are GMO soy lecithin and corn maltodextrin "natural"

_noob_
_noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
edited January 31 in Food and Nutrition
for labeling purposes on foods?

Replies

  • ngyoung
    ngyoung Posts: 311 Member
    I see them specifically listed in the ingredients and not lumped in with "other natural ingredients". Maltodextrin I see a lot, just another way to say sugar. Companies do whatever they think will make you believe it is good for you to eat.

    Soy lecithin is usually an emulsifier to make things look nicer or blend better when putting two things together that would normally separate.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Maltodextrin is. Soy Lecithin is naturally occurring, but typically extracted with a super scary solvent. BEWARE!
  • toothpastechica
    toothpastechica Posts: 250 Member
    anything GMO is not Natural.
  • _crafty_
    _crafty_ Posts: 1,682 Member
    Maltodextrin is. Soy Lecithin is naturally occurring, but typically extracted with a super scary solvent. BEWARE!

    you so smart . . . and pretty too

    :flowerforyou:
  • AJ_G
    AJ_G Posts: 4,158 Member
    Maltodextrin is tricky, it reacts exactly like sugar reacts in your body, but because of its chemical structure, it's considered a complex carb and doesn't have to be labeled as a sugar on the nutrition labels. Sneaky sneaky...
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    *sigh* This is going to make my head hurt... I should probably leave now.

    But, in my humble opinion, Maltodextrin is a far better alternative to other drying agents... But to each their own.

    http://www.wisegeek.com/is-maltodextrin-unsafe.htm
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
    This type of crap is why I like to eat non-packaged foods as often as possible. I shouldn't have to research my food.

    ETA: I'm not going to get into an argument about packaging, processing, whole, clean etc.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    This type of crap is why I like to eat non-packaged foods as often as possible. I shouldn't have to research my food.

    ETA: I'm not going to get into an argument about packaging, processing, whole, clean etc.

    But... I wanna fight? You're a red head, isn't that what we're supposed to do now??

    :tongue:
  • debaloo
    debaloo Posts: 129 Member
    From the FDA website...

    "FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances."

    It all depends on what your definition of natural is:happy:
  • _noob_
    _noob_ Posts: 3,306 Member
    From the FDA website...

    "FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances."

    It all depends on what your definition of natural is:happy:

    so a product, say "Stevia in the Raw" could advertise being "all natural", hype their sweetener as being "all natural" (as opposed to say splenda/aspartame), then use the same GMO corn for maltodextrin that every artificial sweetener is cut with.

    Interesting.
  • Rosplosion
    Rosplosion Posts: 739 Member
    This type of crap is why I like to eat non-packaged foods as often as possible. I shouldn't have to research my food.

    ETA: I'm not going to get into an argument about packaging, processing, whole, clean etc.

    But... I wanna fight? You're a red head, isn't that what we're supposed to do now??

    :tongue:

    I'll get into a girlie brawl but no internet pissing match. :angry:
  • debaloo
    debaloo Posts: 129 Member
    From the FDA website...

    "FDA has not developed a definition for use of the term natural or its derivatives. However, the agency has not objected to the use of the term if the food does not contain added color, artificial flavors, or synthetic substances."

    It all depends on what your definition of natural is:happy:

    so a product, say "Stevia in the Raw" could advertise being "all natural", hype their sweetener as being "all natural" (as opposed to say splenda/aspartame), then use the same GMO corn for maltodextrin that every artificial sweetener is cut with.

    Interesting.

    Exactly! LOL Food labels play on our cultural understanding of a word so it helps to know what the FDA's definition of a word if if we want to be educated consumers.
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    She's right. "Organic" is much more regulated than "Natural" labeling at this point in time.

    Let's take seasoning and herbs for example... "Organic" seasonings would generally have ingredients that are grown organically, pesticide free, etc., but may still contain Silicone Dioxide or other preservatives.

    On the flip side, "Natural" seasonings would not include Silicone Dioxide during the processing/packaging, but the herbs, garlic, etc. may not have been grown organically or pesticide free.
  • debaloo
    debaloo Posts: 129 Member
    She's right. "Organic" is much more regulated than "Natural" labeling at this point in time.

    Let's take seasoning and herbs for example... "Organic" seasonings would generally have ingredients that are grown organically, pesticide free, etc., but may still contain Silicone Dioxide or other preservatives.

    On the flip side, "Natural" seasonings would not include Silicone Dioxide during the processing/packaging, but the herbs, garlic, etc. may not have been grown organically or pesticide free.

    Lets not forget about the irradiation of herbs, fruits and vegetables that reflect nowhere on labels!
  • laele75
    laele75 Posts: 283 Member
    Any soy product is ridiculously processed to make it fit for human consumption. Every part of the soy plant is poisonous naturally. As for corn maltodextrin, that sounds like a fancy name for corn syrup. So I'm gonna say no.
  • conniedj
    conniedj Posts: 470 Member
    The FDA currently has no spine when it comes to defining "natural". Hopefully--this will soon change (for the better...)? I just read the following blurb a few days ago. I always find it interesting to see what will come out of legal actions. Sometimes they force a change that is greatly needed. Sometimes not so much!

    http://www.wholefoodsmagazine.com/news/breaking-news/judge-defers-fda-gmos-natural/WF098526
  • odusgolp
    odusgolp Posts: 10,477 Member
    Any soy product is ridiculously processed to make it fit for human consumption. Every part of the soy plant is poisonous naturally. As for corn maltodextrin, that sounds like a fancy name for corn syrup. So I'm gonna say no.


    :huh:

    No words....
  • Barbellgirl
    Barbellgirl Posts: 544 Member
    The majority of the soy grown worldwide is genetically modified so it's not natural to begin with, so none of it's by products could be considered natural either.

    http://www.gmo-compass.org/eng/grocery_shopping/crops/
This discussion has been closed.

Categories