1. Phosphoric acid is a clear, colorless, odorless liquid with a syrupy consistency.

2. Phosphoric acid is used as an acidifying agent to give colas their tangy flavor.

3. Due to the use of phosphoric acid, cola is a actually more acid than lemon juice or vinegar. The vast amount of sugar acts to mask and balance the acidity.

4. Phosphoric acid also goes by E338, orthophosphoric acid, and phosphoric(V) acid.

5. Food-grade phosphoric acid is a mass-produced chemical, available cheaply and in large quantities.

6. Phosphoric acid is commonly used for rust removal.

7. Phosphorus-containing substances occur naturally (0.1%-0.5%) in foods such as milk, meat, poultry, fish, nuts, and egg yolks.

8. Phosphoric acid has been linked to lower bone density in some epidemiological studies, including a discussion in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

9. Opposing studies showed the opposite – that *low* intake of phosphorus leads to lower bone density. Guess who funded the studies? PepsiCo.

10. Aside from the risk of osteoporosis, Cola consumption has also been linked to chronic kidney disease and kidney stones.

11. According to the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), a consumer watchdog group not affiliated with the food industry, only a small fraction of the phosphate in the American diet comes from additives in soft drinks. Most comes from meat and dairy products. So your reason for not drinking Coke should be its sugar content and artificial food colorings, not the phosphoric acid.

…

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Energy bars are a popular and growing category of snack foods that are a natural evolution of breakfast cereals. Sixty years ago we had time to sit down for a hearty breakfast with the family. By the early seventies, families couldn’t bother with the hassle and settled for a bowl of cereal with milk. Nowadays, many people don’t have time for even this, so they grab a cereal bar / energy bar / snack bar and a spill proof cup of coffee and hop into the car for the morning commute.

With so many bars to choose from, you may find yourself confused. All these bars tout health benefits from here to the 2012 London Olympics. However, there are some companies that try to maintain a higher standard than others, and today we’ll take a look at products from 2 such bars:

Kashi Go Lean Caramel Peanut:

Larabar Peanut Butter Cookie:

Read more…

The hottest trend in the food industry lately is functional food. Although there is not formal definition for the term, its agreed that these are foods that can help reduce the risk of disease due to the presence of specific nutrients.

In general, the best functional foods are also the most unprocessed ones – fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as an example.

However, more and more processed foods are being fortified with nutrients in order to become “functional.” Manufacturers have realized that health sells, and usually commands a higher margin too.

And so we find calcium added to orange juice, vitamin C added to fruit snacks, and breakfast cereals fortified with pretty much the entire alphabet of minerals and vitamins.

OK. In the examples above, they’ve made decent products a bit healthier. But what can manufacturers do with products that at their core are not so healthy? Can a sugary / fatty / salty (take your pick) item  be miraculously transformed into something nutritious?

If we’re to judge by the sales of functional foods, sales are growing at a great clip, which means consumers have been convinced that the bag of cheese puffs fortified with omega-3 is really good for them.

An article in the Wall Street Journal recently tackled this topic:

Lillian Cheung, Ph.D, a nutrition professor at the Harvard School of Public Health, [...] points out that adding nutrients to a food can encourage people to perceive it as unequivocally healthy, whether it’s low-fat and fiber-rich oatmeal that’s been fortified or a similarly enhanced bag of potato chips packed with fat and bereft of any naturally occurring nutrients that the oatmeal has. “The fact that brands have gone to the trouble to add this stuff sends an implicit message that the finished product is desirable, and that’s just not always the case,” she says.

“Sports drinks are an example. The sugar they contain is so much worse than the added vitamins. But that information gets obscured.”

read more…

What you need to know:

The FDA does not recognize functional foods as a category. Which means it’s a wild west for marketers to sell us stories.

So if it’s too good to be true, it isn’t.

What to do at the supermarket:

Go for foods that are naturally functional. The less a food is processed, the most benefit you’ll reap. For example, get your omega-3 from fish, not a snack bar. If you’re still deficient in a certain nutrient, a fortified product is a good option, but only if at its base it is a nutritious product (non sugary cereals yes, soft drinks – NO).

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What do triathletes, professional football players, and weekend warriors fuel up on during an extra long workout?

Some of the answers, such as frozen pickle juice, sound a bit icky, but there is some logic here:

For some athletes, nothing says hot-weather workout savior like popsicles made from the briny, green liquid. The combination of water, salt, vinegar, and flavorings can replace essential electrolytes lost during exercise on hot, humid days. Freezing the juice takes away some of the ick-and-eww factor and adds some refreshing fun.

Read the entire Boston Globe article…

What you need to know:

To re-energize during and after a workout, one does not necessarily have to purchase expensive processed products. The body needs easy to absorb carbs, and athletes described in the article have even used simple solutions such as sugar cubes or salty potatoes.

Research shows that some natural food options can be more nutritionally effective than heavily-marketed sports drinks, energy bars, and gels. Many are more cost effective as well.

Most of us, who at best manage short workouts that don’t go over 90 minutes at a time, don’t even reach the physiological points that make pickle juice or costly gels a required replenishment.

What to do at the supermarket:

So don’t splurge on costly stuff. You need a combination of carbs and protein. A slice of whole wheat bread with peanut butter or a banana before a workout, plenty of water during and after, and a hard boiled egg or beans and salad are cheap simple options that will help you keep your machine running smoothly and economically.

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Baby food is big business, with over half a billion dollars in sales last year. For the companies manufacturing jars of mashed bananas and carrots, this is quite a profitable pursuit.

But why do parents, who could just as easily prepare these simple “dishes”, spend hundreds of dollars a year on jars of baby food?

The answers are varied, and include convenience, lack of food preparation knowledge, and great marketing by Gerber, Beech Nut, and a few smaller players.

A few moms that decided to go the homemade route shared their story:

Jaime Hollock, 32, mother of Micah, 13 months, has been making homemade baby food for her son ever since he started eating solids at 5½ months old.

Before Micah was born, Jaime decided she wanted to make her own food, so she bought two books to educate herself on the subject, giving her confidence.

“I learned this is no different than me cooking for myself”

read the entire article

What you need to know:

If you’re buying baby food to feed junior at home, you’re throwing money away. Especially in the early months of solids, there’s nothing easier than steaming or boiling carrots, zucchini, etc… and pureeing them. You can then store the puree in the freezer for an entire week, using an ice tray to create individual portions that will be used daily.

Chicken? not a problem. boil some water and throw a few drumsticks in a for 45 minutes. When prepared, separate the meat from the bones, and puree.

Fruit? The easiest . Just peel and puree. Bananas are the easiest – just use a fork to create a delicious mushy mass.

By following these first steps you’ll be providing your baby the freshest and tastiest food, without any additional ingredients. (To the manufacturers’ credit, they have removed most of the additives and sugar from baby food in the past few years).

What to do at the supermarket:

Save yourself money and splurge on supermarket baby food for those days where you’ll be on the road or out of the house for a long time.

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A survey conducted recently by IBM (yes, IBM) shows that less than 1 in 5 consumers trust food companies to provide them with safe food. 1000 people were surveyed. Additional stats:

60% of consumers are concerned about the safety of food they purchase.

63% are knowledgeable about the content of the food they buy.

46% named peanut butter as a recalled product. 15% remembered spinach as a recalled product.

63%  purposefully changed their grocery shopping behavior in the past two years because they wanted better value for their money.

45% have changed shopping behavior to access fresher foods and better quality foods.

What you need to know:

If you’re wondering what IBM has to do with food, they’ve prepares an answer here:

With innovative digital technology and powerful solutions, IBM is making sure food is traced properly as it passes though an increasingly complex global supply chain. IBM is also making that food heartier through biological research.

Will the recent spate of recalls, along with the rising obesity epidemic, and a new administration bent on change have a substantial effect on improving America’s diet?

Advances in information technology are helping information become available cheaply and easily. Manufacturers know exactly where they source every single ingredient. They should pass the information on to consumers.

With a bit of effort, they can create databases accessible to consumers online. Each of the ingredients of a specific product from a specific batch would then be traceable to it farm / laboratory origins.

What to do at the supermarket:

There’s not much consumers can do right now except demand more information from their grocer and from their favorite brands. If enough consumers will demand transparency, the information will start to appear.

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photo credit: Mr. T in DC

1. Extolling veggies – they are naturally low in calories, but high in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.

2. According the USDA, we’re supposed to get 5 servings of vegetables a day. That’s about 2 and a half cups worth.

3. Unfortunately, less than one third of Americans meet their daily vegetable requirement.

4. If you buy smart, you can meet your daily requirement for less than $2.50 a day.

5. Vegetables start losing their nutrients the moment they are picked, albeit slowly. Once in contact with water or heat, the process is greatly accelerated.

6. Wash vegetables just before serving.

7. Eating raw vegetables retains more nutrients than heating them. And if you’ve ever tasted fresh corn, minutes after harvest, you know it’s not as weird as it sounds to eat uncooked.

8. Choose veggies from all color ranges, as each color represents a different set of nutrients.

9. chopping vegetables into larger pieces helps maintain nutrients better than finely chopping because less surface area comes in contact with air or water that leech out the nutrients.

10. Steaming, microwaving, and a pressure cooker are the best cooking methods to retain nutrients.

11. Keeping the vegetable peels on is recommended where possible because the peel and area just below contain large amounts of nutrients such as fiber.

12. If preparing veggies in boiling water (for example corn on the cob), nutrients leech into the water. Don’t lose them by discarding this water, use it to prepare a soup or broth.

13. Remember ADEK – Vitamins that are fat soluble (Vitamin A, D, E, K). A tablespoon of olive or canola oil on a freshly prepared garden salad actually improves the bio-availability of these vitamins.

14. Vegetables can be served as a snack – carrot sticks, celery sticks filled with peanut butter, cherry tomatoes, etc,..

What to do at the supermarket:

If you’re on a tight budget – buy veggies in season, they’ll be much cheaper than imports from the other side of the planet. Check the frozen section at the supermarket – many times you’ll find cheap vegetables as well. Their nutritional value is often close or equal to that of their fresh equivalent.

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As millions of us are struggling to eat healthily and shed some pounds, a new book by a former head of the FDA, tries to explain the psychology of eating.

David Kessler was an FDA chief most notable for his battles against the tobacco industry. In his book, The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite,  he provides insight based on research as well as his own struggles with weight loss.

From the New York Times:

“Why does that chocolate chip cookie have such power over me?” Dr. Kessler asked in an interview. “Is it the cookie, the representation of the cookie in my brain? I spent seven years trying to figure out the answer.”

In “The End of Overeating,” Dr. Kessler finds some similarities [between the tobacco and] the food industry, which has combined and created foods in a way that taps into our brain circuitry and stimulates our desire for more.

When it comes to stimulating our brains, … individual ingredients aren’t particularly potent. But by combining fats, sugar and salt in innumerable ways, food makers have essentially tapped into the brain’s reward system, creating a feedback loop that stimulates our desire to eat and leaves us wanting more and more even when we’re full.

read more…

The bliss point is the precise junction of taste where people derive the greatest pleasure from a combination of fat, sugar and salt. Food scientists are constantly working on perfecting their products so they reach this point.

What you need to know:

The book is NOT an attack on the food industry, rather an observation on the helplessness of individuals to stand against the Big Food Machine that spends billions creating irresistible food-like substances, placing it everywhere we go, and advertising it any which way we turn.

Don’t get too depressed…

Dr. Kessler claims that overeating is not a sign of weak willpower, rather a certain biological circuitry in our minds that needs to be rewired. He then provides some pointers on how to start reprogramming ourselves.

Just as many of us now find cigarettes repulsive, Dr. Kessler argues that we can also undergo similar “perceptual shifts” about large portion sizes and processed foods. For instance, he notes that when people who once loved to eat steak become vegetarians, they typically begin to view animal protein as disgusting.

What to do at the supermarket:

One simple strategy is not to bring junkfood into the house. Stay away from the “dangerous” aisles, and buy alternatives that help keep your hunger in check. Instead of Snickers, buy raw almonds and dark chocolate. Instead of soda pop, opt for water and a fruit.

It’s a difficult mission, but your quality of your life and your children’s lives over the years depends on your success. Good luck!

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Those giant shiny apples and tomatoes stacked neatly at the produce stand at the supermarket are a marvel of nature. With a lot of help from man. And man’s chemicals.

In order to keep pests from blemishing your fruits and vegetables, farmers spend a fare share of their time and budget on hundreds of chemical solutions. Here are some crazy facts from a group called Pesticide Action Network:

1. 888 million lbs of pesticide are applied each year in the US – about 3 lbs per person.

2. Atrazine, a pesticide that has been banned in Europe, is found in 71% of US drinking water. It’s a hormone disruptor.

3. An average Amercian child gets over 5 “servings” of pesticide residue in their food and water, daily

4. A single strawberry can contain 22 different pesticide residues.

What you need to know:

The problem with pesticides is that they are persistent, they stay in our food even after vigorous washing. Some accumulate in our bodies over years. Not to mention the environmental impact in the soil and water sources. Or the poor farm workers who get sick after handling these toxic chemicals on a daily basis.

The folks at Pesticide Action Network have put together a searchable database where you can see which chemicals are used on which products, and the effect on our bodies. Quite scary.

The effect these residues have on fetuses, infants, and young children is much greater than on adults, so parents should be especially wary.

But please, don’t let this be your excuse not to eat fruit and vegetables! When put into the right context, it is much riskier to your health not to get the nutrients from produce than to be exposed to the pesticide residue.

What to do at the supermarket:

So what’s a worried parent to do?

Switching to organic food seems like a great solution, only it’s out of reach for most people due to the very high price of most organic vegetables, and even higher prices for organic fruit.

An approach taken by many people is selective organic consumption, choosing to go organic for the most heavily chemically drenched products, while sticking to conventional for the rest.

Here are the “dirty dozen” which are simply put, pesticide coated produce. you should buy these organic:

Apples, Bell Peppers, Celery, Cherries, Grapes, Nectarines, Peaches, Pears, Potatoes, Raspberries, Spinach, Strawberries

And for these items, don’t spend more for organic:

Asparagus, Avocado, Bananas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Corn, Garlic, Kiwi, Mangoes, Onions, Peas, Pineapples

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When we buy unprepared chicken, we like to think we’re getting just chicken. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. A recent article in the LA Times sheds some light on the practice of injecting raw chicken with saltwater solutions during processing:

Major producers who inject their products with saltwater solutions say it makes for tastier, juicier meat. Other producers promote their products as free of the additive and say that the practice is deceptive.

Raw chicken breast can contain as little as 50 to 75 milligrams of sodium per 4-ounce serving. But much of the chicken on the market in the U.S. is “enhanced” — injected with a salt solution, or broth, during processing. Sodium levels often reach well over 400 milligrams per serving — nearly one-third of the maximum daily intake of 1500 milligrams recommended for people at risk of high blood pressure (including African Americans and older adults).

Read more…

What you need to know:

This practice has been going on since the 1970′s. Processors use special equipment to inject the chicken with a saltwater broth and binders that enhance its flavor. Apparently, adding salt at home is no match for this technology.

The Truthful Labeling Coalition, is a lobbying group of poultry producers that don’t enhance their products. They’ve been pushing the USDA to change its policy, currently allowing up to 15% of the product sold to us as chicken to be salty water.

Manufacturers who do add sodium claim that this is what consumers want. Clearer labeling would probably help consumers better understand what they are buying.  But this is not something the injecting processors would like to do.

What to do at the supermarket:

Read the fine print on the label. If it says “enhanced with broth” or something similar, this means it could contain up to 15% water and a whole lot of sodium you don’t want. You get punished twice – paying for chicken and getting water, and the excess sodium.

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