I have an exciting new (and free) guide to share with you! First let me explain why it's so important…
There's an implication out there that everything allowed in processed food – preservatives, artificial sweeteners, thickeners, stabilizers, emulsifiers – have gone through rigorous independent testing proving they're okay to eat – but in many cases they haven't. The FDA is sometimes not aware that a new ingredient has been introduced into our food, and even if they question the safety of a new ingredient, some companies just use 'em anyway! It's so ridiculous.
Earlier this month the papers reported about a company that's continuing to sell their "Impossible Burger" made with SLH (soy leghemoglobin) even though the FDA questions its safety. This ingredient is made using a complex process in a lab with GMO yeast which creates a new protein that's never been in food before. A major problem with our current food regulatory system is that it allows companies to hire their own experts to evaluate the safety of newly invented ingredients. This allows companies to essentially put whatever they want into food with virtually no oversight. The experts hired by Impossible Foods have historically worked along with Monsanto and the International Life Sciences Institute (a group that represents Big Food and the GMO industry). Is this who you want approving the safety of the food you eat?
Many questionable food additives were not properly studied before ending up on shelves, and don't get pulled until years after they start causing health problems. Should we be the test subjects?
A brand new study found the preservative BHT affects the signaling from our gut to brain which tells us to stop eating, likely contributing to overeating and obesity. BHT is an endocrine disruptor which is also linked to cancer in some animal studies, yet it has been in our food for years. You'll often find BHT in breakfast cereals, where it's added to the packaging - designed to leach into the product and help to keep it fresh. There are safer alternatives to BHT, but many brands still use it, even after taking it out of products sold in other countries with stronger regulations. This is a horrible double-standard, and why I petitioned Kellogg's and General Mills to remove it from their cereals in 2015!
There are an estimated 10,000 food additives and the FDA can't even keep them straight! So, it's no wonder that consumers are left feeling frustrated and overwhelmed.
I'm excited to announce my team and I just built the perfect resource to help you!
Our new Ingredients To Avoid In Processed Food Guide breaks down all the common food additives… like Sodium Phosphate, BHT, DATEM, TBHQ, and Caramel Color. So, now you'll always know what these additives are, why to avoid them, and what types of food you'll often find them in! Check it out here. You can even download the list to your phone or grab the printable version to take to the store!
We will be adding more food additives in coming months and years to keep this list current so that you always know which ingredients to avoid.
The majority of food additives invented in the last 50 years are there to improve the bottom line of the food industry – not our health. We are, objectively, a nation full of inexplicable illness. My job as an activist and consumer advocate will always be to look out for you. It's my role and it's all of our roles, to question this system that has become corrupted and is not, as designed, protecting the public. You wouldn't be here if you didn't want to feed yourself and your family healthy food - and I hope the new Ingredients To Avoid In Processed Food Guide helps you become a food label reading expert!
Please share this email with your loved ones (especially if you know they are concerned about the additives in our food - or should be!)
Spread the word Food Babe Army!
Xo,
Vani
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