Wouldn’t it be wonderful to get back to the good old days – when food was healthy and actually had the ability to rot? Who knew that spoiled food could be such a great thing? Now we’ve got food (cough,cough…McDonalds!) that will live for years, food that not even bacteria will touch. What we eat is becoming more and more artificial, and it seems that we’re pretty much eating food made with the same stuff that keep our vehicles running!
You’d be amazed by the stuff that gets put in our food. Here are 10 unhealthy food ingredients that you probably didn’t know you were ingesting with each bite of deliciously “real” artificial food:
Cellulose
Cellulose is made from cotton and wood pulp, so that’s in your food now. It’s in your shredded cheese, as it stops the pieces from clumping together. It’s also found in ice cream and corn, but thankfully it’s not too undigestable – though it’s certainly a weird addition to your food.
Gelatin
We all love a good bit of Jell-O, but guess where it comes from? Animal skins – usually pig skins! The skin of animals like pigs and cows contain collagen, which helps to thicken up Jell-O, flan, yoghurt, candy, sour cream, and a whole bunch of other tasty treats. Strawberry flavored pig skin anyone?
Carbon Monoxide
You know how breathing in carbon monoxide is deadly? Well, if you eat it, it’s not quite as bad for you – or is it? Carbon monoxide is injected into the packages of meat after they are wrapped, as it helps to keep the meat looking rosy red.
Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com
Mechanically Separated Meat
Just the name alone sounds gross, and wait until you hear what they do to the “meat”. Once the bones are cleaned, anything left – plus the bones – is simply shoved through a sieve to produce a sickening pink paste that is then turned into your hot dogs, sausages, and “meat products”.
Shellac
Don’t you just love the hard coating that makes jelly beans chewy and delicious? Well, that coating comes from an insect found in Thailand. The insect- named Kerria lacca – secretes this sticky substance, and it’s turned into shellac – the material used to coat your jelly beans, candy corn, and other hand candies.
Viruses
We all know that it’s a virus that gives us the sniffles, but did you know that there are now viruses in your food too? Bacteriophages are tiny viruses that kill off bacteria, preventing it from infecting your food and causing it to spoil. This is why deli meats and ham can sit for weeks without spoiling.
Saltwater
We all love swimming in the ocean, but we usually restrict our saltwater intake to what we accidentally swallow while trying to stay afloat. Now, saltwater is injected into our chicken, which makes it plump and enhances the flavor. Talk about guaranteed high blood pressure!
Ammonia
If you’ve ever smelled ammonia, it’s a mistake you won’t make twice! The powerful chemical isn’t just a cleaning agent anymore, but now it’s added to your beef – the low grade stuff that has lots of fat. It’s added in order to kill off any bacteria during the processing of the beef, and it’s part of the “pink slime” that you can often find in low-grade ground beef.
Sodium Benzoate
There’s something wonderfully odd about the bubbly sting of a cold soda, but the addition of sodium benzoate to the drinks as made them less than safe for your consumption. Too much of this chemical mixed with food dyes can cause child hyperactivity, so it’s time to cut back on your sodas, fruit juices, and other carbonated drinks!
Carmine
It’s always gross to find a bug in your salad, but how about ground up bugs in your ice cream? Red food coloring is often made from carmine, the fancy name that means “cochineal bugs boiled and ground up”. This food coloring can cause allergic reactions, but really it’s just gross!
If you loved this article, check out this recipe for fabulously healthy and natural Vegan Veggie Tacos.
