in California oranges.
- Tip: Read the labels to make sure your oranges don’t have any artificial color added.
- 3. Many foods contain dyes:
- Wheat bread and roast beef may contain caramel color.
- Prickless spears are often dyed yellow to make them more appealing, and so are many other foods.
- The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a report showing the risks of food dyes, ranging from allergy-like reactions to cancer.
- Tip: Avoid foods that contain dyes and read the labels.
- 4. Many produce items have a wax coating:
- Some produce is coated with wax in order to preserve it for the long journey to stores.
- There are two types of waxes: Natural waxes that are safe for consumption, and petroleum waxes, which can be toxic.
- Organic produce does not contain petroleum waxes.
- Another concern with food waxes is that they may seal in pesticides, making them hard to wash away.
- Tip: We recommend you eat organic food as much as you can and use the Fruit & Veggie Wash from Earth Friendly Products to get rid of wax and toxins.
- 5. Olive oil may not be pure:
- Olive oil is a major target for fraud.
- Most olive oil is mixed with less expensive oils like soybean, corn, and sunflower oil. These extra oils are not always listed on the label.
- Tip: Buy olive oil from local farmers, or a reputable source and make sure it is raw and organic.
- 6. Chicken is soaked in chlorine:
- The USDA allows poultry producers to wash all poultry in an antimicrobial solution, which contains chlorine and other chemicals to kill pathogens. Antibiotics have already been shown to create antibiotic resistant “super-germs.” Chlorine residue may still remain on poultry, and can be toxic.
- Tip: Look for organic and pasture raised chicken that is not treated with antibiotics.
