Banned Foods: Olestra/Olean

            After reading through the astounding list of foods and additives that are allowed to be used in many of the foods that Americans consume each day, the one that caught my attention the most was a fake fat substitute called Olestra/Olean.  Most commonly known by its brand name, Olean, this fat substitute has been found in numerous high-fat foods, such as potato chips (specifically including Frito-Lay’s Light chips and Procter & Gamble’s Pringles brand chips), and fast-food fries. Although Olean does not add fat, calories, or cholesterol to its products, there are still many evident concerns about its negative side-effects. 

So what is the problem with adding Olean to one’s dietary menu? Well, as part of a study conducted by Purdue University in 2011 that fed rats with potato chips containing Olean, the results showed that the rats gained significant weight. Also, several reports have proven adverse intestinal side-affects to Olean, including diarrhea, cramps, and leaky bowls. However, the main problem with adding Olean as a fat substitute into one’s diet is the fact that it interferes with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E, and K. The scariest part about this knowledge, though, is that since 1996 the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed products with Olestra to be made in the United States as long as these vitamins are added to such products after being processed. 

Now that Olestra/Olean has been proven as a harmful fat substitute found in many of the foods eaten by individuals throughout the nation, what is the next step of action? Looking at other countries around the world aware of this information, both the United Kingdom (UK) and Canada have actually banned this fake fat substitute from their food products. As a concerned citizen living in the United States, and someone who eats food products that contain Olestra/Olean, I advocate the removal of this additive from the American diet as well. 

For a list of common food products that contain Olestra/Olean or for more information about this additive, click on the link below:

•         http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diet/eating-fake-fat-makes-real-fat-olestra-study/story?id=13893613

            The following photograph is from FotografiaBasica/Getty Images, depicting a container of fries (to the left) that contain Olestra/Olean and ketchup (to the right).

Using Poison to Fake Chicken Health

     There are many known food additives or components of the food production process that have been banned around the world. One of these components, arsenic, is used in order to cut the corners of chicken production. Arsenic is fed to chickens raised in the United States in order to increase their weight and consequently require the use of less chicken feed. Although arsenic is helpful in preventing parasite-infested poultry, its questionable qualities lead one to wonder if the element is really worth using. Despite arsenic's capability to make chicken appear healthier and more aesthetically pleasing, the element is known for being "notoriously poisonous" and a dangerous carcinogen (1).
     The use of arsenic in food production has been strictly banned by the European Union - and for good reason. Millions of people around the world are endangered by groundwater that has been contaminated by arsenic; many suffer from long-term damage (including cancer) after being exposed to the horrible poison (2). After recognizing the treacherous effects of arsenic I cannot help but wonder why the United States still permits the use of this element in our food. Exposure to arsenic contamination in water can result in effects such as this:

so why in the world would the FDA allow it to be intentionally injected into a primary American food source (3)?
     I sincerely hope that the FDA can come to its senses and acknowledge that our nation is quite literally being poisoned one chicken at a time. I haven't ever considered being a vegetarian, but if arsenic continues to be an integral part of the poultry-raising process, I might have to think twice next time I go to Food Lion.


(1) For more on how arsenic is used in the U.S.: http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/10-things-americans-eat-that-are-banned-elsewhere#6

(2) For more on the long-term effects and background of arsenic: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arsenic

(3) For the grotesque picture: http://insidecostarica.com/2013/04/19/arsenic-in-guanacaste-water-supplies-constitutional-court-puts-pressure-on-chinchilla-to-act/

Banned Foods: Potassium Bromate

Potassium Bromate is one prime example of an additive that is allowed in the United States, but is banned in other countries. Places such as China, Canada, and the European Union have prohibited potassium bromate for many reasons. For example, studies have shown that this additive in particular has been linked to help cause kidney damage, tumors, cancer, as well as damage to the nervous system. Any "normal" human being would suspect that for these reasons alone, most people would not use this additive. However, America continues on using potassium bromate as just another step in their process of making the bread that is sold throughout their country. The United States' reasoning for using such an additive is that it holds the dough together, while also making it easier for the bread to rise to a higher level than normal. America's main goal is to make sure that most of the potassium bromate cooks out of the bread as the dough bakes; however, not all of it does, and any amount that is ingested can be harmful to the human body. Although it may seem a bit surreal that a country could ignore the fact that the health of their citizens is now more endangered, it still happens. So as an American citizen, does that mean that we can still rely on and trust the F.D.A. if they have yet to band something that is so dangerous for humans to have? One would suspect not.

I know that to me this becomes personal when I think back to how I lost my best pal, Ally the dog, to kidney failure. You never really think that something like that could happen until it does. With that being said, it actually makes me a bit upset that our own F.D.A. would play around with such a serious condition; allowing such an additive to be placed in our food. In all, it makes me a bit ashamed that I have eaten the bread from my local grocery-store.

To find out more about how potassium bromate is being used in bread within the U.S., click on the following link.:  http://www.kingarthurflour.com/professional/bromate.html

Tasting the Rainbow May Be Bad For You

I have chosen to discuss the harmful effects that food coloring and dyes pose for consumers because I think it's safe to assume that most people have eaten something with red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and/or blue 2 at some point within the last year.  These food colors and dyes can be found in common foods that many consume everyday such as Kraft foods, children's cereals, sports drinks,  or candies. The problem with these colorful effects is that many children have developed allergies from the dyes and some contain carcinogens. Carcinogens damage DNA, which can eventually lead to cancer. With more and more individuals eating processed foods that contain food coloring everyday, the risk of Americans who can get cancer keeps increasing. Studies conducted by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) have linked ADHD to these same food colorings and dyes.

What is interesting is that although these dyes have been banned in countries like Norway and Austria, the FDA has not yet made any such laws that prohibited companies from using dyes. In order for Kraft to sell their products in these countries they must add natural food coloring by using ingredients like paprika extract, beetroot,  and annatto. Kraft and other companies should begin incorporating more natural food colors into their products. Although this may cost more to make, the cost can be made up in the price of the product because anything "natural" or "organic" is typically more expensive anyways. As a consumer, I would be willing to pay more for my favorite thing in the world, Mac n' Cheese, if I knew I was protecting myself from the harmful effects in the long run. I would hate to suffer from Cancer all because Kraft wanted their cheddar sauce to appear orange. 

ADHD source: http://www.foodsafetynews.com/2010/07/popular-food-dyes-linked-to-cancer-adhd-and-allergies/#.UkyojdKsiSo

Information on Carcinogens: http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-info/cancerandresearch/all-about-cancer/what-is-cancer/what--cancer/what-causes-cancer2#Carcinogens

Colors and dyes

Red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and blue 2 are some very common food colors and dyes that are found in many quick American foods such as fruits, chips, and yogurt. The colors and dyes are also found in lip moisturizer, shampoo, and some vitamins. There isn't a day in a regular American's life when they don't come into contact with these colors and dyes.

They debate on whether they are harmful or not has been going on in America for years, but in other countries such as Australia and Norway, they have been banned. Even Britain urges the companies not to use the colors and dyes. This is because of the fact that there are harmful toxins, carcinogens, and contributors to ADHD. The reason it is still legal in the USA is because there are other unnatural chemicals in most of the foods and health-care products that use colors and dyes, so determining the cause of health problems is tricky. If there are health problems associated with the health-care products and foods, it is almost impossible to link those problems back to the colors and dyes solely.

A way that companies can change the colors and dyes they use in their foods is to use natural resources to color their products. "... food makers like Kellogg's tint food distributed outside the U.S. with paprika extract, beetroot, annatto and other color additives thought to be much safer than the dyes used in the U.S." (msn, Colors and Dyes). This would be more expensive for the companies and the color might not be as vivid with the natural additives than with the dyes, but that's a price I would be willing to pay for the knowledge that there are no harmful dyes in my mac 'n cheese and shampoo.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/rachelhennessey/2012/08/27/living-in-color-the-potential-dangers-of-artificial-dyes/

http://healthyliving.msn.com/health-wellness/10-things-americans-eat-that-are-banned-elsewhere#7

Artificial dyes and colors

Many foods in the US are artificially colored using synthetic dyes.  Red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6, and blue 2 are the most common dyes used in the US, and they are used in foods ranging from mac and cheese to Jello. This is problematic because the Center for Science in the Public Interest has reported that many of these dyes contain carcinogens.  Other research has shown that added dyes can cause cancer, birth defects, anxiety, hypersensitivity, and behavioral defects.  But while these colors remain legal in the US, they are banned in Europe. Most foods containing dyes are required to have a warning notice on the packaging, and companies use natural alternatives to color their foods like paprika extract, beetroot, and annatto.

Research is still ongoing about the dyes that are still approved in the US, but there is a good chance that eventually they too will be banned and more natural colorings will become more common.  This link has more information about artificial dyes and the companies that still use them.

Farm Raised Salmon

The topic I have chosen to discuss is the dangers of farm raised Salmon. Farm raised salmon have been fed a food mixture of canthaxanthin, a chemical fed to them to produce their natural pink color. This chemical is used to keep the fish from turning an unhealthy gray from the food that they are given on the farm, since they do not get the natural krill diet that they are meant to have. This chemical is mostly banned in Australia, due to its effect on the retina, a part in the eye vital to sight. What I found interesting, however, was that this same chemical is used in self tanning pills, an oral medication which darkens skin tone. These pills are banned in the United States, yet salmon raisers are allowed to give it to the fish we will eventually ingest? I guess my real question is, why would the FDA approve it for use in our food, but not in a medication that could possibly prevent skin cancer through tanning beds? This medication has proven successful in countries such as Canada, therefore using it in the United States should have the similar effect.
Tristan Meadows

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-846-CANTHAXANTHIN.aspx?activeIngredientId=846&activeIngredientName=CANTHAXANTHIN