Thanks to the Food Safety and Standards Authority in 2021, we learnt a lot about food adulteration and how to detect food adulterants in daily food items at home.
But, there is a lot more to it and that surely calls for interference of governing bodies and then only we will be able to ‘Eat Healthy’.
Today, we will talk about 10 everyday foods that are loaded with chemicals and you need to stop consuming them for all good reasons. Take a look:
1. Flavoured yogurt
We enjoy yogurt as a healthy breakfast treat, but you will be surprised to know that the flavoured yogurt contains chemicals like caramel coloring and other coloring agents that might trigger hyperactivity in children and affect the heart health of adults too.
2. Tomato sauce
It has been found that packaged tomato sauce is loaded with Bisphenol A (BPA), which interferes with the hormone system, and as per studies, it is linked to increased risk of heart disease, breast cancer, and obesity.
3. Salad dressing
Salads are healthy but ready-to-use salad dressings are not. According to experts, many brands are using caramel colour to give balsamic, Italian, and Asian-style dressings their signature hue, which are not safe for human consumption. However, The Center for Science in the Public Interest says that further research needs to be conducted to prove it.
4. Peanut Butter
Not just kids, even adults are addicted to this velvety delight that is often considered a rich source of protein and good fat. But, it is also a rich source of aflatoxin, a chemical that has been connected to liver disease and liver cancer.
5. Pickles
The packaged pickles are easy to use and taste divine with parathas, but do you know that many of them are loaded with yellow and red dyes to give the effect of turmeric and red chilli powder. Also, they are filled with sodium benzoate, which has been proven to damage mitochondria, an important area of DNA in the power station of cells.
6. Processed meat
As per research, eating high amounts of processed meat may increase the risk of many chronic diseases and cancer. It has been found that they contain N-nitroso compounds, which are cancer-causing compounds and are responsible for side effects of processed meat consumption. If we go by reports, they are formed from nitrite (sodium nitrite) added to processed meat to increase its shelf life, suppress fat oxidation, prevent the growth of bacteria.
7. Soups
Winter evenings are dedicated to soups and they are truly nutritious only if made from scratch. In case you are enjoying packaged soup, beware, they are loaded with monosodium glutamate, caramel color, and maltodextrin, a caloric sweetener, which has the potential to raise blood glucose and insulin levels.
8. Popcorn
Binge-watching your favourite series is incomplete with a big bucket of popcorn. While the series relaxes your system and makes you happy, the sinful bucket of popcorn is actually making you ill. If we go by the reports, commercial popcorn contains caramel coloring, TBHQ (tert-Butylhydroquinone), a form of butane that is not good for human consumption. They also contain perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), the toxic substance found in teflon pots and pans.
9. Canned food
They are easy to use and come in different flavours. Well, that’s true, but another truth is they may contain dangerous bacteria known as Clostridium botulinum. And as per experts, consuming such foods may cause botulism, a serious illness that can lead to paralysis if left untreated. Also, the most important thing about canned food is, they often contain Bisphenol A or BPA, a chemical substance that is commonly used in plastic bottles, food storage containers and are also used in the lining of canned food.
