Watch Out For the

Labels!How Being More Conscious of Food Labels

Can March Sustainability Into Your KitchenA PRESENTATION BY SARAH MILLER AND MICHAELA

What Food Labels Tell Us

Food labels can tell us the useful information we

need to know about the food we are purchasing.

Conveniently, they state nutritional facts such as

sodium and sugar counts

Dietary facts such as calorie and total fat count

Serving size

And the daily value percentage of these items

But what do labels not tell us?

What Labels Don’t Tell Us

While nutritional facts are important, what most food labels don’t tell

us are some of the essentials to a sustainable food system

Unless it’s labeled Fair Trade, most labels do not tell us how the

product was grown or made. Was it made at an establishment that

uses more resources than they return to the earth?

Currently, it is not mandatory to label GMO products in the US.

Vermont will become the first state to make it mandatory to label

GMO products. High fructose corn syrup, a genetically modified

product, is found in very many common foods such as syrup, juice,

bread, and cookies.

What Labels Don’t Tell Us

These deceptive food labels, it is difficult to be a smart consumer.

Buying common food items that contain genetically modified

ingredients contributes to the amount of man made chemicals in

the environment.

This is in violation with the second system condition of a sustainable

society, which states that a sustainable society is not subject to an

increasing amount of chemical substances in the environment.

BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene)

This common additive used to prevent oxidation in

a wide variety of foods and cosmetics is listed by

the National Toxicology Program to be a human

carcinogen.

It is also used in jet fuels, rubber petroleum

products, transformer oil and embalming fluid.

Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) warns that BHT

should not be allowed to enter the environment,

can cause liver damage, and is harmful to aquatic organisms.

High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Studies have shown that the reactive carbonyl

molecules can cause tissue damage that may lead

to obesity, diabetes, and also heart disease.

HFCS is made from genetically modified corn and

processed with genetically modified enzymes.

Studies have recently revealed that nearly half of

tested samples of HFCS contained mercury.

Yellow #5 and other Dyes

Almost all colorants approved for use in food are derived from coal

tar and may contain up to 10ppm of lead and arsenic.

Most coal tar colors could potentially cause cancer.

Propylene glycol alginate (E405)

This food thickener, stabilizer,

and emulsifier is derived from

alginic acid esterified and

combined with propylene

glycol.

It has many industrial uses

including automotive

antifreezes and airport runway de-icers.

Aspartame

Aspartame is one of the most

common artificial sweeteners in use

today.

It is used in many foods and

beverages because it is about 200

times sweeter than sugar, so much

less of it can be used to give the same level of sweetness. This, in turn,

lowers the calories in the food or

beverage.

Can lead to cancer, strokes,

diabetes, and heart disease.

Xanthan Gum

Is used to thicken foods like salad dressing

It is also used in hair gels and concrete.

Remember..

Ingredients on product packaging are listed according to quantity;

the ingredient making up the largest quantity is listed first, and so on.

Food producers are getting creative. Many of the old ingredients

names have changed to a analogous name.

We are what we eat!

Knowing what deceiving ingredients we are eating can prevent

potential future health related issues.

Becoming aware of the information of food labels can march food

sustainability into your kitchen.

Discussion

Look in your pantry and pull out two food items. Find two ingredients

that you do not know about.

a. list the food item

b. list the ingredient

c. list what the compound is made of

d. list the health effects