How Natural are “Natural Flavours” Listed on Food Labels?

You can find it on millions of food labels. But in this case “natural” comes with a definition that’s hard to believe. That’s because “natural flavors” can perversely “mean” any chemical approved for use in food. The FDA makes manufacturers declare if a flavoring has any of the eight major food allergens – milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.

But companies don’t have to tell you the sources of any other chemicals used for flavoring.

This deceptive labeling is particularly devious at the ready-made meal section of your grocery store. These are different from frozen TV dinners in that they look like meals made out of ingredients you might put together yourself.

The difference is that to preserve the meals for longer shelf life, and to make them look good in the package, the food is heavily processed with methods like these:

• boiling

• pressurizing

• oxidation

• osmotic inhibition

• freezing

• extremely high water pressure

• dehydration

• smoking (sometimes using carbon dioxide, vinegar or even alcohol)

• mineral removal through chelation

All of these processing methods leech the taste out of food. So food makers add chemicals back in to make what they’re selling taste like real food.

The flavors are created by chemists called “flavorists.” They distill flavors from foods before they get packaged, and then combine them with chemical compounds. These potent flavor potions are created to taste like the flavors that were processed out. Any food pre-packaged in a can, foil wrapper, sealed package, plastic container or box has a cocktail of natural flavorings added back in after it’s processed.

Even many organic foods have “natural flavors” added to them, too. Because the law doesn’t require companies to disclose the ingredients in their flavorings, they can maintain their “trade-secret” tastes used for products. They also can conceal the truth about the list of chemicals added to foods.

Example, the strawberry flavoring in a Burger King strawberry milk shake has 74 chemicals with names like amyl acetate and benzyl acetate. These chemicals are not “natural” and can harm your health. Amyl acetate is legal to be claimed as “natural” on a label. But it’s been linked to nervous-system problems, depression, indigestion, chest pain, headaches, fatigue and irritation of mucous membranes.

Benzyl acetate has been found to cause gastrointestinal, bronchial, eye and ear irritation, and that’s just two of the 74 chemicals in one drink.

Here are some ways to avoid consuming any of these unnatural and toxic chemicals, and find natural food with REAL flavor:

1. Go back to the basics. Our native ancestors ate what they could hunt and gather. And that was natural meats and eggs, veggies, unmodified fruits and nuts, and olives. They ate a lot more protein and fats than most modern Americans. And they ate fewer carbs – and no processed foods or food cooked with vegetable oils. As a result, their archaeological records show virtually no heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis or obesity.

2. Eat fresh, locally grown, organic fruits and veggies as much as you can. Food grown from local farms is much fresher than food at the grocery store. That’s because most produce is transported an average of 1,500 miles. And many of the nutrients get depleted during transit. But not only is locally grown food more nutritious, it also tastes great. And if the farmer uses organic methods, you don’t have to worry about consuming harmful pesticides and fertilizers.

3. If you have to shop at grocery stores, stay in the exterior aisles and stick to organic dairy, meats and produce. You can pretty much disregard everything in between. Those aisles are filled with nothing but processed foods loaded with harmful chemicals.

4. Read labels carefully, even for organic food. If you shop in the exterior of the grocery store, you won’t need to take this step. But if you ever need to grab something in the interior, check the labels of anything packaged in a can, box or plastic (even the organic stuff) for “natural and artificial flavors.” If you see these terms on labels, stay away.

~ syndicated from Al Sears, MD

Buying Organic Fruits to Reduce Pesticide Consumption

The definition of “organic” has been degraded. Some “organic beef” can be just as bad as the estrogen-drenched, grain-fed meat going for 99 cents a pound. With produce it can be just as tricky. Some are downright poisonous. Others aren’t as bad.

The food industry puts pesticides and poisons in your food and they stay there until you eat them. The guidelines set by the FDA allow this practice. During one science food based test, there were 30 different pesticides on strawberries that were for sale as ready for consumption. Another test revealed 10 different pesticides on a single sample of spinach. 

Some of the pesticides interfere with nutrients in your food. Many have effects that we know very little about. The ones that have become most concerning about are the ones that modify your hormone levels.

During the studies a lot of fruit was tested. It seems these fruits had the largest number of pesticides found on them and we believe you should definitely buy these fruits only if they are Organic.

Raspberries, Strawberries, Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Potatoes

  

Others such as Asparagus, Avocados, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kiwi, Mangos, Onions, Papaya, and Pineapple are not as high in the number of pesticides found. These would be okay to buy at your local grocery.

Washing your fruits and vegetables to get rid of the dirt, bugs, wax and. pesticides may help, but many of these pesticides are designed to bind to the surface of the fruit and won’t wash off with water alone. So even if you rinse with water, you’re still getting chemical contamination. To protect you and your family, take these additional steps:

>> Peel your fruits and vegetables and remove outer leaves on cabbage, lettuce, garlic and onions.

>> For the produce you don’t peel, soak them in a mixture of vinegar and water (equal parts). After 10 or 15 minutes, rinse them with cold water.

>> Alternatively, soak your produce in a weak mixture of dishwashing liquid. Then rinse well with cold water.

>> If you don’t have time to soak, you can fill a spray bottle with one cup of water, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of baking soda. Spray on, let sit and rinse with cold water.

>> Avoid commercial produce that’s bruised. They’re more likely to have concentrations of pesticides deep within the fruit.