What's In Your Food?

YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW!

In this post I will point out there are 1,000's of additives. The number of which are nearly endless.

Keep in mind the list below is only for the ADDITIVES TO FOOD, NOT what's in the manufactured food item's raw recipe itself!

Manufacturers' must list the additives they insert in their products. They are not required to list each additional additive used in the raw ingredients that make up the recipe itself.

Raw ingredients can of themselves contain additional additives (example: preservatives) which you may not find listed on the label.


GRAS
Under federal law some ingredients may be added to food under a GRAS determination made independently from the FDA.

The list contains many, but not all, of the substances subject to independent GRAS determinations. "Obviously safe" substances that are not cited above are classified as Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS).

Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) is a United States of America Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designation that a chemical or substance added to food is considered safe by experts, and so is exempted from the usual Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FFDCA)

Here can be found the GRAS list of ingredients.

Below are examples of just some of the GRAS items.

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose - expanded substitution pattern (HPMC-ESP) Use in food in general, including meat products

Phosphatidylserine Ingredient in yogurt (excluding fat-free yogurts), powdered milk, ready to drink soymilk, meal replacements, cereal bars, powdered beverage mixes, chewing gum, and breakfast cereals at 20 milligrams per serving

Carbon monoxide In modified atmosphere packing (MAP) for red meat products at levels of 5.5 milligrams/pound (12 milligrams/kilogram) of packaged meat

alpha-Cyclodextrin Use in selected foods, except meat and poultry, for fiber supplementation, as a carrier or stabilizer for flavors (flavor adjuvant), as a carrier or stabilizer for colors, vitamins and fatty acids and to improve mouthfeel in beverages

Conjugated linoleic acid Ingredient in yogurt, meal replacement beverages, meal replacement bars, fruit juices, milk-based fruit drinks, and milk-based beverages at a level of 1680 milligram per serving; in liquid cream substitute, powdered cream substitute, and milk chocolate at a level of 400 milligram per serving

Bovine milk-derived lactoferrin Use as an antimicrobial spray on beef carcasses that will subsequently be washed to reduce the levels of exogenously applied lactoferrin

Laccase enzyme preparation produced by Aspergillus oryzae expressing the gene encoding a laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila Use in breath freshening products (such as breath mints and chewing gum) as an enzyme

Glucose oxidase enzyme preparation from Aspergillus oryzae carrying a gene encoding a glucose oxidase from Aspergillus niger Use as an enzyme in baking applications and (in combination with a catalyze enzyme preparation) in the manufacture of foods such as cheese, beer, carbonated beverages, and fruit juice

1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (HFC-134a) Use in the production of food flavors and flavorings as an extraction solvent

ARASCO (arachidonic acid-rich single-cell oil) Provide ARASCO (as a source of arachidonic acid) in term infant formula, at a maximum level of 1.88 percent of total dietary fat when used in combination with DHASCO (docosahexaenoic acid-rich single-cell oil; as a source of docosahexaenoic acid) at a maximum level of 1.25 per cent of the total dietary fat and at a ratio ranging from 1:1 to 1:2 (DHASCO:ARASCO)

Pullulanase derived from Bacillus licheniformis carrying a gene encoding pullulanase from B. deramificans Use in the manufacture of starch hydrolysates and high fructose corn syrup as a processing aid at a minimum level necessary in accordance with good manufacturing practice

Lipase from Penicillium camembertii Used on fats and oils to produce fatty acids or glycerides at a level up to one percent of the weight of the fat or oil

And... I won't even begin to tell you how they keep your apples looking red or about those genetically altered fruits and vegetables.