Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives

How safe are the artificial colors
and dyes added to candy? Would it surprise
you to hear they're banned throughout Europe?

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  Many of us have been exposed to the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15 'clean eating' lists. I've previously written about both of them several times.

  The Dirty Dozen are fruits and vegetables we should always buy organic (if you're trying to avoid pesticides, etc), while the Clean 15 are foods that are okay to buy conventionally (many times, produce that has thick skins or rinds).

  Unfortunately, our entire diet is not made up of only produce. For convenience's sake, processed foods are a part of our daily lives. Foods we buy in a box (meaning, they're processed), come with a plethora of added ingredients.

  Wouldn't it be nice to know what ingredients we should really try to avoid -- just like those pesticides found on produce?

Cured meats contain nitrates and nitrites.

  The Environmental Working Group (EWG), the same group that publishes the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen, followed through, and released the first Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives.

  The list does exactly what it sounds like it does: identifies the top food additives that are harmful and why consumers should avoid eating foods that contain these additives.

  There are over 10,000 additives allowed in the US Food Supply. Most of the additives identified for the dirty dozen are controversial because they are generally recognized as safe in the US, but are known carcinogens or disruptors, and are banned or restricted in other countries around the world.

DIRTY DOZEN GUIDE TO FOOD ADDITIVES:

1. Nitrates and nitrites -- very common; found in cured meats, can react to form cancer-causing compounds
2. Potassium bromate -- used in bread and cracker dough; a known carcinogen
3. Propyl paraben -- a weak synthetic estrogen found in tortillas and muffins
4. Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) -- very common; found in chips, cured meats, etc; categorized as a possible human carcinogen
5. Butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) -- chemical cousin to BHA
6. Propyl gallate -- preservative found in edible fats
7. Theobromine -- found in chocolate
8. Secret flavor ingredients -- 'artificial' or 'natural' flavors; mostly synthetic chemicals that can contain 100 different substances (that do not have to be disclosed by the manufacturer)
9. Artificial colors -- used to increase the appeal of a foods with little nutritional value; are banned throughout Europe because of effect on children
10. Diacetyl -- in microwave popcorn, yogurt, cheeses, etc; concerns over working closely with flavoring chemicals in food factories have been raised as of late
11. Phosphates -- most common additive -- found in over 20,000 products; leaven baked goods, reduce acid and improve moisture retention and tenderness in processed meats; concerns over cardiovascular/heart disease in high phosphate levels
12. Aluminum additives -- used as food stabilizers

  If you have further questions, follow the link to the EWG's guide to explore and learn more about the specifics of these additives and their health concerns.

  So what does this mean? From the looks of it -- as you walk down the grocery store aisles -- most of us are reading food labels these days anyways; the latest list from the EWG just gives us something specific to look for!

  There is a lot of information out there; the key is getting it. And once you have the information, it's up to you to do with it as you like!

LINKS:

Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives

Environmental Working Group (EWG)

RELATED POSTS:

Clean or Dirty? Produce Rundown

Supermarket Sweep

Produce Clean Up: Pesticide Removal

Clean or Dirty: Produce Rundown

Pears: clean, or dirty?

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  Time for an update! Originally I posted a Dirty Dozen/Clean 15 reminder in March of 2013, but as time goes on, things change.

  With 2014, new Dirty Dozen and Clean 15 lists have surfaced.

  The Environmental Working Group (EWG) publishes a shopper's guide to help consumers avoid high amounts of harmful pesticides on fruit and vegetables.

  The Dirty Dozen (known as the Dirty Dozen Plus, as of 2012) is a list made up of fresh fruits and vegetables that were found to have the highest amount of pesticide residues. Because of the high pesticide levels, it is recommended to always buy Dirty Dozen produce organically.

  On the other hand, the Clean 15 is a list of the 15 fruits and vegetables with the least amount of pesticide residues. Many of these items have thick skins or rinds that are pealed off, and never eaten, therefore it's not as imperative to buy them organically.

  To see the full list of pesticide residue found on produce, see the EWG's Shopper's Guide.

  So what do you do when your favorite fruit or veggie isn't on either list? I think that's up for you to decide.

  If I can find high-quality, well-priced items that lie just outside the Dirty Dozen, more often than not, I opt to buy them organic.

  Hope this reminder was just as helpful for you as it was for me!

 RELATED POSTS:

Making Organic More Affordable 

Organic vs. Conventional

LINKS:

Pesticides On My Produce?

EWG's 2014 Shopper's Guide to Pesticides on Produce

Produce Clean Up: Pesticide Removal?

Cleaning our produce is a must!

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  Last week while refreshing both my memory and yours on the ins and outs of the Clean 15 and Dirty Dozen, I came to a realization:

   I do a terrible job washing my produce!

  No matter if we buy organic or conventional (chemical) produce, there's still a great need to wash it before we eat it. While organic produce rids us of most pesticide worry, the necessity to wash all our fruits and vegetables remains ever-present.

  Whether it'd be washing away pesticides, dirt, germs, bacteria or all of the above, we need to clean our produce prior to biting into it. I know I am guilty, from time to time, of grabbing an apple, running it under water for .2 seconds (or sometimes not at all), buffing it on a towel or my shirt, and chomping into it. Actually, I used to do it all the time!

  But really, what does that do? Next to nothing.

  We can wash pesticide residues and bacteria off. But it definitely takes a little more than a rinse and a buff.

  Following a few healthy habits can potentially reduce pesticide residue by 75%, and lower virus and bacteria presence by 90-95%. And all it takes is a few more minutes, and a couple extra scrubs!

The Roads Our Produce Travels
  Pesticides are meant to survive through rainy weather and watering, that's why farmers use them!  So obviously all pesticide residue cannot be removed, nor can they be removed when they've seeped through the skin, and into the fruits and vegetables themselves (why buying organic produce is ideal).

Pesticides: can we get rid of them?

  And what about viruses and bacteria the produce picks up as it is transported from farm to grocery store? Sitting in bins, being touched by countless hands, think about where our healthy snack or dinner salad has been!

  I don't know why, but that had never really dawned on me til now. But as I think about it, I realize just how important washing my produce can be.

  Let's make our fruits and veggies even healthier (and probably taste better) by ditching the things we can get rid of!

The Study
  Not shockingly, simply running our fruit and veggies under water for a few seconds really isn't very effective. But it doesn't require too much more effort to make all the difference in the world.

  A comparison of pesticide removal methods (on 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes) at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000 showed that rinsing the produce under tap water for one minute, and treating produce with either a 1% solution of Palmolive dish soap or a fruit and vegetable wash, all produced roughly the same results.

  Tap water rinsing, and soap and wash products all 'significantly reduced' residues of 9 of 12 pesticides. The study went on to detail that water temperature was not the key, but friction was. Scrubbing the produce under tap water is likely the most effective method, and is likely most responsible for removing pesticide residues.

Careful cleaning's important!

Suggested Cleaning Method
  How can we effectively wash pesticides, bacteria, and virus traces off our fruit and veggies?

  Overall, the most effective method, according to the research, is to wash, and lightly scrub, produce with a vinegar solution (one part vinegar to three parts water), and then rinse with tap water for at least 30 seconds. The vinegar mixture reduced bacteria by 90%, repelled viruses by about 95%, while reducing residues of 75% of the pesticides.

  Keeping a spray bottle handy with your vinegar solution is a convenient way to make rinsing more efficient.

Effective Methods:
  -Mix 3 parts water to 1 part white vinegar (3:1 ) in a spray bottle.
  -Spray on fruits and veggies to get rid of pesticide residue.
  -Rinse with water after spraying.
OR
  -Fill a bowl with water and add 1/8 to 1/2 cup of vinegar, depending on the size of your bowl.
  -Place your fruits and veggies in the bowl.
  -Soak for 15 to 20 minutes. Rinse with water.

  At the very least, rinse and scrub!

  There are obvious advantages that carefully cleaning our produce has: not ingesting pesticides, and removal of many harmful bacteria, fungi, and some viruses. I'm a little ashamed that I've never really thought of these benefits until recently.

  Let's give our produce, and our own health, a little extra attention, and make our healthy snacks even healthier!

 LINKS:
Wash Your Fruits and Veggies with Vinegar 

Can I Effectively Wash Pesticides From My Produce?

How to Clean Pesticides Off Produce

How to Wash Pesticides Off Produce

NY Times: How to Wash Fruits & Veggies

 

RELATED POSTS:

Clean or Dirty? Produce Rundown

Making Organics More Affordable

Organic vs. Conventional: Which is Healthier?

Supermarket Sweep

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  Between sneaky food labels and grocery store-tricks, navigating our way through the supermarket can be a difficult task.

  I think a lot of us are making the effort. We're reading labels, we're being conscious of the things we are buying at the store. Or at least we're trying.

  But how many times have you looked at a box at the store, and had no idea what you're looking for? No matter how much we talk about it, deciphering food labels is still confusing!

  Why? Because advertisers and food companies play on the health-buzzwords of the moment, and adjust their packaging and advertising accordingly. They're trying to sell their product, and make money. Period.

  I listened to a few podcasts recently that had some great information in regard to helping us decipher those tricky food labels, and navigate through supermarket traps. 

Food Label Tricks
  Whole foods, fruits, veggies, etc, are at the top of everyone's 'eat right' list. But we also know how convenient, and readily-available processed foods are. Here are a few pointers in distinguishing between healthy options, what may appear to be a healthy option. 

• Local does NOT mean it's healthy

 - The phrase 'buy local' or 'locally produced' just means you're helping the environment because energy does not have to be used to ship products across the country/world. And buying local obviously benefits local farmers, who live in your own community. Since the food doesn't have to travel as far, nutrient content is greater because the fruits/veggies don't sit and oxidize. 

- Local does not mean Organic. At farmers' markets, don't presume just because they're LOCAL, that they're ORGANIC. Ask!! 

•  Gluten Free foods are not health foods

When zero doesn't mean zero.

- Gluten free does NOT mean 'healthy'. Production of gluten free foods have exploded in recent years, but they should not be the latest health rage. Gluten free foods are for people who are ALLERGIC to gluten, and suffer from Celiac disease. If you don't have Celiac disease, you don't need to be eating gluten free foods. Many times, gluten free foods are higher in calories, have less fiber, and are more expensive! 

• Trans Fat Labels

- We've all seen the label across the top of the bag of chips, or crackers: 'Zero Trans Fat'. But in actuality, there still can be up to a 1/2 gram of trans fat per serving. Most baked, packed goods (processed foods) purchased from the grocery store have trans fat. For example, a box of Ritz Crackers contains 14g of trans fat.

- Why all the hubbub over a half gram of trans fat? Studies show a strong link between consumption of trans fat and an increase in LDL (bad) cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and depression. The American Heart Association says that we should have no more than TWO grams of trans fat per DAY. If just 3% of our daily calorie allowance comes from trans fat, we've increased our risk to develop heart disease by 23%.

Whole Grains, it says. We know better.

- The take home: stay away from processed foods and you'll steer clear of trans fat! If you see 'hydrogenated' ANYWHERE in the ingredients list, there's trans fat. Put it back on the shelf. 

• Whole Grain/Whole Wheat Labels

- It needs to say '100% Whole Grain/Whole Wheat' NOT just 'Made with whole grain'. If it's 'made with' there can be just a fraction of actual whole grain used. 

• Natural food label

- I did an entire blog last year on the Natural food label. It's completely unregulated, and honestly, doesn't mean a thing. Natural is no healthier than a product not labeled  'natural'. But it surely will cost more.

  For the food companies, it's all about making a profit. They will do all they can to keep their production costs down, all while telling us their product is healthier than the competition's. Even if that means playing on words, looking for loopholes, and tricking the consumer.

Click to enlarge.

Navigating the Supermarket
  There are two supermarket tips many of us have already heard. 1) Stay on the perimeter of the store -- because the refrigerated/produce sections are on the periphery; while processed foods are in the center aisles. And 2) Never go grocery shopping on an empty stomach.

  While those are helpful, the following tidbits are a little more specific, and hopefully will keep us on the right track!

  - Can you categorize the food into either a) Animal, b) Vegetable/Fruit or c) Mineral? For example, what is a chocolate chip cookie? Or a Cheeto? If you can't put it into one of those three categories, it's not food! It's chemicals and artificial ingredients, also known as, processed.

  - Make the cashier work! Things with bar codes = no. Those are processed foods. Things the cashier has to enter-in numerically = yes. That's produce.

  - Go with a gameplan. Don't buy things that aren't on your list.

  - Choose the shortest lines (obviously!). But studies have shown the longer you wait in line, where all those goodies are so nicely displayed, the more your will power is tempted, and the more-likely you are to buy those impulse items.

Navigating the supermarket can be tricky!

  - Invest in NUTRIENTS  not CALORIES. We complain that good food is costly. Instead of buying a bag of sweet potato chips or fries (at $3 a bag), buy sweet potatoes (at roughly $1 per pound). Broccoli instead of Cream of Broccoli soup. Buy strawberries instead of Smuckers jam. These options are 1) Less costly, 2) Less processed, and 3) More nutritious. Products in it's natural/original state are more healthful, and less expensive than when in the processed state.

  - Choose what you buy organically wisely. I've written previous blogs on the Dirty Dozen and the Clean 15. Produce that should always be bought organically (because of their thin skins, and the presence of pesticides and toxins on them), and produce that is okay to buy conventionally. Organic meat & dairy to avoid the anti-biotics and hormones.

  - Be wary of the natural food stores -- the Whole Foods of the worlds -- many times they grossly overcharge for certain products. Compare prices between markets. Sometimes Safeway has the same product for far less money. Pay attention, you'll be surprised!

  Do you  have any tips for avoiding supermarket tricks and money traps? Sharing is caring!

  Hope this was a helpful entry, at finding the true healthy buys, and keeping a few extra dollars from being thrown down the drain! 

LINKS:

Jillian Michaels Podcast 8/18/2012

Jillian Michaels Podcast 8/25/2012

5 Sneaky Supermarket Food Labeling Tricks

Making Organic More Affordable

USDA Certified Organic

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  Since Sabrina's Crossing debuted last September, I have tried to share the information I have come across, and find important, about the state of the American food supply.

  Because of the presence of GMOs, pesticides, anti-biotics, hormones, chemicals, and so on, our food supply has come to resemble something of a disaster. In attempt to avoid as many of these harmful things listed above, I buy organic food whenever possible. But you know what -- it's expensive, isn't it?!

  (side note: this isn't intended to be a 'why you should eat organic' blog. I've already done those: Do You Know What GMOs Are?, The Effects of GMOs, The Harmful Effects of Soy, What Can We Do About GMOs?)

Money Spent on Food versus Health Care 
  Here is something to chew on as you think about the importance of the quality of our food: in the 1960s, 18% of our yearly income was spent on food, while only 5% was spent on health care. Today we spend 9% on food, and 17% on health care. Staggering numbers if you ask me.

  Why the drastic change? Food today is different than the food our parents, or grandparents, grew up on. We have to change our ways to reflect the changes that have been made in our food supply. 99% of the 80,000 toxic chemicals in circulation didn't exist before 1950.

  We cannot compare our diets to those from prior generations. Food in the 1950s didn't have meat and dairy filled with hormones and anti-biotics. Fruits didn't have multiple pesticides on them, and there were no GMOs. 

Somewhere along the line, we were conditioned to think that food should be cheap.
  The cheaper it is, the better. $1 for a cheeseburger? Awesome, right? Cheap food/fast food is essentially processed garbage.

  Let's look at it this way: would you rather pay a few extra dollars for high-quality food now? Or pay even more a little further down the line in the form of visits to the doctor and medication?
 

  As sad as it is, healthier food costs more money in the US. Outside of immediate policy change (such as eliminating government subsidies for genetically modified crops/farms, and replacing them with subsidizing organic farms), healthier food will continue to be more costly at the market (or until the consumer makes the demand). There's no way around it.

High pesticide versus low pesticide produce.

  $2 for a pound of organic apples, or 70 cents per pound for non-organic apples? I understand it's a significant amount, and it adds up over time. But all things considered, I think the extra cost is worth it! After all, it's our health we are talking about.

  If eating healthier foods is a priority for you, hopefully today's blog will give you a few ideas on how to scrape up a few extra dollars for those all-important groceries!

Prioritize: the Dirty Dozen & the Clean 15  
  The first thing you can do is prioritize what you buy as organic.

  Always avoid the 'dirty dozen' (thin skinned fruits & vegetables: Apples, Celery, Peaches, Strawberries, Domestic blueberries, Nectarines, Sweet bell peppers. Spinach, kale and collard greens, Cherries, Potatoes, Imported grapes, and Lettuce). Those things should ALWAYS be bought organically because of the high amount of pesticides and toxins found on them.

  The 'Clean 15' are fruits and vegetables with thick rinds/skins that don't necessarily need to be bought organically (Onions, Avocados, Sweet corn, Pineapples, Mango, Sweet peas, Asparagus, Kiwi fruit, Cabbage, Eggplant, Cantaloupe, Watermelon, Grapefruit, Sweet potatoes, and Sweet onions).

Re-think Our Budgets 
  The second thing we can do is re-prioritize our budgets:
        -Stop buying magazines, and read your 'news' online.
        -Stop buying $4 lattes three times a week (this one's tough, I know!). Brew your coffee at home!
        -Stop buying pop/soda (whatever you call it in your neck of the woods!) and bottled water!
        -Cut down the number of times you eat out per week. Restaurants are expensive!
        -Buy frozen fruits and veggies (these can actually be more nutritious because the foods aren't oxidizing/aging, and thus losing nutrients).
        -You don't need to eat meat every day! Limit the amount of meat you eat, so the meat you do consume is organic.

  What other ways can we change our spending habits?

Buy Local
  Thirdly, buy fruits and vegetables that are in season (also known as buying local!). It costs a great deal of money to ship foods across the country, and even more from South America, so those shipping costs are passed onto the consumer. By buying local, those shipping costs are taken out of the equation.

CSAs & Gardens
  Obviously you can grow your own vegetables. I understand that takes significant effort, but it's an option.

  You can also go to your local farmers' market or join a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture - which I will be doing a blog on in the future). To locate CSAs and farmer's markets in your area, go to: www.localharvest.org.

Compare
  Lastly, compare prices! Don't just go to Whole Foods and buy up all the organic produce you can find.

  Compare which stores have the cheapest apples, or the best deals on your favorite foods. Trader Joe's is an awesome option, and lots of times the 'big box' stores (Safeway, etc) have various organics on sale. We just have to be diligent and pay more attention!

  For those of you that say that organic food is too expensive, try re-prioritizing your budgets for a while, and see how it works out! As you can see, there are A LOT of things we can do, we just have to make it a priority!

LINKS:

Jillian Michaels Podcast 4/1/2011, 9/9/2011 & 10/7/2011

The Dirty Dozen

Organic vs. Non-Organic: Which Fruits/Veggies Should You Buy?

Reasons to Buy Organics

Maria's Farm Country Kitchen

Local Harvest