We realized the truth in that quite a while ago when science mags reported studies of the effects of sugars, salts, fats on certain areas of the brain. Those items reduce the "I'm full, quit eating" impulses that certain chemicals that our brain releases. Combine that with the taste, as Kessler pointed out, and you have an obese diabetic candidate.
FARMING & FOOD – Is it all fouled up?
- Thread starter countryboy
- Start date
I understand. And we get to eat or otherwise absorb much of that garbage. Ahh, ain't progress wonderful?
I'm no scientist, and about the only thing I know about fish is that I like eating them, but isn't there some way that they could be raised / farmed more naturally? Sort of like having old Bessie out in the pasture, placidly munching on grass or hay.
I got off power gorging on chocchip by power gorging on trail-mix which the mice got into a few days ago. They don't like the riasons.
Apparently, not without sacrifices. It'd be more profitable to raise as many fish as possible in the smallest area as possible. Best ask Tonington about fish, he's quite knowledgeable about the critters.
SO YOU LIKE YOUR FOOD FAST?
From oodora.com:
You may want to rethink your kid’s Happy Meal after you read this:
Chicken in McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets is not the main ingredient in this product, not even close. According to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, a McNugget is made up of 38 ingredients, mostly chemicals and corn dervitives. In total, a McNugget is 56% corn products. But 0.02% is tertiarybutylhydroquinone, a petroleum byproduct used as a preservative. TBHQ is known as butane, which is actually lighter fluid. So basically Chicken McNuggets contain lighter fluid. That’s a classy meal right there.
The 2004 documentary Super Size Me alleged that Chicken McNuggets were, at one point in time, made from sick and/or old chickens unable to lay eggs, and that they included chemicals such as TBHQ (a phenolic antioxidant), Dimethylpolysiloxane (an anti-foaming agent), and other ingredients not used by a typical home cook. As of 2007, these two ingredients are still listed as ingredients of the vegetable oil that is used to fry the McNuggets. I wouldn’t take a chance; skip Mickey D’s all together.
From oodora.com:
You may want to rethink your kid’s Happy Meal after you read this:
Chicken in McDonald’s Chicken McNuggets is not the main ingredient in this product, not even close. According to Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, a McNugget is made up of 38 ingredients, mostly chemicals and corn dervitives. In total, a McNugget is 56% corn products. But 0.02% is tertiarybutylhydroquinone, a petroleum byproduct used as a preservative. TBHQ is known as butane, which is actually lighter fluid. So basically Chicken McNuggets contain lighter fluid. That’s a classy meal right there.
The 2004 documentary Super Size Me alleged that Chicken McNuggets were, at one point in time, made from sick and/or old chickens unable to lay eggs, and that they included chemicals such as TBHQ (a phenolic antioxidant), Dimethylpolysiloxane (an anti-foaming agent), and other ingredients not used by a typical home cook. As of 2007, these two ingredients are still listed as ingredients of the vegetable oil that is used to fry the McNuggets. I wouldn’t take a chance; skip Mickey D’s all together.
AND JUST WHEN YOU THOUGHT IT WAS SAFE TO GO INTO THE SUPERMARKET!
We've touched on label reading & food additives here and there before, but I thought it might be interesting to see how many food experts feel about the subject. Here are what are purported to be some of the worst food additives in processed foods today. I kept it down to a bare minimum...there are lots more...some estimates put the number as high as 2,800 additives being used in the processed food industry. Choke.
We've touched on label reading & food additives here and there before, but I thought it might be interesting to see how many food experts feel about the subject. Here are what are purported to be some of the worst food additives in processed foods today. I kept it down to a bare minimum...there are lots more...some estimates put the number as high as 2,800 additives being used in the processed food industry. Choke.
BHT is associated with liver and kidney damage, behavioral problems, infertility, weakened immune system, birth defects and cancer. |
Artificial coloring - contribute to hyperactivity in children; may contribute to learning and visual disorders, nerve damage; may be carcinogenic.
Aspartame and all artificial sweeteners - may cause central nervous system damage, menstrual difficulties, may affect brain and growth development in unborn fetus. Dangerous excitotoxins. Artificial sweeteners: aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), sucralose (Splenda), neotame, saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low), acesulfame-k )Sunette, Sweet-n-Safe, Sweet One)
Brominated vegetable oil - linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems; considered unsafe by the FDA, can still lawfully be used unless further action is taken by the FDA . (used in fruit juices to give them a long shelf life)
Carrageenan - stabilizer and thickening agent; linked to toxic hazards, including ulcers and cancer; In addition to suppressing immune function, carrageenan causes intestinal ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease in animals and some research indicates that carrageenan is associated with causing cancer in humans. (This is what researchers use when they want to create cancer cells for laboratory experiments)
Partially Hydrogenated vegetable oils - associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol, depressed immune system, allergies.
Nitrates - form powerful cancer-causing agents in stomach; can cause death; considered dangerous by FDA but not banned because they prevent botulism.
MSG - may cause headaches, itching, nausea, nervous system and reproductive disorders, high blood pressure; pregnant, lactating mothers, infants, small children should avoid MSG; allergic reactions common; may be hidden in infant formula, low fat milk, candy, chewing gum, drinks, over-the-counter medications. (MSG - A dangerous excitotoxin)
Neotame - similar to aspartame, but potentially more toxic; awaiting approval. A dangerous excitotoxin.
Olestra - causes gastrointestinal irritation, reduces carotenoids and fat soluble vitamins in the body.
Potassium bromate - can cause nervous system, kidney disorders, gastrointestinal upset; may be carcinogenic.
Saccharin - delisted as a carcinogen in 1997, however, studies still show that saccharin causes cancer. A dangerous excitotoxin
Sucralose (Splenda)
Tests reveal it can cause up to 40% shrinkage of the thymus gland. It also causes swelling of the kidneys and liver, and liver calcification. Splenda has basically been chlorinated. 3 hydroxyl groups (atoms composed of hydrogen and oxygen) are selectively removed and replaced with 3 atoms of chlorine. The sugar molecule has now been transformed into a chlorocarbon—a chemical agent that has no place in the human diet.
Sulfites - destroys vitamin B1; small amounts may cause asthma, anaphylactic shock; dangerous for asthma, allergy sufferers; has caused deaths; banned on fresh fruits and vegetables, except potatoes.
Sweet 'N Low - contains saccharin. A dangerous excitotoxin.
Artificial coloring - contribute to hyperactivity in children; may contribute to learning and visual disorders, nerve damage; may be carcinogenic.
Aspartame and all artificial sweeteners - may cause central nervous system damage, menstrual difficulties, may affect brain and growth development in unborn fetus. Dangerous excitotoxins. Artificial sweeteners: aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), sucralose (Splenda), neotame, saccharin (Sweet ‘N Low), acesulfame-k )Sunette, Sweet-n-Safe, Sweet One)
Brominated vegetable oil - linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems; considered unsafe by the FDA, can still lawfully be used unless further action is taken by the FDA . (used in fruit juices to give them a long shelf life)
Carrageenan - stabilizer and thickening agent; linked to toxic hazards, including ulcers and cancer; In addition to suppressing immune function, carrageenan causes intestinal ulcers and inflammatory bowel disease in animals and some research indicates that carrageenan is associated with causing cancer in humans. (This is what researchers use when they want to create cancer cells for laboratory experiments)
Partially Hydrogenated vegetable oils - associated with heart disease, breast and colon cancer, atherosclerosis, elevated cholesterol, depressed immune system, allergies.
Nitrates - form powerful cancer-causing agents in stomach; can cause death; considered dangerous by FDA but not banned because they prevent botulism.
MSG - may cause headaches, itching, nausea, nervous system and reproductive disorders, high blood pressure; pregnant, lactating mothers, infants, small children should avoid MSG; allergic reactions common; may be hidden in infant formula, low fat milk, candy, chewing gum, drinks, over-the-counter medications. (MSG - A dangerous excitotoxin)
Neotame - similar to aspartame, but potentially more toxic; awaiting approval. A dangerous excitotoxin.
Olestra - causes gastrointestinal irritation, reduces carotenoids and fat soluble vitamins in the body.
Potassium bromate - can cause nervous system, kidney disorders, gastrointestinal upset; may be carcinogenic.
Saccharin - delisted as a carcinogen in 1997, however, studies still show that saccharin causes cancer. A dangerous excitotoxin
Sucralose (Splenda)
Tests reveal it can cause up to 40% shrinkage of the thymus gland. It also causes swelling of the kidneys and liver, and liver calcification. Splenda has basically been chlorinated. 3 hydroxyl groups (atoms composed of hydrogen and oxygen) are selectively removed and replaced with 3 atoms of chlorine. The sugar molecule has now been transformed into a chlorocarbon—a chemical agent that has no place in the human diet.
Sulfites - destroys vitamin B1; small amounts may cause asthma, anaphylactic shock; dangerous for asthma, allergy sufferers; has caused deaths; banned on fresh fruits and vegetables, except potatoes.
Sweet 'N Low - contains saccharin. A dangerous excitotoxin.
If the list of ingredients on a package label is long, there are probably a lot of chemical additives in the product, and you're risking your health by eating it.
And those 'corn derivatives' are more likely than not, GMO corn. ;-)
Good article, countryboy.
Darn it all anyway, countryboy. I could have used that list awhile ago, had to keep asking a friend what all those words meant. Finally I just gave up. Now, I don't buy anything unless I can clearly see that not one word I can't pronounce is on the label.
I find I spend a lot less for groceries now but eat so much better. :smile:
I find I spend a lot less for groceries now but eat so much better. :smile:
A Countryboy Rant on Food Additives
Intensity Scale: 1 (mild) - 5 (steamin')
This article rating: 2.5
Yeah, it's pretty weird to think that some of the stuff passes as "food." I'll never forget when I discovered trisodium phosphate on labels of some of the breakfast cereals...Cinnamon Toast Crunch, for one. My daughters were quite young at the time, so I was paying attention. TSP is a chemical cleaner that is pretty powerful. Why it's in there, I'll never know. Can't possibly be good for you, though. Label reading has become a very interesting exercise...I often try and picture what the brilliant food scientist must be like - as a person - to deliberately add some of the obviously ungodly stuff into those foods. No conscience? No knowledge? I realize it's the companies that promote all this, but somebody had to formulate the stuff. Jeez...
Oh sure, it's all safe and wonderful. If you eat one thing at a time. Each one, by itself, is all perfectly wonderful (well, safe by our lax standards) in limited amounts. But who is monitoring the total intake of your food additives on a daily or weekly basis? Nobody. Who is sorting the effects of mixing certain additives together over the course of a day or week, or even a month? Nobody. Who is monitoring the cumulative effect ( the mixtures AND the volume) of all this stuff over a given period of time? NOBODY.
We've delegated all that bothersome stuff to a bunch of companies that do not have your long term health and well-being interests at the top of their mission statements.
Speaking of processed atrocities...My favourite is "fresh" orange juice. The expensive, brand name stuff and the cheap stuff too. Now think about it - oranges are harvested once a year. Will an orange keep for a year? No. If you juice it and put it in a nice jug, will it keep until the next crop is ready? No. So exactly how do they have this stuff on the shelves all year long, with expiry dates long before the next harvest?
Simple. They make it all into juice at harvest time, extract out all the goodies that would otherwise rot (color, flavour, nutrients) and keep the leftovers (water with trace amounts of whatever's in an orange) in 1,000 gal. tanks for extended periods of time. When it's time to roll out a batch of nice fresh juice, they bring in the chemical and cosmetic folks who supply "flavour packs" (that would be artificial versions of color & flavour), throw it in, mix 'er up, and bingo...you have "juice." Sort of.
And guess what? They don't even have to list the flavour pack ingredients on the label. They used tricky little phrases like "made from fresh orange juice" (true, it WAS at one time) and so on.
Eat an orange in the morning! A real one.
Intensity Scale: 1 (mild) - 5 (steamin')
This article rating: 2.5
Yeah, it's pretty weird to think that some of the stuff passes as "food." I'll never forget when I discovered trisodium phosphate on labels of some of the breakfast cereals...Cinnamon Toast Crunch, for one. My daughters were quite young at the time, so I was paying attention. TSP is a chemical cleaner that is pretty powerful. Why it's in there, I'll never know. Can't possibly be good for you, though. Label reading has become a very interesting exercise...I often try and picture what the brilliant food scientist must be like - as a person - to deliberately add some of the obviously ungodly stuff into those foods. No conscience? No knowledge? I realize it's the companies that promote all this, but somebody had to formulate the stuff. Jeez...
Oh sure, it's all safe and wonderful. If you eat one thing at a time. Each one, by itself, is all perfectly wonderful (well, safe by our lax standards) in limited amounts. But who is monitoring the total intake of your food additives on a daily or weekly basis? Nobody. Who is sorting the effects of mixing certain additives together over the course of a day or week, or even a month? Nobody. Who is monitoring the cumulative effect ( the mixtures AND the volume) of all this stuff over a given period of time? NOBODY.
We've delegated all that bothersome stuff to a bunch of companies that do not have your long term health and well-being interests at the top of their mission statements.
Speaking of processed atrocities...My favourite is "fresh" orange juice. The expensive, brand name stuff and the cheap stuff too. Now think about it - oranges are harvested once a year. Will an orange keep for a year? No. If you juice it and put it in a nice jug, will it keep until the next crop is ready? No. So exactly how do they have this stuff on the shelves all year long, with expiry dates long before the next harvest?
Simple. They make it all into juice at harvest time, extract out all the goodies that would otherwise rot (color, flavour, nutrients) and keep the leftovers (water with trace amounts of whatever's in an orange) in 1,000 gal. tanks for extended periods of time. When it's time to roll out a batch of nice fresh juice, they bring in the chemical and cosmetic folks who supply "flavour packs" (that would be artificial versions of color & flavour), throw it in, mix 'er up, and bingo...you have "juice." Sort of.
And guess what? They don't even have to list the flavour pack ingredients on the label. They used tricky little phrases like "made from fresh orange juice" (true, it WAS at one time) and so on.
Eat an orange in the morning! A real one.
Last edited:
I grow apples in the Okanagan in British Columbia. We have smaller farms but the
plantings are high density 1800 to 2000 trees per acre. The hype about sprays is as
distorted as the organic label. Most people don't know that most if not all of the
organic food is not inspected. As someone who has been on many boards, the new
pesticides used are target pests, they kill codling moth but not lady bugs and other
predatory insects. They also have less harmful materials. For example Guthion used to be used, it had a re entry date of 18 days believe it or not. Now things like
Calypso or Altacor, you can safely re enter the orchard in less than 24 hours. In many
cases reduced risk products are being used with organic spray materials and there are quite a few, yes organic farmers spray. In addition, pheromones are being produced that result in mating disruption rather than spraying at all. In addition we
have an SIR program that actually uses sterile codling moths released into the
orchards as well. Farmers and ours is a family farm, are becoming more efficient
and using a mixture of methods to produce high quality food, with less pesticides
and a variety of pest control methods. We are also addressing the food safety issue
as well. Lots of things happening in farming these days.
plantings are high density 1800 to 2000 trees per acre. The hype about sprays is as
distorted as the organic label. Most people don't know that most if not all of the
organic food is not inspected. As someone who has been on many boards, the new
pesticides used are target pests, they kill codling moth but not lady bugs and other
predatory insects. They also have less harmful materials. For example Guthion used to be used, it had a re entry date of 18 days believe it or not. Now things like
Calypso or Altacor, you can safely re enter the orchard in less than 24 hours. In many
cases reduced risk products are being used with organic spray materials and there are quite a few, yes organic farmers spray. In addition, pheromones are being produced that result in mating disruption rather than spraying at all. In addition we
have an SIR program that actually uses sterile codling moths released into the
orchards as well. Farmers and ours is a family farm, are becoming more efficient
and using a mixture of methods to produce high quality food, with less pesticides
and a variety of pest control methods. We are also addressing the food safety issue
as well. Lots of things happening in farming these days.
Hey Grumpy, that is a mouthful and a very good one. I'm going to copy what you've said (if that's OK with you) and send it to some pure food nuts I know. I often wonder about the "fuzziness" surrounding organic...I mean, it's a nice word and all, but I think it means a lot of different things in different places.
I recently bought a few organic apples (the ones with a 9 on the little sticker) and had to cut out a pile of worms to find any good stuff. I finally gave up and they became compost. Next batch I bought had a tag with a 4 on 'em and I got to eat all of them. And now I feel even better about it, after reading your post.
Too bad marketing trumps facts in many cases...that information you have is quite important but I guess the challenge is how do you get it across. Costs big bucks, I know, but it's an important message. With facts. Refreshing. And thanks for sharing!
Actually butane is C4H10: 4 carbons and 10 hydrogens per molecule. It's a flammable gas.
tertiary butylhydroquinone ( C10H14O2 ) is not butane, it's a preservative. http://eeshanexportstbhq.toboc.com/images/pdf/621626.pdf
That's great, Grump.
I grew up eating OK apples. I'm wondering if it's still cheaper to buy a BC apple from WA than it is to buy a BC apple there, though.
There is a syndicated writer by the name of Misha Popoff, I have also seen stuff on the Internet, He was once an organic specialist, and he once wrote that organic the
word itself means nothing. Registered organic sometimes gets a little scrutiny
His articles appear in major newspapers from time to time and its interesting stuff
Here is something else that might not have occurred to you.
All imported organic product, must be sprayed with something before it can enter
the country, or risk contamination of domestic product.
I am not organic or anti organic I just like to see a level playing field and people get
what they pay for.
I think organic is a good idea but it must be inspected properly and the snake oil
salespeople removed from the system. Here is another money saving idea. Sometimes you see, Orchard Run fruit in stores, you know, apples in a cardboard
bin loose for less money. In most cases they are in fact C grade or outright culls
selling for top grade fresh from the orchard fruit. I wonder if anyone has inspected
it, The problem is environmentalism has been replaced with the word profit.
Environmentally friendly, organic, bio degradable are now just words in the industry
to entice people to change their buying habits. All this in my opinion has little to
do with reality.
word itself means nothing. Registered organic sometimes gets a little scrutiny
His articles appear in major newspapers from time to time and its interesting stuff
Here is something else that might not have occurred to you.
All imported organic product, must be sprayed with something before it can enter
the country, or risk contamination of domestic product.
I am not organic or anti organic I just like to see a level playing field and people get
what they pay for.
I think organic is a good idea but it must be inspected properly and the snake oil
salespeople removed from the system. Here is another money saving idea. Sometimes you see, Orchard Run fruit in stores, you know, apples in a cardboard
bin loose for less money. In most cases they are in fact C grade or outright culls
selling for top grade fresh from the orchard fruit. I wonder if anyone has inspected
it, The problem is environmentalism has been replaced with the word profit.
Environmentally friendly, organic, bio degradable are now just words in the industry
to entice people to change their buying habits. All this in my opinion has little to
do with reality.
Couldn't agree more. I don't see much reality either in any of the food advertising. It's pretty sad. All these trendy lo-fat, lo-carb, lo-cholesterol, lo-this, lo-that stuff is not only irritating, much of it is pure BS.
I get your point on the organic thing. Never thought about all that incoming having to be sprayed but now that you mention it...When I moved back to Canada from overseas, the federal government had a guy come out (to nowhereville) to spray all my shoes for bugs or something. And I had no plan to eat my shoes, so I can only imagine what they do to all that stuff coming from Chile, California, etc., etc. I think I'd be washing those grapes quite thoroughly before eating them. Mind you, I try not to buy stuff that isn't "local", or at least Canadian. Exceptions? Of course...it's hard to get local citrus fruit!
Thanks again for all the info., Grumpy...
Which, butane or TBHQ? TBHQ is a preservative and antioxidant, so it should be able to help people live to a ripe old age.
Seriously, I can't stand even going into a McDuh's, so I'd pass on both TBHQ and butane. lol