Antifreeze in Your Ice Cream

Here's something to think about. Check it out. Click on the title to link to the post. Excerpt:
(p.s. Looks like fast food restaurants are now in your grocery stores, loaded with chemicals to cut short your enjoyment... One needs to make wiser choices when shopping.)


Antifreeze in Your Ice Cream

One thing I try to do on this blog is alert folks to the sneaky, underhanded and frequently toxic chemicals that Big Food processors add to their products.

One of these dirty little secrets is the fact that propylene glycol, a cosmetic form of antifreeze, is added to commercial ice cream.

You see, when you make ice cream at home, you immediately notice that it is as hard as a rock very unlike store ice creams (even the organic ones) that seem to scoop out of the container so conveniently.

Homemade ice cream has to be taken out of the freezer and softened on the counter for a few minutes before you have any hope of scooping some out into a bowl.    I even store mine in a shallow, Pyrex baking dish as this makes it much easier and faster to scoop out when I want some.

Antifreeze, then, is simply ice cream manufacturers’ answer to hard as a rock ice cream and the ice crystals that inevitably form as it is shipped long distances and moved between many different freezers before it finally makes it to your supermarket.

If you’ve ever left homemade ice cream on the counter too long and then put it back in the freezer, you notice how icy it can get.   Antifreeze added to store ice cream helps prevent this from happening!

Sometimes when I tell folks this for the first time, they have trouble believing it.  Why?   Because propylene glycol isn’t listed anywhere on the ice cream label or ingredients list.

While it may come as a shock to some of you, there is such a thing as an “Industry Standard“, which means that if everyone does it, you don’t have to label it!   For those who need specifics, USDA reg 21 CFR 101.100 deals with labeling exemptions dealing with incidental food additives.

Nice, huh?   Where I grew up, this was called deceit.

Can you believe it?  Just because commercial ice cream manufacturers make a practice of adding a little bit of antifreeze to their ice cream, then it doesn’t have to be labeled!   I don’t even trust organic ice cream as it is way too easy to scoop out of the container right out of the freezer for my comfort level.   My efforts to confirm this one way or the other were not successful, so at this time, it is only a very strong hunch.

Just to get you a little more hot under the collar, the FDA actually had the gall to grant GRAS status to antifreeze!    What is GRAS?   It is an acronym for “Generally Recognized As Safe”.

Well, isn’t that interesting?   Antifreeze safe to eat!   You learn something new every day!

Wait a minute!   Antifreeze safe to eat, yet a dog would probably die if a car radiator leaks in his owner’s driveway and he laps some of it up?

Ok, ok, I know that antifreeze used in radiators is ethylene glycol, but the fact is that propylene glycol is a related chemical that is known to cause heart, kidney, liver, and central nervous system damage if sufficient quantity is absorbed by the body.

Given that Americans eat approximately 5 times the ice cream they did only 50 years ago, it is anyone’s guess what the long term effects of the small amounts of propylene glycol in store ice cream might be (source: WAPF).

So, ethylene glycol will kill you quickly and propylene glycol will kill you slowly and perhaps painfully.  That seems to be the gist of it to me.

I used to wonder why whenever I ate store ice cream or got an ice cream cone at the Mall, the next day I seemed to have a very close relationship to the bathroom.   Turns out that a side effect of consuming antifreeze is loose bowels, even diarrhea.    Propylene glycol is even used to clean out the bowel before surgery and is a primary ingredient in some over the counter constipation meds!

By the way, there are MANY other chemicals added to commercial ice cream that are toxic and unlabeled.   Piperonal, for example, is used in place of vanilla and is a chemical used to kill head lice, so you’re not even safe getting a basic flavor like plain vanilla ice cream!

What if the ingredients label lists vanilla?    Does this mean there is no piperonal in there?   Not necessarily.  A mixture of piperonal and vanilla could be used with the vanilla listed (to make the customer happy) and the piperonal not listed (to fool the customer and increase profits).   Not surprisingly, piperonal is cheaper to use than vanilla.

Food manufacturers are really good at the cat and mouse games and are complete virtuosos at playing the USDA regulations.

So, if you aren’t into eating antifreeze with your ice cream, check out my videoblog on how to make your own, safe, delicious, healthy ice cream!

Sarah, The Healthy Home Economist

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Harmful Chemicals Turn Ice Cream From a Treat to a Threat

On a swelteringly hot summer day, there's nothing that comes to mind better to cool things down than some old-fashioned ice cream. Just some wholesome ingredients like cream, egg yolks, a sweetener, and some vanilla extract, right?

How about propylene glycol, ethyl acetate, and yellow dye #5? Seems the recipe has changed a bit since Dolly Madison's day (she served this new delight to visitors during White House functions).

Many commercial ice creams today are simply chemical concoctions presented in appealing packaging designed to sell a product that is not fit for human consumption. Everything from hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup, and dry milk solids are used to produce something still allowed to be called ice cream.

Many ice creams are also filled with air to double the volume. Not a dangerous practice, just less fulfilling.

Some pretty frightening sounding chemicals like caroxymethyl cellulose, butyraldehyde, and amyl acetate are additives in some commercial ice creams. How about some diethyl glycol -- a cheap chemical used to take the place of eggs, which is also used in anti-freeze and paint removers.

Aldehyde C-17, flavoring for cherry ice cream, is an inflammable liquid used in dyes, plastics, and rubber. Piperonal, used in place of vanilla, is a lice killer. Ethyl Acetate, a pineapple flavor, can also clean leather and textiles.

Unfortunately, this doesn't work out to be like any natural substances like lemon that can be both eaten and used as a powerful cleaner. Ethyl Acetate's vapor has been known to cause chronic lung, liver, and heart damage.

There are quite a list of other unsavory ingredients littering many of today's most famous grocery store ice creams. Here are just some of them: Mono and diglicerides, disodium phosphate, benzyl acetate, mono stearate, propylene glycol, sodium benzoate, polysorbate 80, potassium sorbate, modified corn starch and soy lecithin.

Now, just because most of these additives are on the GRAS (generally recognized as safe) list by the FDA, doesn't prove they aren't harmful and besides, the real question is: Are any of these ingredients desirable or even necessary to an originally wholesome treat? Remember, the FDA does not require ice cream makers to label all of their ingredients. Oh, boy.

Ice cream can be a delicious way to get healthy fat, calcium, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals (if using real raw cream, egg yolks, and pure maple syrup) into children that are sometimes not big milk drinkers. Making your own ice cream is relatively simple with an electric ice cream maker... and the kids love to help make it!

Even if you don't have the time, or desire, to make your own ice cream, reach for the best high quality ice cream you can. Look for the ones that use simple, wholesome ingredients (cream as a first ingredient is a good sign). The cost may be a bit more, but you can't beat the taste.

And stop worrying about the fat content; it's some of those dubious vegetable oils you should be concerned about. Next time, fore go the antifreeze, oil paint, leather cleaner, and lice killer for something that resembles food. Food is supposed to taste good, just keep it simple and healthy!

Here's a recipe borrowed from "Nourishing Traditions" by Sally Fallon:

* 3 egg yolks

* 1/2 cup maple syrup

* 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

* 1 tablespoon arrowroot

* 3 cups heavy cream, preferably raw, not ultrapasteurized

Beat egg yolks and blend in remaining ingredients. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to instructions. (Remember to choose the highest quality ingredients you can find like raw cream, eggs from pastured chickens, or at least organic eggs, and organic (grade B, if you can find it) maple syrup. Pure vanilla extract and arrowroot powder or flour can be found in most health food stores.)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Ice Cream Lies


Ask any pig farmer, how they fatten up their pigs before slaughter and they will tell you, “feed them grains and skimmed milk.” Funny, that’s just what most modern dieticians will put you on to lose weight!

While dairy farmers of bygone days always kept pigs and fed them the skimmed milk left over from butter and cream making, this is no longer the case. Now dairy corporations pick up the milk from the farmer and take care of the rest at their factory.

 So we have a problem. What do dairy factories do with the skimmed milk after they make butter and cream? They don’t have a quaint little pig sty out the back that’s for sure. Dairy corporations, with the help of some friends in government nutrition departments, have invented a way to get rid of ’skim’ milk as they slyly renamed it. “Sell it to the fatties” as a diet food.

So after a week of trying to be strong and drinking skimmed milk, fattie begins to crave for what is missing from ’skim’ milk - the fat. They find themselves at the freezer section of the supermarket, guiltily salivating over the brightly coloured packaging of litres upon litres of delicious ice cream. Unfortunately along with the cream, comes refined sugar, highly refined wheat (maltodextrin) and a whole host of scary chemicals.

If you want to keep enjoying your commercial ice cream treats, please do not read any further.

There are over 1,400 flavorings, stabilizers, colors, and emulsifiers used by commercial ice cream manufacturers.

Flavours

There is hardly any ice cream flavor that does not have a chemical substitute. Some of the artificial flavors are potent poisons which are powerful enough to cause liver, kidney, and heart disease.

Why do manufacturers use artificial flavours? They cost less. Duh!
Vanilla, Category I is commercial vanilla flavoring made entirely of vanilla. Natural vanilla (which is pureed vanilla beans or vanilla extract) is much more expensive than artificial vanilla. Vanilla flavored, Category II is a combination of natural and artificial flavors. Artificially flavored vanilla, Category III is entirely artificial. Artificial vanilla flavoring is peperonal or vanillin. Peperonal is a chemical used to kill lice. Vanillin is made from the wastes of wood pulp and has no relationship to the vanilla bean.

Strawberry flavor is benzyl acetate, a synthetic chemical that tastes like strawberries. According to the Merck Index, an encyclopedia for chemists, this substance is extremely dangerous and can cause vomiting and diarrhea. It is a nitrate solvent.

Pineapple flavoring is Ethyl acetate. It can cause liver, kidney, and heart damage. It is also used as a cleaner for leather and textiles. Its vapors have been known to cause chronic lung, liver, and heart damage.

Banana flavoring is amylbutyrate, which is also used as an oil paint solvent.

Cherry flavour is Aldehydec 17 an inflammable liquid which is used as aniline dyes, and the manufacture of plastic and rubber.

Nut flavour is butraldehyde, one of the ingredients in rubber cement.

Nearly all artificial food flavors and food colors come from coal tar! This is a substance in coal and also petroleum. Coal tar is notorious as a causative agent in producing cancer of the stomach, bowel, kidney, liver, and other organs.

Stabilizers and Emulsifiers

Stabilizers make ice cream smooth; and emulsifiers make it stiff, so it can retain air. Here are some of the chemicals used to stabilize and emulsify ice cream:

Propylene glycol (also used in antifreeze), glycerin, sodium carboxyl methylcellulose, monoglycerides, diglycerides, disodium phosphates, tetrasodium pyrophosphate, polysorbate 80, and dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate.

Ok It’s time for some good news to stop your stomach churning, our home made ice cream recipe doesn’t include petrol or coal, anti freeze or any other chemical belonging in some toy factory in China! It does include egg yolks to thicken the ice cream. Manufacturers use diethyl glycol instead. This is the same chemical used in antifreeze and paint removers. Manufacturers pump air into ice cream so it weighs about 1.8 kgs for a 4 litre container. Homemade ice cream weighs 3 to 4 kgs for 4 litres.

That’s it though, I promise, except for the sugar. Don’t get me started…

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Yum! Propylene Glycol in my Ice Cream…


I consider myself a connoisseur of ice cream.  One of my favorite treats.  The fact that I tend to be a little lactose intolerant has never stopped me from accepting an invitation.  In fact, I can turn down almost any dessert, but ice cream remains victorious in every case.  Well… until yesterday.  Of all treats I generally expected ice cream to be less tampered with.  I mean really…. how hard is this; milk, cream, sugar, eggs, vanilla.  Can you imagine my surprise when I read the back of an admittedly “less expensive” ice cream and saw Propylene Glycol listed as an ingredient.  My first thought was, why would they put anti-freeze in a frozen dessert.  Well as it turns out, anti-freeze makes sense if you want a nice soft texture, without ice crystals.  It might surprise you that many ice creams seem to now contain more chemicals than food.

So what is the deal with Propylene Glycol anyway?  Propylene Glycol is one of the most common chemical additives you will find.  It has become very popular and very controversial.  Proponents say, “well at least it’s not as bad as ethylene glycol, …that was REALLY bad stuff”.  Since when is not being as bad as something else, mean it is okay.  My kids try to use this logic.  “Why did you color on the wall?”  “…well… Oliver colored all over his bed, AND the wall.”  I certainly don’t expect this from adults.

Ethylene Glycol is the antifreeze we all associated with killing animals.  It was sweet to the taste and very toxic.  Propylene Glycol quickly replaced its popularity because it wasn’t AS toxic (still kills rabbits though).  (MSDS for Proylene Glycol)  Ethylene Glycol can  kill you.  However, Propylene Glycol must be safe because is only toxic to the central nervous system, irritating to the skin, does “fun” things like heart arrhythmia’s and cardiac arrest, seizures, and destruction of your white blood cells. (see MSDS)  On a popular website apologizing for the use of this product.  They tell us not to over react, that the data on the MSDS is only relative to exposure of it in a concentrated form.  That it is considered safe in the quantities utilized.  I wonder what would happen if someone spilled a large concentration of pure H2O on me?  Would it be dangerous to my nervous system?  How about spilling a whole bunch of spinach?  Or maybe watermelon juice.  They mention Essential Oils have scary MSDS sheets too.  I agree, an essential oil manufactured in a factory is dangerous, but not at all if produced by nature.

How could we possibly give up all those propylene glycol benefits?  Such as, carrying things like cosmetics into our skin (It makes them more absorb-able, including itself) or keeping other chemicals neatly suspended in liquids.  It has been mentioned that it is broken down into lactic acid, a safe natural substance your body makes.  Although lactic acid is made by your muscles, it is a painful byproduct of muscle contraction.  It makes your muscles sore and you feel sick.  Your body is constantly trying to get rid of it.  We don’t need more lactic acid.  But here is the real question. Since when is anything broken down to just one thing?  Did you know that is also broken down to propionaldyhide, classified as toxic to humans?

We are told that propylene glycol is safe in the small quantities used, it is simply a question of how much.  I AGREE!  Almost in the same breath they brag about how it is in EVERYTHING!  Let’s think about this.  Is there any real difference between one large exposure and a constant low grade never ending assault?  Its safety is somehow validated by the fact it is in your hair care products, toothpaste, makeup, ice cream, sodas, and a whole host of processed foods (you probably shouldn’t be eating anyway) and to top it all off, many manufacturers don’t even have to list it on the ingredients.

This type logic is the most frustrating for me.  Why do we believe that just because it is prevalent, that is safe?  Look at our national health statistics.  Is cancer prevalent?  Is heart disease prevalent?  Is diabetes prevalent?  Are auto-immunities prevalent?  Are neurotoxic disorders prevalent?  Is general toxicity prevalent?  ARE ANY OF THESE becoming less prevalent?

With all the controversy “is it safe? is it not safe?”, I am a simple guy.  Maybe we should just ask “is it food?”!!!!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Carrageenan in Our Food


In my post, Replacing Dairy Milk, a few of you commented that you avoid several brands of non-dairy milk because they contain an ingredient called carrageenan. This was the first time I had heard anything about this ingredient, or at least the first time I took any notice. I assumed that it was a safe ingredient, especially because it is found in some organic products. But as we know, just because something is allowed in our food does not mean it’s necessarily good for us. It’s frustrating as a consumer to believe we are buying quality ingredients only to find out they could be harmful to our health.

Anyway, I knew I had to look into this further. And I don’t like what I’m reading. In fact, I’m pretty ticked off.

At first blush, carrageenan sounds seemingly harmless – it’s derived from red seaweed and is used as a thickener, stabilizer, and/or emulsifier in many dairy (sour cream, yogurt, ice cream, etc), dairy alternatives (non-dairy milk, non-dairy cheese, etc), and deli meat products. As it turns out, research links carrageenan to gastrointestinal inflammation, lesions, and even colon cancer in animals. Individuals with Inflammatory Bowel Disease or other gastrointestinal disorders are cautioned to avoid this ingredient as it can make symptoms – and inflammation – even worse. As someone who has suffered from IBS for many years, I was shocked to find this information out. This was the first I had heard of it.

For a review of the research on carrageenan see this PDF document by Cornucopia.org. Please look into this ingredient and make your own informed opinion.

For a long and detailed list of carrageenan in many dairy and non-dairy food products (and safe products as well), please see this Cornucopia shopping guide – it’s extremely helpful. You might be surprised at many of the brands that contain this ingredient. I know I sure was.

I realize there is no conclusive evidence with regard to human consumption of this ingredient, but I’m not willing to take that risk when there are other options, especially because I have suffered from IBS on and off for half my life. I will no longer support President’s Choice Organic Almond Milk or Blue Diamond’s Almond Breeze – two of several brands that contain carrageenan. Instead, I’m going to purchase Whole Foods 365 organic almond milk which is one of the carrageenan-free brands or I will make my own milk at home (more on this in my next post). I’m anxious to see if I notice a difference.

For the complete list of carrageenan-free products, be sure to check out the shopping guide linked above.

As I mentioned in my intro post, we have a lot to learn from each other and this is a perfect example. I’m thankful for all of you sharing your experiences and knowledge in the comments. I’m learning too. I hope that by writing about this today, more awareness is brought to this ingredient. With other thickeners/emulsifiers readily available (such as organic guar gum and organic locust bean gum) there is no excuse for food businesses to continue to put carrageenan into our food at the potential risk of our health.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

All the Stuff You Don't Want to Eat.. But You Do Anyway


(In this site they prohibited copying and pasting, so you'll have to click on the title to go read it... but do...haha,  it is funny.)


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A Dose of Methyl Paraben?


I delivered week two of food to my friend last night. We got to catch up. Mom looks great! I had a perfect wintery night chatting in the kitchen; a cup of tea in one hand and a three week old sleeping on my chest for a few hours. My friend and I will always discuss health, healing and wellness and other silly things. I've not had my own child, yet have a wealth of information from my stint as a nanny, as a day care teacher, and always as a friend of a new mom. She had a doozy for me this time.

First, the little guy gained a half a pound his first week. According to the pediatrician that's unheard of for an exclusively breast fed baby but other healthy friends' MDs said the same thing. Next, the doctor shared that Vitamin D is missing from breast milk. That's not exactly true. Yes, I know it is winter and I know we live in that northern area most deficient of Vitamin D. My friend does give the little one daily sun baths which definitely compensates, and thanks to his fair skin tone he needs less than 2 hours each week of sun exposure. Regardless, the pediatrician prescribed infant Vitamin D drops. Vitamin D is sort of like the missing link in the body's absorption of calcium and phosphorus. The doctors are concerned about bone and heart health. The prescription remained unfilled, but when the now 3 week old started with a few sniffles Dad picked it up from the pharmacy.

When mom looked at the ingredients, she was shocked. Should I really knowingly give my child methylparaben, polysorbate 80, sodium hydroxide, red food dye, and caramel coloring just to get a dose of Vitamin D? Am I being a negligent mom by knowingly depriving my child of a vitamin or by knowingly feeding my child synthetics? Many of my friends have chosen to postpone or abstain from all vaccinations. That is a personal educated choice. Children's immune systems are fully intact by age two. My personal choice would be to keep their systems clean and pure of synthetics at least until that age. Most of my friends have chosen to use only glass bottles, natural cloth diapers, organic pesticide-free food, and all those other good things. Here blatantly on a label for all to see are chemicals preserving and coloring a vitamin easily sourced from the sun, oily fish and fish oils and fortified milk.

First of all, red food dye and caramel coloring is apparently to appease the parents' vision and palatability because a 3 week old isn't seeing much right now. Caramel coloring is an emulsifier as is Polysorbate 80 – keeps the ingredients combined. Polysorbate 80 is a common emulsifier in cosmetics, vitamins, vaccines and even ice cream and milk products and has been proven to damage fertility. Sodium hydroxide is a pH buffer. Hello, if you didn't use synthetic ingredients you wouldn't need to buffer the medication.

Then comes the methyl paraben. I understand medicine needs preservatives but there are natural alternatives like soy lecithin and beeswax. Parabens offer an inexpensive way to increase the shelf life of products and to inhibit the growth of bacteria, molds and yeasts even though they are known to be highly toxic. Scientific studies have found that parabens have the potential to cause cancer. The estrogen activity of this ingredient has been directly linked to the development of certain cancers, including breast, prostate, ovarian, and uterine.

Health conscious folk have been lobbying for years to have laureth sulfates, parabens, and phlatates removed from personal care products. Product ingredients can be searched on cosmeticdatabase.com and the site includes a risk ranking and the effects the ingredient has on the body. Cosmetic companies have made some changes but for the most part, consumers are absorbing chemicals with every use. Unfortunately, I found no resources for medications free of synthetics.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Would You Like Some Wood Pulp In Your Shredded Cheese?


QUICK! What keeps pre-packaged shredded cheese from clumping, low-fat ice cream creamy, and pre-made milk shakes smooth? You guessed it! WOOD PULP. They call it “cellulose,” but it’s just powdered wood pulp. The industry loves this stuff. It’s cheap. It helps stabilize food, lowers fat content, increases fiber. Did I say it’s cheap?

As the prices of other food ingredients rise, food manufacturers are increasingly turning to cellulose so that they can keep production costs low. Even big organic brands like Organic Valley are not immune from the appeal.

~"Organic Valley uses powdered cellulose made from wood pulp in its shredded-cheese products. The company would prefer not to use a synthetic ingredient, but cellulose is bland, white and repels moisture, making it the favored choice over products such as potato starch, says Tripp Hughes, director of product marketing for Organic Valley. (source)"~


The appeal of cellulose as an additive

During the past two years, sales of cellulose have increased by 8%. This, when the average annual increase is 3%. What accounts for the rise in popularity? The Wall-Street Journal reports:

~"While some food manufactures say they aren’t increasing the percentage of cellulose in their products, others are boosting the amount of fiber in their foods with cellulose and other ingredients. Companies can save money by using it, even though it costs more by weight than conventional ingredients. Cellulose gives food “more water, more air, a creamy feeling in [the] mouth with less of other ingredients,” and only a very small amount is needed, says Niels Thestrup, vice president of the hydrocolloids department for Danisco AS. The Copenhagen-based company makes ingredients and enzymes for food, cleaning supplies and other products."~

This is why cellulose gets added to non-fat and low-fat foods like low-fat ice cream, sour cream, yogurt, and non-dairy creamers, among others. It gives the mouth-feel of creaminess when the real cream is removed. If you aren’t already avoiding low-fat versions of real foods, perhaps this will provide you with the final push you need to change to eating full-fat, real food. After all, not only is full-fat dairy generally unadulterated and more natural compared to its low-fat counterparts, it has also been shown to lower risk of heart attacks.


How cellulose is made

Lest you protest and say “cellulose is in every plant food out there, now you’re saying it’s bad for me?,” let me explain the process by which the cellulose used as a food additive is made:

~"Cellulose comes in various forms, each with a specific use. Beyond powdered cellulose, two other modified forms are common in food. Microcrystalline cellulose is either listed as such on labels, as MCC, or in some cases as cellulose gel. Carboxymethyl cellulose or cellulose gum, another modified version, is listed as such on labels. Each gives foods a slightly different texture — from gelatinous to more liquid-like — because they trap varying amounts of air or water.
Powdered cellulose is made by cooking raw plant fiber — usually wood — in various chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified. Modified versions go through extra processing, such as exposing them to acid to further break down the fiber. (source)"~

In other words, this is not the cellulose you’d get from eating broccoli. No, this is cellulose that’s created in a laboratory, by a convoluted process you’d find difficult (if not impossible) to replicate in your own kitchen. And did I mention it’s made from wood pulp?

And yet, this unnatural food additive is considered “natural” by our government — so natural that it’s even allowed in foods bearing the “organic” label.


But, is added cellulose “safe”?

Well, your government says it is.

What? That’s not good enough for you? You don’t trust them? How about nutritionists?

~"Although the notion of eating fine grains of wood pulp might make some consumers blanch, nutritionists say cellulose — which gives plants their structure — is a harmless fiber that can often cut calories in food. Insoluble dietary fibers like cellulose aren’t digestible by humans so add bulk to food without making it more fattening.

Cellulose can serve as a good source of dietary fiber for people who don’t eat enough fruits, vegetables or whole grains, Ms. Slavin says. The USDA’s most recent dietary guidelines recommend young women get 28 grams a day of fiber and young men consume 38 grams.

“Cellulose is cellulose,” regardless of if whether it comes from wood pulp or celery, says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a group that advocates healthier, more nutritious food. He says no research points to health problems related to consuming cellulose.

The Food and Drug Administration sets limits on the amount of cellulose in certain foods like cheese spreads and jams. The USDA also limits the amount of cellulose in meat products to about 1% to 4%, depending on the type, in order to meet the agency’s standards for protein content. (source) "~

Here’s my question. Who cares if it’s safe? It’s disturbingly unnatural to have wood pulp in your cheese or cotton in your salad dressing.

Yes, I said “cotton in your salad dressing.” Thank you, Kraft Foods, for making such statements actually truthful and not merely the figment of a childish, over-active imagination.


What can you do?

Well, stop buying shredded cheese, for one thing. Buy cheese by the block and shred it or slice it yourself. You’ll save money, and you won’t be eating wood pulp. It’s a win, win! Want to know how to prioritize your cheese choices? Check out this post on Healthy Cheese: What To Buy.

Secondly, you should stop buying the reduced fat versions of full fat foods. Good fat from real food is actually healthy for you. Plus, when you take the fat out of traditionally fatty foods, you’ve got to replace it with something. That usually results in ingredient labels that read like chemistry text books.

And lastly, stick to eating foods with ingredient labels you actually understand — or better yet, foods without ingredient labels at all! These are whole foods. Cook from scratch with them, and you’ll always know what’s in your food.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

From: Hippocrates Health Institute

Ice Cream


In today’s synthetic era this “fun” food is, in reality, a poison.

In our present culture, we have deviated from living sensibly, especially where nourishment is concerned. The foundation of many Western diets is fast food, which merely appears to meet our nutritional needs, physically and emotionally. Not only do fast-foods lack nourishment but they also often contain harmful ingredients and go through toxic processes including radiation. Let’s take ice cream as an example.

In the past, although far from a health food, ice cream was made of whole eggs, milk and sugar cranked out at home as an occasional treat. However, in today’s synthetic era, this “fun” food is, in reality, a poison. Appallingly, manufacturers are not required by law to list the additives used in ice cream and consequently, most contain some pretty surprising and unhealthy ingredients.

Diethyl Glycol A cheap chemical used as an emulsifier instead of eggs; the same chemical used in anti-freeze and pain removers.

Piperonal Used instead of vanilla; it’s also a chemical used to kill lice.

Aldehyde C 17 Flavors cherry ice cream and is an inflammable liquid in aniline dyes, plastics and rubber materials.

Ethyl Acetate Gives ice cream a pineapple flavor and is also used in leather cleaners ~ its vapors have been know to cause chronic organ damage.

Butyl Aldehyde For nut flavoring in ice creams; it is also an ingredient of rubber cement.

Acryl Acetate For banana flavoring; it is also a paint solvent.

Benzyl Acetate For strawberry flavor; it is also a nitrate solvent.

As an alternative fun food to beat the summer heat, try adding fun things like raw coconut, walnuts or fresh fruit to Hippocrates, frozen banana ice cream Excerpted from “Hippocrates Health Program” by Brian Clement.
Vol 24 Issue 3 Page 6