Dirty Tricks

TKRV

For a long while, I've known that food companies often add things to otherwise healthy food that negate their value. They try and tell you it’s healthy while conveniently leaving out the various reasons why it is not. Among the biggest culprits I've found is cereal and varies nut mixes. What are the things you look out for to verify the health benefits proclaimed on the packaging are actually a reality?

For example, I always look at the sugar and fiber content of cereal then compare that to serving size. I was as little sugar with as much fiber as possible. I don’t really care if the first ingredient is whole grain when the 10-15 grams of sugar negate that benefit.

n0ob

For a long while, I've known that food companies often add things to otherwise healthy food that negate their value. They try and tell you it’s healthy while conveniently leaving out the various reasons why it is not. Among the biggest culprits I've found is cereal and varies nut mixes. What are the things you look out for to verify the health benefits proclaimed on the packaging are actually a reality?

For example, I always look at the sugar and fiber content of cereal then compare that to serving size. I was as little sugar with as much fiber as possible. I don’t really care if the first ingredient is whole grain when the 10-15 grams of sugar negate that benefit.

I agree, Kashi sucks...

soleilxo

I look at sodium. Its crazy the amount of salt thats added to everything. even things you dont think of its sad . Like for example, in soup. a nice vegetable soup seems nice, right..no..not when it has 1000-1500 mg of sodium even the low sodium is around 400-700. so i rarely eat soup anywhere anymore unless my mom makes it or me i hate salt lol

drmerc

How food tastes plays a big part in my purchasing decision

cmcollins001

How food tastes plays a big part in my purchasing decision

QFT

Cranktastic

BAH

DavPul

Wait, so adding sugar to fiber *negates* the fiber? Like, it makes it disappear? Is sugar like a magical eraser food?

1ConcreteGirl

Wait, so adding sugar to fiber *negates* the fiber? Like, it makes it disappear? Is sugar like a magical eraser food?

Yes, like white flour and butter. Now I want cookies, but that would erase the Greek yogurt I had this morning.

etoiles_argentees

I love sugar.

WillowBreeze

I don't think the intent was to say it "erases" it, but the amount of sugar definitely plays a role in whether I'll eat it or not.. therefore kind of taking away the food's credibility as an optimum choice even if it's got fiber. Just my thought.

JustANumber85

For a long while, I've known that food companies often add things to otherwise healthy food that negate their value. They try and tell you it’s healthy while conveniently leaving out the various reasons why it is not. Among the biggest culprits I've found is cereal and varies nut mixes. What are the things you look out for to verify the health benefits proclaimed on the packaging are actually a reality?

For example, I always look at the sugar and fiber content of cereal then compare that to serving size. I was as little sugar with as much fiber as possible. I don’t really care if the first ingredient is whole grain when the 10-15 grams of sugar negate that benefit.

I agree, Kashi sucks...

Kashi is better than CoCoa Puffs

DavPul

Wait, so adding sugar to fiber *negates* the fiber? Like, it makes it disappear? Is sugar like a magical eraser food?

Yes, like white flour and butter. Now I want cookies, but that would erase the Greek yogurt I had this morning.

COOKIES. Science needs to discover the magical eraser food for cookies so I can keep killing oreos. Quinoa, maybe?

UsedToBeHusky

Wait, so adding sugar to fiber *negates* the fiber? Like, it makes it disappear? Is sugar like a magical eraser food?

This!

cmcollins001

For a long while, I've known that food companies often add things to otherwise healthy food that negate their value. They try and tell you it’s healthy while conveniently leaving out the various reasons why it is not. Among the biggest culprits I've found is cereal and varies nut mixes. What are the things you look out for to verify the health benefits proclaimed on the packaging are actually a reality?

For example, I always look at the sugar and fiber content of cereal then compare that to serving size. I was as little sugar with as much fiber as possible. I don’t really care if the first ingredient is whole grain when the 10-15 grams of sugar negate that benefit.

I agree, Kashi sucks...

Kashi is better than CoCoa Puffs

I really really like CoCoa Puffs, I sorta kinda like Kashi. I disagree.

Pandorian

One of the "big tricks" they'll use is just the "order of ingredients" ever wonder why they'll use sugar, glucose, fructose, corn syrup, and a bunch of other items with the 'ose .... to "hide" that sugar is actually the main ingredient.

But because they use all those "different' forms of it in lesser amounts than the first ingredient listed so they can "validly" by the rules of "in order of the amount used in the "product"..." state that something other than sugar is the main ingredient.

Cocoa puffs oddly enough for 1 ounce serving size is 13 grams of sugar... half of your serving is sugar. At least from the first nutritional info chart that I saw from a google search.

So between the oddly small "serving size" and the order of amount used in the ingredient list you get a lot of games played. That's where the "info per 100 grams" would be a help... you wouldn't wind up with as many "foods" listed with 0 grams of fat when they actually could contain less than half a gram of fat in the serving size used... forget that it could take 4 of those "suggested servings" to make what a lot of people actually eat.

WendyTerry420

Wait, so adding sugar to fiber *negates* the fiber? Like, it makes it disappear? Is sugar like a magical eraser food?

That's why sugar is white. It's actually like "white-out" for food. It erases any fiber, vitamins, or any other nutrients.

WendyTerry420

For a long while, I've known that food companies often add things to otherwise healthy food that negate their value. They try and tell you it’s healthy while conveniently leaving out the various reasons why it is not. Among the biggest culprits I've found is cereal and varies nut mixes. What are the things you look out for to verify the health benefits proclaimed on the packaging are actually a reality?

For example, I always look at the sugar and fiber content of cereal then compare that to serving size. I was as little sugar with as much fiber as possible. I don’t really care if the first ingredient is whole grain when the 10-15 grams of sugar negate that benefit.

I agree, Kashi sucks...

Kashi is better than CoCoa Puffs

Have to disagree. Kashi is like sticks. Cocoa Puffs are, well, chocolatey deliciousness.

n0ob

For a long while, I've known that food companies often add things to otherwise healthy food that negate their value. They try and tell you it’s healthy while conveniently leaving out the various reasons why it is not. Among the biggest culprits I've found is cereal and varies nut mixes. What are the things you look out for to verify the health benefits proclaimed on the packaging are actually a reality?

For example, I always look at the sugar and fiber content of cereal then compare that to serving size. I was as little sugar with as much fiber as possible. I don’t really care if the first ingredient is whole grain when the 10-15 grams of sugar negate that benefit.

I agree, Kashi sucks...

Kashi is better than CoCoa Puffs

Have to disagree. Kashi is like sticks. Cocoa Puffs are, well, chocolatey deliciousness.

Go Lean Crunch is better than Smacks...

myofibril

I tend to avoid most things labelled "Fat Free".

AlabasterVerve

I think the fiber counts on food are pretty meaningless now for the most part. It used to be a good rule of thumb to go by, chances are if it still had some fiber in it the food wasn't processed to hell and back, but now manufacturers are adding cellulose to their food because they know consumers are looking at the fiber content specifically and foods with a high amount of fiber are deemed healthy.

Of course, I'm sure there are people and "experts" (like in this article) who'll claim that fiber is fiber and good for you no matter what the source be it celery or wood chips.

Why Wood Pulp Makes Ice Cream Creamier
By SARAH NASSAUER

What is often in shredded cheese besides cheese?

Powdered cellulose: minuscule pieces of wood pulp or other plant fibers that coat the cheese and keep it from clumping by blocking out moisture.

Cellulose can improve the texture of packaged food products, including bottled chocolate milk shakes.

One of an array of factory-made additives, cellulose is increasingly used by the processed-food industry, producers say. Food-product makers use it to thicken or stabilize foods, replace fat and boost fiber content, and cut the need for ingredients like oil or flour, which are getting more expensive.

Cellulose products, gums and fibers allow food manufactures to offer white bread with high dietary fiber content, low-fat ice cream that still feels creamy on the tongue, and allow cooks to sprinkle cheese over their dinner without taking time to shred.

Cellulose additives belong to a family of substances known as hydrocolloids that act in various ways with water, such as creating gels.

The rising cost of raw materials like flour, sugar and oil is helping boost the popularity of these additives, producers of the ingredients say.

Demand for cellulose is also rising because of the growing popularity of processed food products in China, India and other countries, and because consumers are demanding low-fat or nonfat foods that still have a creamy texture.

While some food manufactures say they aren't increasing the percentage of cellulose in their products, others are boosting the amount of fiber in their foods with cellulose and other ingredients. Companies can save money by using it, even though it costs more by weight than conventional ingredients. Cellulose gives food "more water, more air, a creamy feeling in [the] mouth with less of other ingredients," and only a very small amount is needed, says Niels Thestrup, vice president of the hydrocolloids department for Danisco AS. The Copenhagen-based company makes ingredients and enzymes for food, cleaning supplies and other products.

Cellulose is especially popular because it can be used in many ways in food and is relatively inexpensive at about $2.50 to $3 a pound for one type his company makes, says Mr. Thestrup. The company's sales of hydrocolloids had been rising 3% to 5% a year over the past decade, but in the past two years, sales are up about 6% to 8%.

Even organic-food products can contain cellulose.

Organic Valley uses powdered cellulose made from wood pulp in its shredded-cheese products. The company would prefer not to use a synthetic ingredient, but cellulose is bland, white and repels moisture, making it the favored choice over products such as potato starch, says Tripp Hughes, director of product marketing for Organic Valley.

Only powdered cellulose in its least manipulated form can be used in foods labeled "organic" or "made with organic" ingredients by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Cellulose comes in various forms, each with a specific use. Beyond powdered cellulose, two other modified forms are common in food. Microcrystalline cellulose is either listed as such on labels, as MCC, or in some cases as cellulose gel. Carboxymethyl cellulose or cellulose gum, another modified version, is listed as such on labels. Each gives foods a slightly different texture—from gelatinous to more liquid-like—because they trap varying amounts of air or water.

Powdered cellulose is made by cooking raw plant fiber—usually wood—in various chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified. Modified versions go through extra processing, such as exposing them to acid to further break down the fiber.

Although the notion of eating fine grains of wood pulp might make some consumers blanch, nutritionists say cellulose—which gives plants their structure—is a harmless fiber that can often cut calories in food. Insoluble dietary fibers like cellulose aren't digestible by humans so add bulk to food without making it more fattening.

In the U.S., cutting calories from food doesn't cause a problem because the country is in the grip of an obesity epidemic, says Joanne Slavin, professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota. She served as chairwoman the carbohydrate committee of the 2010 Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee.

Cellulose can serve as a good source of dietary fiber for people who don't eat enough fruits, vegetables or whole grains, Ms. Slavin says. The USDA's most recent dietary guidelines recommend young women get 28 grams a day of fiber and young men consume 38 grams.

"Cellulose is cellulose," regardless of if whether it comes from wood pulp or celery, says Michael Jacobson, executive director of the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a group that advocates healthier, more nutritious food. He says no research points to health problems related to consuming cellulose.

The Food and Drug Administration sets limits on the amount of cellulose in certain foods like cheese spreads and jams. The USDA also limits the amount of cellulose in meat products to about 1% to 4%, depending on the type, in order to meet the agency's standards for protein content.

Kraft Foods Inc. uses forms of cellulose made from wood pulp and cotton in products including shredded cheese and salad dressing. "Cellulose has unique properties making it the best choice to perform certain functions, such as anticaking, thickening and replacing fat," says spokeswoman Susan Davison.

Kraft and Organic Valley say cellulose makes up less than 1% of their shredded-cheese products. A Nestlé SA spokeswoman says the company uses various types of cellulose to improve the texture of some products.

Meat processor Tyson Foods Inc. TSN -0.36% uses cellulose on some cooked products to help maintain glazes or breading, but doesn't use it as a filler, a spokesman says. Kellogg Co. is raising the amount of dietary fiber in its products with cellulose and other fibers like psyllium and bran, says a spokeswoman.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703834804576300991196803916.html

iluvprettyshoes

Wait, so adding sugar to fiber *negates* the fiber? Like, it makes it disappear? Is sugar like a magical eraser food?

That's why sugar is white. It's actually like "white-out" for food. It erases any fiber, vitamins, or any other nutrients.

But I heard that if you eat a lot of oatmeal it sucks up all the sugar. And scrubs your arteries free of cholesterol.

llstacy

Wait, so adding sugar to fiber *negates* the fiber? Like, it makes it disappear? Is sugar like a magical eraser food?

That's why sugar is white. It's actually like "white-out" for food. It erases any fiber, vitamins, or any other nutrients.

But I heard that if you eat a lot of oatmeal it sucks up all the sugar. And scrubs your arteries free of cholesterol.

:laugh:

This thread reminds me of this cracked article from a while back. I had no idea that my fresh squeezed, not from concentrate, costs a million dollars a half gallon of orange juice was old juice from a vat and they just add "flavorings" they don't have to list on the ingredient label to make it taste good. Well not that it matters anymore since I don't drink juice now but still! It's not right.

http://www.cracked.com/article_19433_the-6-most-horrifying-lies-food-industry-feeding-you.html