Food Industry Vent

[dr.mel_PT]

I am really amazed at how many foods have partially hydrogenated oils in them!! I always knew about cookies, cakes, etc, but I went food shopping yesterday and actually paid attention to the ingredients of everything and was APPALLED. Even my beloved sugar-free pudding has them (ironically the low fat pudding doesn,'t, but it does have 17 grams of sugar! UGH!!!!!!) To make a long story short, it took me a good 1/2 hour to find a decent low fat frozen yogurt without any hydrogenated oils or mono- / diglycerides and a relatively low amt of sugar.

And then I come home and see that stupid commercial defending foods with high-fructose corn syrup!! Seriously, are you kidding me?! I can't believe this crap gets advertised with all the obesity-related health problems in this country. It's really sickening.

 

[jennifermaria]

This is why I mostly shop at Trader Joe's now .

 

[Gayle]

Melissa - As one of the choir on this subject, I feel your pain. At this point, the only way to have any real quality control where food is concerned in to get to know the producers and/or make stuff from scratch.

FWIW - If you have an ice-cream maker, frozen yogurt and ice cream are both really, really easy to make yourself...and the end product is much better than store bought.

 

[sparrow13]

Melissa - As one of the choir on this subject, I feel your pain. At this point, the only way to have any real quality control where food is concerned in to get to know the producers and/or make stuff from scratch.

ITA.

It's to the point where just don't buy much in the "regular" grocery store anymore. I do hit Trader Joe's once a month but otherwise I get most of my stuff from the co-op or my local farmers or make it myself. And it's not just the hydrogenated oils of course, it's the soy and the soy protein isolate and the "natural" flavorings which are often MSG and the hideous preservatives and food colorings. I can't stand it.

 

[JMFRANE]

Another Trader Joes fan. Also, I have a co-op that I love. I am a big label reader. No weird ingredients in the food that I buy.

Joanne

 

[dr.mel_PT]

Yeah I am going to have to frequent TJ's more often now. I was so mad yesterday!!

Gayle, good call on the ice cream maker!! I didn't even think of that. I do have one, so I will definitely be putting it to better use now!

 

[Lastchance09]

I have made it a goal of mine to purchase foods with as little ingredients as possible. And that means the regular grocery store is out for me also. I wish people would read what they are eating.

 

[mgm1]

Basically most of the prepared stuff is full of garbage, wheather it is from a health food store or a regular supermarket. The ingredients that are added to prepared stuff are full of junk. Many of the prepacked products contain MSG under different labels like: natural flavors, spices, etc. On top of this, there is a law in US that 2% of ingredients in the products don't have to be listed on the label. I agree with Gayle about making your own food. It takes an effort and time but it is all worth at the end. When I am home, I spend most of my time in the kitchen

 

[Peaceful Rainbow]

It's a sad fact that people vote with their tastebuds and as long as people keep buying it, manufacturers will keep making it and permeating the shelves with it. Their bottom line is profit and those ingredients are cheap.

The rest of us, just have to read, read, read. Use as many whole foods as possible and find the brands that work for the rest. Once you've been doing it for awhile, you automatically know what you want, so it does get much faster, but you still need to glance through the labels, because they will change ingredients out of the blue and they aren't going to make it easy to spot.

 

[PhyllisG]

You can hear endless discussions on TV about obesity especially regarding children. However no one ever mentions the involvement of the food industry. They have studies about what causes obesity from overeating, to genetics, to even viruses. But the real culprits go unmentioned because of the very powerful food lobbies. Recently I have read two interesting books "The End of Overeating" by Kessler and "Real Food" author's name escapes me. I also liked Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food". It all comes down to the same thing--processed foods full of additives and preservatives. They are in everything! Even products that you really wouldn't suspect and I agree that it often applies to items in the health food store also. I guess I will be buying yet another ice cream maker!

 

[dr.mel_PT]

You can hear endless discussions on TV about obesity especially regarding children. However no one ever mentions the involvement of the food industry. They have studies about what causes obesity from overeating, to genetics, to even viruses. But the real culprits go unmentioned because of the very powerful food lobbies. Recently I have read two interesting books "The End of Overeating" by Kessler and "Real Food" author's name escapes me. I also liked Michael Pollan's "In Defense of Food". It all comes down to the same thing--processed foods full of additives and preservatives. They are in everything! Even products that you really wouldn't suspect and I agree that it often applies to items in the health food store also. I guess I will be buying yet another ice cream maker!

Thanks for the books, Phyllis; I will definitely have to check those out! I was reading up on this topic on my lunch break and it's also been linked to the increase in cancers and thyroid problems; my father was recently diagnosed with cancer and while doing the MRI, doctors found he also is developing some abnormalities in his thyroid. And he does eat a lot of processed foods!! I told my mom about it; hopefully they will take the leap with me and try to eat cleaner. I have been trying to get them to eat healthy for the past few years. They always laugh when they see me analyzing labels and researching better ways of eating, so maybe now they will jump on the bandwagon with me.

 

[RapidBreath]

And even Trader Joe's has a ton of products with crap in them. I'm so glad we have labeling laws that require them to put what is in it on the label. This is why I bake and cook for myself. When I don't feel like baking I just have a stir fry with a piece of chicken, some peas, and mushrooms. I don't even use a bottled teriyaki sauce because those are full of garbage too. Why does the food industry hate us all so much that they want to kill us? Doesn't it seem like a bad idea to kill your customers? Or is it designed to make us fat and stuped? Or do they fatten us up so that they can sell us diet products and fad workout gimics?

 

[mgm1]

And even Trader Joe's has a ton of products with crap in them. I'm so glad we have labeling laws that require them to put what is in it on the label.

by law they can still put 2% of whatever they want without putting it on the label

Why does the food industry hate us all so much that they want to kill us? Doesn't it seem like a bad idea to kill your customers? Or is it designed to make us fat and stuped? Or do they fatten us up so that they can sell us diet products and fad workout gimics?

yes, plus the pharmaceutical companies can get reach too

 

[kathryn]

Basically most of the prepared stuff is full of garbage, wheather it is from a health food store or a regular supermarket. The ingredients that are added to prepared stuff are full of junk. Many of the prepacked products contain MSG under different labels like: natural flavors, spices, etc. On top of this, there is a law in US that 2% of ingredients in the products don't have to be listed on the label. I agree with Gayle about making your own food. It takes an effort and time but it is all worth at the end. When I am home, I spend most of my time in the kitchen

ITA
The only aisles I frequent in my local grocery store are the produce section (mainly the small organic area) and the frozen food section (for frozen fruits).

The vast majority of prepared food both has "too much" in it (a lot of 'junk' like preservatives, maybe GMO ingredients--as most corn and non-organic soy is--chemicals, irradiated ingredients...that's why some call it frankenfood) and, at the same time, "not enough" in it (vitamins, minerals, natural fibers, enzymes, real food).

 

[Jennifit]

This is why I mostly shop at Trader Joe's now .

Me, too!
It is SHOCKING that we, as a society, allow these industries to get away with it.

 

[kathryn]

It is SHOCKING that we, as a society, allow these industries to get away with it.

I think most people don't know about it. And these industries are very powerful, with a lot of money to influence legislation in their favor.

 

[Pearlstrand]

I agree with Kathryn (hi, Kathryn!). Prepared food -- even so-called "health food" -- can be loaded with things you don't want or need (sugar, fats, etc.)

I rarely read labels anymore because I shop mostly the outer ring of my grocery store (eggs, meat/chicken, produce). Stay out of those center aisles if you can. I'm learning to cook healthier meals (from scratch) and trying to teach my kids to eat better.

For the low-down on the food industry, read "The End of Overeating," by David Kessler

 

[LaughingWater]

I think most people don't know about it. And these industries are very powerful, with a lot of money to influence legislation in their favor.

*nods* It seems you have to have oodles of money to donate to campaigns in order to buy a congressman's loyalty.

I love how key players in major food companies end up working for the FDA.

 

[sparrow13]

The number of former Monsanto employees now working for the Fed in food/health/agricultural policy is shocking.