It's only "Natural" and the FDA wants your opinion!

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  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
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    i don't care about studies - why is careegenan in my cluck cluck chicken ????
    so i don't have to shake it?
    sick of getting sick when i am not reading every single label.

    I know, it's ridiculous, on the other hand Horizon products will be removing carageenan from their products by the end of 2016. Some here in 2015. I'll look for that info.

    bevnet.com/news/2014/whitewave-to-remove-carrageenan-from-silk-horizon

    I've met the CEO of Whitewave. The reason they are doing this is public pressure, true... but not for health reasons... for profit reasons. If the public wants something, they are more than happy to comply because that's where they get their profits from. Greg Engles and Whitewave have strong ties to my previous employer and he is one of Dean Food's (parent company of WhiteWave) biggest financial backers. As far as those two are concerned... it's only profits that drive decision making.

    Thank God they are relenting to public pressure, after all there is only one milk I can buy at the grocery store because theirs at the moment has carageenan in it. The proof for me is that there are enough people with problems regarding it, that they are listening to consumers. After all, they lose my purchase every week at the grocery store because carageenan is listed on the carton.
  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
    edited November 2015
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    i have learned so much today - thanx everyone
    i wonder if these chicken products are making it to the cafeterias of our public school systems
    msg type products http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html

    I would not doubt our children are eating these hidden additives, we just have lost control of our food and have only our voices to make changes.

    We haven't lost our voices. You speak with your money. If you don't agree wth adding carrageenan to your food, but products without it. If there is a demand for products it's free of it, they will produce it.

    Agreed in full, there is a problem with this for me though. I am in rural america, so a whole plethora of products are not available to me without the additive, and those products that don't list it make me sick, and I have to personally call the company and ask them what is in the product. I shouldn't have to do that, I should be able to read a package and for 100% positive know that carageenan is not contained in it. For my absolute health safety.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
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    i have learned so much today - thanx everyone
    i wonder if these chicken products are making it to the cafeterias of our public school systems
    msg type products http://www.truthinlabeling.org/hiddensources.html

    I would not doubt our children are eating these hidden additives, we just have lost control of our food and have only our voices to make changes.

    We haven't lost our voices. You speak with your money. If you don't agree wth adding carrageenan to your food, but products without it. If there is a demand for products it's free of it, they will produce it.

    Agreed in full, there is a problem with this for me though. I am in rural america, so a whole plethora of products are not available to me without the additive, and those products that don't list it make me sick, and I have to personally call the company and ask them what is in the product. I shouldn't have to do that, I should be able to read a package and for 100% positive know that carageenan is not contained in it. For my absolute health safety.

    I agreed from the beginning about labelling. It is banning it completely I disagree with.
  • OyGeeBiv
    OyGeeBiv Posts: 733 Member
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    Carageenan is used as a thickener, and it keeps products from separating. Why can't we just go back to the label saying, "Shake well before use? That would take the carageenan completely out of the dairy products.

    This actually makes sense. I wonder how many people think they're lactose intolerant when it's really the carageenan in the dairy products that's causing symptoms.
  • ndj1979
    ndj1979 Posts: 29,136 Member
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    pzarnosky wrote: »
    http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1242073/pdf/ehp0109-000983.pdf


    Above is a PDF of different studies made on carageenan and the effects caused by it. Peer reviewed studies are not out there that I can find, and why would they be? The FDA claims that there is no problem using the additive, why would anyone do a peer review on it if the FDA says it's ok?

    Studies on the effects of the additive are there and the FDA is now recognizing there may be problems for people consuming additives and proper labeling. This is so that we as consumers can make informed decisions on what we are buying for our families and selves.

    Anyone who doesn't have a problem with ER visits or any other problems regarding additives in food will never understand what we go through and no-one should have to give you a peer review backing up our claims to what we go through and the pain we suffer. It is just not going to happen until these additives are truly recognized for what they are.

    Did you read all the way through the pdf you posted? Do you understand everything it says? There are over 9,000 peer reviewed articles on www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov which contains 22 databases if you search "carrageenan"

    You need to understand that when you post a rant villifying an additive that is in almost everything we consume, you're going to get backlash, and the community expects (especially those of us who study processes of the body) hard evidence to back up your claims, not a blog. It's not personal, and it's not discounting your pain.

    Carrageenan can cause an inflammation response because of certain binding cascades which will activate an increased production of interleukin-8, which is part of the immune response. It seems that in some people there is a decreased threshold of tolerance to the additive. Exposure to it, for some, causes an overproduction of IL-8 through that binding cascade. IL-8 is basically a chemical signal to specific types of white bloods cells and it tells them there is a foreign substance that needs to be elimintaed. The attack that insues causes inflammation and some damage to the GI tract, this is the cause of your pain and problems. It's really similar to an allergy. That does not mean that it is bad and dangerous for all people. There is no proof of that. Yes, there is evidence that in some individuals carrageenan can cause problems, but your blanket statement isn't really appropriate.

    +1
  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
    edited November 2015
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    64crayons wrote: »
    Carageenan is used as a thickener, and it keeps products from separating. Why can't we just go back to the label saying, "Shake well before use? That would take the carageenan completely out of the dairy products.

    This actually makes sense. I wonder how many people think they're lactose intolerant when it's really the carageenan in the dairy products that's causing symptoms.

    Exactly, for me it was the intense immediate pain after drinking milk. I also stopped using coffemate in my coffee because it caused me problems as soon as I took a sip of coffee. I was on the email list for coupons and unsubscribed, when they asked why I was unsubscribing I told them their ingredient list was nothing but a chemical laden coctail and I was tired of hurting after using their product. It wasn't long after that they came out with Natural Bliss and I read the ingredient label on it. It has carageenan listed but at the time I didn't know that was my problem. I bought the Natural Bliss and immediately had the intense pain from my coffee. This led me into my descent of the whirlpool called carageenan, and have since been able to rid myself of most problems, until I eat something that is not labeled correctly.
  • 3dogsrunning
    3dogsrunning Posts: 27,167 Member
    edited November 2015
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    64crayons wrote: »
    Carageenan is used as a thickener, and it keeps products from separating. Why can't we just go back to the label saying, "Shake well before use? That would take the carageenan completely out of the dairy products.

    This actually makes sense. I wonder how many people think they're lactose intolerant when it's really the carageenan in the dairy products that's causing symptoms.

    A quick google search makes it seems like a lot of regular milk doesn't have this. Some organic brands do.

    Lactaid does. So for someone who is lactose intolerant still experiencing issues when drinking lactose free milk, that should be an indicator.

    A lot of milk alternatives contains it. Seems like avoiding milk would cause more problems than plain milk if that were the case.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    To the OP, there is a brand of milk called Fairlife that doesn't have carageenan in it (except their chocolate milk). Just an FYI.

  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    To the OP, there is a brand of milk called Fairlife that doesn't have carageenan in it (except their chocolate milk). Just an FYI.

    Yes, thank you, it's not available in my area. The only one I can get without carageenan is Central Market "Organics" Brand. I'm rural so there aren't a lot of choices for me out here. I don't even have a Central Market here in my area but my local HEB carries it, the brand is their own offshoot from HEB. Unfortunately a lot of the products that HEB carries has carageenan in it, including their own branded products. It's very difficult to shop around here. I've even done online searches to find a company that would ship to me and none of them do because I am either in a different state or they can't sell in my area. Thanks, I appreciate your help.
  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
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    64crayons wrote: »
    Carageenan is used as a thickener, and it keeps products from separating. Why can't we just go back to the label saying, "Shake well before use? That would take the carageenan completely out of the dairy products.

    This actually makes sense. I wonder how many people think they're lactose intolerant when it's really the carageenan in the dairy products that's causing symptoms.

    A quick google search makes it seems like a lot of regular milk doesn't have this. Some organic brands do.

    Lactaid does. So for someone who is lactose intolerant still experiencing issues when drinking lactose free milk, that should be an indicator.

    A lot of milk alternatives contains it. Seems like avoiding milk would cause more problems than plain milk if that were the case.

    I believe that to be a case for a lot of people who avoid milk.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    To the OP, there is a brand of milk called Fairlife that doesn't have carageenan in it (except their chocolate milk). Just an FYI.

    Yes, thank you, it's not available in my area. The only one I can get without carageenan is Central Market "Organics" Brand. I'm rural so there aren't a lot of choices for me out here. I don't even have a Central Market here in my area but my local HEB carries it, the brand is their own offshoot from HEB. Unfortunately a lot of the products that HEB carries has carageenan in it, including their own branded products. It's very difficult to shop around here. I've even done online searches to find a company that would ship to me and none of them do because I am either in a different state or they can't sell in my area. Thanks, I appreciate your help.

    That sucks. Thought you would be able to get it near you since it's available everywhere around me.
  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
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    Hornsby wrote: »
    Hornsby wrote: »
    To the OP, there is a brand of milk called Fairlife that doesn't have carageenan in it (except their chocolate milk). Just an FYI.

    Yes, thank you, it's not available in my area. The only one I can get without carageenan is Central Market "Organics" Brand. I'm rural so there aren't a lot of choices for me out here. I don't even have a Central Market here in my area but my local HEB carries it, the brand is their own offshoot from HEB. Unfortunately a lot of the products that HEB carries has carageenan in it, including their own branded products. It's very difficult to shop around here. I've even done online searches to find a company that would ship to me and none of them do because I am either in a different state or they can't sell in my area. Thanks, I appreciate your help.

    That sucks. Thought you would be able to get it near you since it's available everywhere around me.

    LOL, yeah the problems with rural america.
  • Hornsby
    Hornsby Posts: 10,322 Member
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    where are you located, anewstart?
  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
    edited November 2015
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    South Texas, San Pat County, Ingleside. If you are doing a search please know that a website might say a store near me carries the product. Only the actual store near me doesn't really carry it, like Walmart or HEB, the only two grocery stores I have near me, unless I want to drive into the big town called Corpus Christi, which is way too far away to go shopping. Even then you can only add a Sprouts Farmers Market to the list for shopping.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Is there a TL:DR version?

    What?

    Too long, did not read. Do you have a truncated version?
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
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    ndj1979 wrote: »
    rabbitjb wrote: »
    Is there a TL:DR version?

    additives are bad and cause cancer; hence, you should not eat them.

    that is my cliff notes version.

    OP - that is fine that you believe that, but don't try to fear monger the rest of us into believing that additives are somehow evil.

    This is so true. Nothing is good or bad, you just have to find type of food that gives with you personally.
  • SLLRunner
    SLLRunner Posts: 12,942 Member
    edited November 2015
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    .

  • DeguelloTex
    DeguelloTex Posts: 6,652 Member
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    South Texas, San Pat County, Ingleside. If you are doing a search please know that a website might say a store near me carries the product. Only the actual store near me doesn't really carry it, like Walmart or HEB, the only two grocery stores I have near me, unless I want to drive into the big town called Corpus Christi, which is way too far away to go shopping. Even then you can only add a Sprouts Farmers Market to the list for shopping.
    You could ask HEB if they could get some. They might not, but their customer service is generally pretty excellent.

    If you have an HEB, you have a better grocery store than most people in urban America.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
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    I don't see any current FDA public inquiries on GRAS (of which carrageenan is one). This post did inspire me to check out the news at the FDA and I see it is cracking down on the dietary supplement industry. It is coming down especially hard on products containing powdered caffeine.

    As for the OP's quoting of random "science" to justify her fears, I'm giving my now standard reply.
    http://www.myfitnesspal.com/blog/jgnatca/view/finding-truth-in-fitness-claims-776737
  • anewstart22
    anewstart22 Posts: 885 Member
    edited November 2015
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    South Texas, San Pat County, Ingleside. If you are doing a search please know that a website might say a store near me carries the product. Only the actual store near me doesn't really carry it, like Walmart or HEB, the only two grocery stores I have near me, unless I want to drive into the big town called Corpus Christi, which is way too far away to go shopping. Even then you can only add a Sprouts Farmers Market to the list for shopping.
    You could ask HEB if they could get some. They might not, but their customer service is generally pretty excellent.

    If you have an HEB, you have a better grocery store than most people in urban America.

    Yes, thank you, I have asked before and there are just not enough HEB's around me that will carry the product, so they will only order it if they have multiple requests. I have a few times asked and been told it wasn't on the warehouse list so they won't order that specific item at all. I try for sure though, sometimes I am successful on shelf items like low salt chicken bouillon. I think it really just depends how many HEB stores are around you, and what the majority buys in your area. But yes, the customer service is usually pretty good. I have three stores near me, well one is only two miles away and a very small convenience store kind. The next closest 10 miles and the next closest is 18 miles from home. The one furthest from home ordered the bouillon for me but the other two wouldn't so I had to drive 18 miles to get it. Aye Aye Aye!