Unacceptable Ingredients?

This article in Slate.com, “Unacceptable Ingredients”

How many of the groceries sold at Walmart would be banned by Whole Foods?

indicates that Whole foods has a list of unacceptable ingredients that Walmart still allows. Whole Foods isn't perfect, however. They've been slow to get on the non-GMO bandwagon, but have recently committed to it. So, their list of unacceptable ingredients does not yet include genetically modified organisms. 

I would be surprised if all Whole Foods products for sale on their shelves really adhere to these standards (it's pretty easy to find methylparaben, for example, even in the highest quality lotions and cosmetics. See this post on "Philosophy" brand: http://americadontbuyit.blogspot.com/2007/03/sugar-coated-philosophy.html) 

High Fructose Corn Syrup

I guess almost everyone by now nows that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is bad for you. It's worse than cane sugar, because it's a cheap sweetener made from (GM) corn. It is not easily metabolized, and can lead to fatty liver disease and diabetes. A lot of manufacturers have stopped using it, but, it's still a key ingredient in a lot of food you might think of as "healthy" and buy regularly. Check the labels – you may not even know it's in there.

• Power Bars - Some varieties may contain HFCS as the first ingredient. Check the label. 
• Heinz Ketchup - INGREDIENTS: HEINZ® TOMATO KETCHUP (TOMATO CONCENTRATE FROM RED RIPE TOMATOES, DISTILLED VINEGAR, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, CORN SYRUP, SALT, SPICE, ONION POWDER, NATURAL FLAVORING) TABASCO® BRAND PEPPER SAUCE (DISTILLED VINEGAR, RED PEPPER, SALT), NATURAL FLAVORING. 
• Coke, Pepsi and most sodas, of course. Even Hansen's switched from cane sugar to HFCS for a while. Looks like they use cane sugar now. Check the label. 
• Yogurts - Yoplait has removed HFCS from its products, but watch out! They still contain added sugar and corn starch (most likely from GM corn). Check the label on other brands.

Read more about HFCS here, 

How many of the groceries sold at Walmart would be banned by Whole Foods?

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MiO - Don't Buy It!

Mio is a "liquid water enhancer" containing artificial flavors and coloring and pretty much zero nutritional value (except for one variety that has B vitamins). 

Why on earth would anyone pay $3.48 to have a squirt bottle full of propylene glycol, malic acid, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, potassium citrate, potassium sorbate to add to their water? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MiO

For $3.48 you could buy a nice bag of fresh oranges or lemons or limes and squeeze some fresh vitamin C, antioxidants and minerals into your water. 

MiO is a prime example of a non-nutritive product (from Kraft) that has no useful value to humanity and is built on pure marketing. Don't Buy It America! It's not good for you, it's expensive, and there are plenty of natural food alternatives to "flavor" your water. Kraft is one of those companies I generally avoid, especially because they use potentially harmful dyes in their products. http://blog.fooducate.com/2011/04/11/oh-my-mio-water-flavoring-has-nothing-real-in-it/

Response from ConAgra

So, ConAgra responded to my question about GMO foods that I mentioned in a previous post http://americadontbuyit.blogspot.com/2014/02/is-popcorn-safe.html. Here's what they had to say:

Consumer Affairs Email Response (Case#: 62205633)‏
conagra_ca​re@conagra.​epowercente​rdirect.com (conagra_care@conagra.epowercenterdirect.com)
2/15/14


Hello,

Thank you for your email.

We understand there is a lot of discussion around this topic and we do appreciate hearing from our consumers and would be happy to share your feedback.

We do use both GMO and Non-GMO Ingredients in our products because many ingredients in the food supply contain crops that are genetically modified. The most common food crops that are GMO include: corn (excluding popping corn), soybeans, rapeseed (canola), cotton (cottonseed oil) and sugar beets. Food ingredients with origins from these crops should be considered to be GMO. There are also some crops which are not derived from GMO sources: Wheat (This includes Ultra Grain and Hungarian flour.), popcorn (this is different than corn), tomatoes, potatoes and peanuts. All of these food crops are considered non-GMO.

We do have a number of product lines that are made with ingredients that were grown from seeds not derived from GMO sources:

Hunt's tomatoes
Popcorn - all of our Orville Redenbacher’s and Act II popcorn
Alexia potatoes
Rosarita beans

We want you to know that we appreciate you reaching out to us and sharing your thoughts. I will be sure to pass on your feedback to others in our organizations who are involved in these conversations.




Have a great day!


Sarah
Consumer Affairs Representative
ConAgra Foods
Case: 62205633

1-877-CONAGRA (1-877-266-2472)
www.conagrafoods.com

Nobody likes Chlorine

Like many people, I love to swim but I hate the exposure to chlorine. I have to take 2-3 showers afterwards to get rid of the smell on my skin.

A lot of pools are moving to a saltwater chlorination system to disinfect public swimming pools, but apparently that creates the same harmful byproducts as regular chlorination.

There are some things you can do to minimize skin exposure to chlorine in swimming pools. One simple thing is to take a shower before swimming. According to holisticsquid.com,

...a dangerous chemical compound called chloramine forms when chlorine reacts with ammonia from sweat. Showering before swimming can remove excess sweat that interacts with chlorine, reducing formation of chloramine on the skin.

So, just taking a shower before swimming can minimize exposure. Another good trick is to put coconut oil or any other kind of healthy oil on the skin. Read more here: http://holisticsquid.com/4-cheap-and-easy-ways-to-protect-against-swimming-pool-chemicals/ 

Is Popcorn Safe?

Is popcorn genetically modified? Interestingly, although most of the commercially-grown corn is genetically modified, one of the types of GM-free corn you can buy is popcorn.

If you look in the comments section of this webpage - http://www.mnn.com/food/healthy-eating/blogs/non-gmo-popcorn several growers confirm that there are no genetically modified varieties available for seed grown as popcorn.

So, I guess for now, you're safe buying popcorn! Of course other ingredients, such as corn oil or soybean oil that might be in your (microwaveable) popcorn would most likely be made from GMOs.

I'm going to write to Orville Redenbacher (ConAgra Foods) and ask this question, just to make sure. I'll let you know what they say!

GMO-free Tortillas

I'm still looking for some GMO-free tortillas. There are several "brands" at my local grocery but they are all owned by the Gruma Corporation: huge brands like Mission and Guerrero, and even some "homemade"- looking brands. How can I tell? Well the first clue is the ingredients. They are all the same. Worded exactly the same, in the same order. Hmmm, suspicious. But just a quick Internet search confirms that Gruma owns Mission, Maseca, and Guerrero.

I want to buy corn tortillas that 1) do not contain GM corn 2) do not contain wheat and 3) the corn in the tortillas have been treated with lime, which is a good thing, making vitamin B3 available and therefore more nutritious.

So, since I can't find them at the local grocery, I guess I will have to make my own! I'm going to follow this recipe: http://www.plantoeat.com/blog/2013/05/non-gmo-corn-tortillas/
using Bob's Red Mill.