Dear Reader,
When you make up your shopping list, your weekly staples may include eggs, milk, cheese, tomatoes, OJ, and TP… but what about BPA, PFCs, FD&C Yellow 5, and Blue 1?
I’ll wager that you don’t write down those last ones I mentioned — yet the chances are pretty good that you’ll take one or more of those toxic food additives home with you.
That’s right — bisphenol A, perfluoroalkyls, tartrazine, and more could be hiding in that box of cereal, can of veggies, or frozen dinner that you put in your cart.
But those additives are just a drop in the bucket when you consider the many thousands of chemicals, colors, preservatives, and flavoring agents the FDA allows in food. Some have been around for so long that they were OK’d back when Eisenhower was president!
It’s only now, over 60 years later, that experts are finally starting to get worried, especially where our kids are concerned.
And while it’s great to hear respected authorities bringing this into the spotlight, not much is going to change.
There’s one way and one way alone to “fix” the food you eat… and make sure that you and your loved ones aren’t getting cumulative doses of poison with every bite you take… and that’s to take matters into your own hands.
Fortunately, that’s not as hard as you might think!
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Eyes wide shut
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Recently, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a “policy statement” immediately calling for federal regulators to “reform” the entire process of how food additives are regulated.
Many additives, it said, are extremely harmful to children, interfering with their growth and normal development. As we already know, certain colors are known to be connected to hyperactivity in kids (such as yellow 5, also known as tartrazine), and other chemicals added to our food have been linked to cancer.
But as I said, don’t expect much to happen, even after this ballyhoo.
Because not only does the FDA not do very much to keep foods and drugs safe — sometimes, it can’t do anything!
As the AAP pointed out, that agency doesn’t have the authority to even conduct safety reviews of additives that are already being used. That, the group said, would take an act of Congress.
In other words, don’t hold your breath.
But while the problem with harmful food ingredients has been a long time in the making, it seems that food companies have lately been going overboard with adding whatever chemical concoction it takes for their products to look or taste more appealing and/or last longer on the shelf.
Plus that, we all eat a lot more processed foods these days, and that’s especially true of our kids.
The AAP called out several additives that it considers the worst of the worst, some of which end up in our food “indirectly” — meaning they’re added to the packaging.
For example:
- PFCs, or perfluoroalkyls, are used to resist grease, stains, and water. They’re added to wrappings and packaging such as microwave popcorn and take-out pizza boxes. Those chemicals can affect the functioning of the thyroid system, weaken bones and muscle control, and even hamper brain development in kids.
- Bisphenol compounds, the most widely known being BPA, are added to harden plastics and line cans and can cause multiple organ problems and weight gain, decrease fertility, and lower immune function.
- Artificial colors, which are found in all kinds of food products — from fake blueberry bits in your breakfast cereal to the hues that make pickles in a jar look more appealing — have been linked to ADHD and other behavioral problems in children.
But as I mentioned, this problem is so vast that correcting all of the things that are wrong in this system is almost like trying to change the weather! In fact, getting rid of just one deadly additive — partially hydrogenated oil, which was blamed for thousands of fatal heart attacks every year — took decades.
Most of the safeguards you need to take start in the supermarket, and these top four shopping tips will help to significantly “clean up” the food in your kitchen:
#1: Instead of canned versions, buy fresh and frozen fruits and veggies without any added ingredients — such as flavor enhancers, oils, or colorings — whenever possible.
#2: When you do buy processed foods, always read the ingredient label. As a shortcut, put back any item with a list that takes up half the packaging. You don’t need 40 ingredients to make a snack bar!
#3: Avoid products that contain artificial colors, which turn up in the oddest places, such as frozen dinners, pizza, children’s vitamins, and cereals. Be suspicious of any colors that obviously aren’t found in nature, such as an iridescent-red cherry or a drink that is neon yellow!
#4: Especially steer clear of this trio of bad actors: MSG and aspartame (both known brain toxins) and high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, the laboratory sweetener used instead of sugar that can be a disaster to your liver and other organs.
And never use plastic containers to microwave food or beverages, as chemicals can leech out. You should also be sure to use glass for food storage and stainless steel instead of plastic bottles for beverages.
By taking these few simple precautions, you’ll be eliminating some of the worst toxins found in food from your family’s diet. And that has never been more urgent or important to do, especially since waiting for the government to do something may take decades… if it ever happens at all.
To Knowing What You’re Eating,
Melissa Young
