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WHAT’S IN OUR FOOD?Make an informed decision about what you eat!!
Food Additives
That the ingredients in food are safe for the masses.
Processed foods are designed to produce large quantities of food at less cost to the consumer
Ingredients in food can cause health issues
It is our personal responsibility to know the effects of the ingredients and read the labels to know what we are eating
Certain additives, preservatives such as food coloring and artificial sugars can cause asthma, allergies, hyperactivity and cell damage that may lead to cancer.
The FDA should increase regulations on food ingredients
They encourage buying locally farmed or organic foods that are minimally processed.
What the FDA says: What nutrition experts say:
Processed foods…
What is a GMO?
GMO = Genetically Modified Organism “denotes a living organism that has
been genetically modified by inserting a gene from an unrelated species.”
The gene they replaced it with has some special quality that they are looking for: color, texture, resistance to pests, etc.
GMOs are in most processed foods85% corn, 88% cotton (cottonseed oil used in food), 91% soybean, 95% sugar beets – all common additives
Other common GMOs
Glucose – simple sugar chemically made from corn
Found in soft drinks, baked goods Lecithin – an emulsion made from soy
Found in chocolate, ice cream Maltodextrin – additive made from
cornstarch Found in soups, crackers and salty snacks
GMOs: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
According to the GMO industry there are many good reasons to use GMOs:
Reduced need for herbicides Reduced need for pesticides Reduced greenhouse emissions as GMOs
require less tilling or plowing, thus less use of fossil fuels
Ability to manipulate foods to increase desirable components such as nutrients
Increased production of food for a growing population
Are GMO’s safe?
Researchers in Europe found that GMOs produced potential health risks in lab animals, including cancerous cell growths, smaller brains, and liver damage
Protesters convinced manufacturers that they would not sell their products in the EU, so they agreed to keep GMOs out of their European products
Those same manufacturers make food with GMOs for the US
What the FDA says…
The US is generally uninformed about the effects of GMOs
The FDA has no GMO safety testing requirements, the research that supports GMO safety is voluntarily provided by companies on their own crops.
FDA scientists found that GMOs can result in the appearance of allergens, toxins, new diseases and liver problems.
However, the FDA’s stance is that if you experience ill effects from a food ingredient you should choose not to eat that food.
Clip from Food Inc.
Shows how corn is manipulated to create all kinds of effects in food.
Preservatives and Additives
Preservatives in food are designed to prevent bacteria growth and spoilage.
According to the Mayo Clinic, eliminating food with preservatives reduces the symptoms and severity of asthma
Ex: aspartame, sulfites, benzoates and yellow dye #5
Artificial colors Refer to wall chart
Artificial Sweeteners Sorbitol, mannitol,
sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, etc.
Animals injected with antibiotics or hormones These are the same ones
we take and can make us resistant
Preservatives Other Additives
Clip from Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead
More food for thought!!!
What foods can you eat that will give you the most micronutrients?
Only you can make that choice.Become an educated consumer!Knowledge is power!
What should you eat?