Oreos, Coca Cola, Campbell's tomato soup, Honey Nut Cheerios, Hershey's chocolate syrup. What do all of these things have in common besides being something edible?
Today I would like to inform you about artificial and natural flavorings. Although they may seem different, one healthier than other; they are truly the same thing. I firmly believe awareness of artificial and natural flavorings in food is a good idea as the FDA, or Food and Drug Administration, does not require that all flavors in food be listed one by one. In fact, when your breakfast cereal says flavors, it could mean one flavor or it could mean seven. So, let’s take a look at what artificial and natural flavors are and what the FDA says they must contain to be labeled under one or the other title, how they are made, the possible health risks they can pose, and lastly, we will look at a company many of you may never have heard about, the Flavor and Extract Manufactures Association.
You may have read, that it’s better to eat food containing natural flavorings rather than food containing artificial flavors if you’re going to eat them at all. However, are no health benefits distinguishing one
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You may be thinking right now, why is she telling me this? Everyone knows that banana flavor tastes horribly fake! I really don't need someone to tell me this.' But, what you may not know is that banana flavor is actually derived from real bananas! In a BBC article on artificial flavors by Chris Baraniuk, synthetic organic chemist Derek Lowe states that, “The thing is, banana can be mimicked most of the way with a simple compound called isoamyl acetate. Many chemists know it as ‘banana ester’ and anyone who smells it immediately goes, ‘banana!’ Isoamyl acetate, which is indeed found in bananas, is a very simple compound that is both cheap to produce and highly versatile"
Now, scientists say artificial foods can be compared to all sorts of things, like drugs. Let’s compare this: Refined white sugar has killed more people in the world THAN ALL DRUGS COMBINED (That’s worse than eating lots of sugar) . Also, consider this: All of this fake and artificial “food” has seemed to affect kids in a way where they become hyper and sometimes temporarily mentally disabled.
The state of the American Health in the U.S has become an increasing concern of many Americans. An article entitled “11 Facts about American Eating Habits,” addresses the state of food in the U.S by stating, “Healthiness of the food we eat decreases by 1.7 percent for every hour that passes in the day.” Experts and scientists in the U.S has raised questions about regarding the different ways food is now being produced. While individuals are usually not aware of the ingredients that food contains, many people continue to have unhealthy eating habits. In the past few decades, food production has included numerous artificial ingredients that are said to be the cause of various health problems. Various artificial ingredients that are commonly
I. What does coffee, tea, soft drinks, chocolate, and a bottle of medications have in common?
Firstly, we see the word natural in a lot of everyday stuff we use. In marketing it is a common named that is used for selling the product. Advertisers use the word “natural” to persuade people who are looking after their health to buy their product. Like in the product Kettle chips, they use the slogan in the ad “We make our potato chips using the freshest natural ingredients.” Like all natural cheddar or sea salt. The ad features a jingle with the announcer describing the product. They are trying to get the people to buy their chips, by knowing what is in them makes people want to buy it. Also, by thinking it is going to make them more healthier. Knowing that it is made with all natural ingredients and no preservatives. Another ad that
Approximately ten thousand processed food products are introduced every year in the United States. The Food and Drug Administration does not require flavor companies to disclose the ingredients other additives so long as all the chemicals are considered by the agency to be GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe)” (Schlosser 122-125). With the use of flavor add-ins the fast food industry is been able to make their food cheaper to re-create the same taste we are used to. The author use of logos in the novel only allows for the facts to be stated and
Getting fit and losing weight has always been the huge craze of New Year’s Resolutions. But has the thought that ever crossed the minds of these motivated individuals that this process may be made easier by eating real food. As Schlosser begins to explain how silent the flavor industry is about the truth, he adds that the industry believes they are “protecting the reputations of beloved brands” because “fast food chains… would like the public to believe that the flavors of their food somehow originate in their restaurant
Schlosser states, “The flavor industry is highly secretive” (21). Schlosser means that it is hard to find out information about the flavor industry. This makes me highly cautious, as there is a reason for this. Schlosser notes, “A person’s food preferences, like his or her personality, are formed during the first few years of life, through a process of socialization” (23). The flavors that one tastes will carry on with them throughout their whole life. The flavor industry brings us in using flavors, since that is how (for the most part) we decide what we eat. However, it is not always the right thing to eat. As someone who is becoming more and more informed, I am also becoming more cautious as to what I eat.
With this increase in the productivity of farmers, came a proliferation of food processing industries and fast food restaurants. These food processing industries and restaurants capitalized on the abundant, overly cheap commodity crops to their advantage; to make profit, and to the disadvantage of poor Americans. During processing of these commodity crops, the natural nutrients that give these foods their natural flavors are destroyed. To replace these, food additives and flavorings are added to restore their taste and prolong their shelf life. Often these chemicals contain some harmful elements that affect the way our bodies use food. These highly processed foods, dense in calories,
Many of these foods has been promoted as constructive to one’s health, however, that may not be the case at all.
Part 1 The way people perceive taste is impacted by a number of factors. These include, but are not limited to, age, weight, hormones, sickness and disease, smoking, and diet. Diet is the factor that this paper focuses on. Diet is impacted by the way people taste in that people are used to eating a certain amount of additives and preservatives. Some eat a very low amount, while for others, everything they eat contains additives and preservatives. There is a large range, but this paper will be focusing on two sides: people who eat a moderate to high amount of additives and preservatives in their daily life —this group will be referred to as Group 1—and people who eat very little to none—this group will be referred to as Group 2.
The government masks what is put into our food. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) certifies the use of partially hydrogenated oils, high-fructose corn syrup, butylated hydroxyanisole, propyl gallate, potassium bromate and many other additives for a sustained shelf-life and stabilization of flavors. These additives have been directly
By canning, freezing, and dehydrating techniques used to process food destroy most of its flavor.” (120). The International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) company (which is a huge company that manufactures different types of flavors and fragrances through the process of coalescing chemicals. The IFF corporation has branches that vary all over the nation, they are accountable for the different types of flavors of so many foods, drinks, and many personal hygienic products like gum, soap, toothpaste, perfume and body wash.” The basic science behind the scent of your shaving cream is the same as that governing the flavor of your TV dinner.” (122) It is very outrageous that the flavors of the food we consume are created by the mixing of chemicals that the IFF undertakes. Consuming foods that have been chemically fabricated is not a substance our bodies would benefit from. Consumption of chemicals shouldn’t ever be acceptable. Fast food industries have lowered their standards, they prioritize the act of making money in any means possible over the evident facts on why chemicals should not be administered into our
In the essay “What's Natural about Our Natural Products?”, Sarah Federman claims that although many people believe that the word natural on a food label means that a product is healthier than others, natural doesn't actually mean anything, because is an unregulated word. The author describes how marketers use the word “natural” to bait people in to buying a certain product thinking that is better than another “unnatural” product. She says that the word is most prevalent at the grocery store, and gives examples of different products with the word “natural” on their label. Federman explains the difference between the products that don't have “natural” on the label and the ones that do. She states that, often, the “natural” food products are more
The debate between naturally derived sugars and low-calorie artificial sweeteners has been going on for years now. As our population’s obesity rate grows every year and health concerns related to weight-control grows along with it, natural sugar is scrutinized and we are told to keep away from it as it is our enemy. Over the last couple of decades, we have been introduced to more and more varieties of artificial sweeteners promising to deliver the same sweetness or even more sweetness than natural sugar (some offer as much as 200 times more sweetness than sugar) but with a much lower calorie content, or some even no calories at all. Artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, Sweet n’ Low, NutraSweet, and Equal have become popular as “better alternatives” to table sugar, promising to help battle weight gain and actually assist in losing weight. However, does this make it the healthier option? As with all things, both natural sugar and artificial sugar have their pros and cons, but in order to find the best option in regards to our health and futures, it’s important to weigh them according to scientific findings and research.
big market share, such as Pepsi Cola, Mt.Dew, and so on. I like to drink Coke