Food Labels Revealed

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  Dimethyl Dicarbonate (DMDC) In today’s show, beer is on the table.  Have a seat and let’s talk about it.  I’ll explore a short history of beer.  Who regulates beer in the US?  What must beer makers disclose on labels?  What are both the expected ingredients in beer and what are some of the hidden ingredients? At the end of the show, we’ll get a brief look at a new product h...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none THE INGREDIENT SCORE RETURNS!  In today’s show, we’re going to delve into your knowledge of food ingredients.  Yes, that means a quiz, BUT don’t panic.  Don’t get nervous.  Don’t get your cheat notes out.  It’s all for fun and education.  In the second part of the podcast, I return to the feature called “New Food Inventions” to take a look at a new food product hitting...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none In this episode I hit the newsstands once again to comment on articles dealing with insects, arsenic, snacks, and taxes.  But I don’t want to spoil it for you by revealing any details here.  To find out what’s going on, just sit back, relax, and listen to the show.   Show Notes: To Contact Show:  foodlabelsrevealed@gmail.com The podcast can be subscribed to at the iTun...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none In this episode, I hit the news stands and comment on articles dealing with the obesity crisis in the world and the connection between obesity and the consumption of processed foods.  Along the way, I’ll be answering questions about (1) What the heck is BMI?; (2) Which countries have the highest obesity percentages?  That’s a shocker!; (3)  What are the stats for obesi...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  polylactose This episode explores the touchy subject of feeding babies human milk vs. infant formula, an ongoing controversial subject.  What’s the history behind infant formula?  Is it new or old?  What are the ingredients in infant formula?  Can they be harmful?  Should this highly processed food be fed to newborns?  These and other topics are explored in this show.     S...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  polyglycerol polyricinoleate Today’s show is all about chocolate.  Do you have a chocolate craving?  Listen and find out why.  Along the way, you’ll hear about how Christopher Columbus stumbled upon chocolate and didn’t know what he found, what is Dutch cocoa and what’s special about it, what the heck is conching, why milk chocolate took so long to be invented, the only tow...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  Isinglass Today’s podcast will examine the hidden ingredients in wine.  Topics will include (1) why labels on wine bottles don’t list ingredients; (2) why some wines don’t have to list the alcohol content; (3) why wines must have a warning label; (4) what are the types of hidden ingredients and some examples of each; and (5) why some people may need to be concerned about wh...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  Ethoxylated mono and diglycerides The subject of this podcast’s investigation is bread, “the staff of life” and America’s favorite staple.  We’ll take a look at the most popular bread of the 20th century; how white bread emerged as the most prized food of the masses; the link between medicine, vitamins, and bread; and I’ll reveal the ingredients of 4 grocery breads from the...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  Pea Protein In today’s show, I’m going to explore ice cream, America’s favorite summertime treat.  Here are some topics that I’ll touch upon:  What is the origin of ice cream?  What is the official federal definition of ice cream?  What’s the difference between ice cream and frozen desserts?  How do you tell the difference between a real ice cream and a fake one?  And, as u...

In today’s show, I’m going investigate two very popular toppings in the processed food industry, namely Kraft’s Cool Whip and Cheez Whiz.  It seems like those products have been around forever.  What are they made of?  Are they okay to eat from a health and nutrition perspective?  If you’ve been consuming them, should you continue?  This episode will give you the skinny on those processed foods, p...

In today’s show, we’re going to delve into your knowledge of food ingredients.  Yes, that means there’s a quiz, BUT don’t panic.  Don’t get nervous.  Don’t get your cheat notes out.  It’s all for fun and education.  In the second part of the podcast, I return to the feature called “New Food Inventions” to take a look at a new food product on grocery store shelves.  Show Notes: To Contact Show:  fo...

In this episode, I’m going to delve deeply into chewing gum, taking you places you probably don’t even want to go to … answering such questions as “Who the heck started chewing gum?”; “When did it become an industry?”; “Who are the major players in that industry?”; “What are the major components in gum?”; “What’s the connection between automobile tires and chewing gum?”; “Why did I stop chewing gu...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate Hands down, Oscar Mayers’ Lunchables, meal-in-a-box for kids, has got to be the most chemicalized and industrialized food product on the grocery store shelves.  Although, at first glance, it’s nutritional deficiencies are not blaring, the sheer number and poor quality of the ingredients is shocking, particularly since the Lunchables product targets...

For this show, I'm turning my attention to America's all-time favorite food:  pizza.  Americans spend an annual $37 billion on frozen pizza; that's one-third of the global market.  The average American family eats pizza at home 30 times a year, about once every 2 weeks, and we eat 3 billion pizzas each year.  That's a lotta pizza!  I selected two frozen pizzas for comparison:  Red Baron's Classic...

This program is a continuation of the 10th episode, which dealt with the ingredients found in 3 of the most popular energy drinks:  Monster Energy, Red Bull, and Rockstar.  For today's show, I address the benefits and detriments of energy drinks.  What do they do for us?  Are they harmful?  Should they only be sold as adult drinks?  Then towards the end of the show I examine two alternative forms...

It's been a long day on the job or at school.  You need a pick-me-up.  Maybe an energy drink will do the trick.  But what's in those drinks?  Is it just soda water with a stimulant added?  Or are there other things in the beverage that you need to be concerned about.  In this episode, the top 3 players in the energy drink industry will be examined and commented on.  Plus, the host risks his life (...

What could be more basic and simple than making a bologna sandwich?  Just get some white bread, swab it with sandwich spread, throw some bologna on it, along with a slice of American cheese, and, wallah!  But wait!  The process is simple, but the sandwich is not.  Contained in that sandwich are a whopping 62 ingredients and 34 of them are industrially made.  In this episode, I examine the making o...

Long before you get to the label on a food package to evaluate whether it's good for you or not, there are various influences at play that may be unconsciously directing you to a particular product.  One of those influences is merchandising.  When you're in a grocery store, it's merchandising that tells you, unconsciously, where to go, what to put in your cart, and what to buy.  In other words, me...

This program is Part 2 of the investigation into Pillsbury Cream Cheese & Strawberry Toaster Strudel, the Grand Champion of processed food with more than 49 ingredients.  The investigation continues with the 12th ingredient in the pastry.  Also, the back story to sucralose, a high-intensity artificial sweetener, is reported.  It's in many products, but will you look at it in the same way again?  I...

It's mid-morning and maybe you skipped breakfast, so how about a wonderfully tasty snack that only requires a toaster?  But is it good for you?  This show examines the whopping 49 ingredients in Pillsbury Cream Cheese & Strawberry Toaster Strudel, the Grand Champion of processed food.  How did they get so many ingredients in one little pastry and how much fake food was used to make it?  Show Notes...

Could you make breakfast any faster than removing some frozen waffles from a box, popping them into a toaster, and drizzling your favorite topping on them?  Today's show compares the ingredients, nutritional properties, and costs between the very popular Kellogg's Eggo waffles and the lesser known, but organic, Van's Natural Foods waffles.  We also take a walk down memory lane and look at the hist...

How wonderful is it to have a meal in a box?  Just open some packets, throw in some fresh food and wa-laaa!  In this episode, the ingredients of Betty Crocker's ChickenHelper: Sweet & Sour Chicken are evaluated.  Also included is an introduction to the book,"Salt Sugar Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us" by Michael Moss and a close look is given to the Daily Value numbers on the Nutrition Facts la...

We often cave in to cravings between lunch and supper.  Many people turn to soda and chips.  In this episode, the ingredients of Classic Coke and BBQ-flavored Pringles are investigated.  Also, the meaning and history of GRAS (government approved food additives) is discussed.  INGREDIENT OF THE DAY: High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) Show Notes: Contact:  foodlabelsrevealed@gmail.com The podcast can b...

Just throw it in the microwave and, boom, you got lunch! In this episode a detailed inspection is made of the ingredients in Banquet's Frozen Chicken Strip Meal.  Also, comments are made about the ubiquitous presence of corn and its derivatives in packaged foods, as well as a brief evaluation of the package Nutrition Facts. INGREDIENT OF THE DAY: bleached flour Show Notes: Mad Cowboy: Plain Truth...

This episode includes an introduction to the podcast and a comparison of two cereals:  Kellogg’s Apple Jacks and Mom’s Best Toasted Wheat-fuls.  The ingredients of these cereals are explored,as well as some nutritional aspects. Also, a cost comparison is made.  INGREDIENT OF THE DAY: yellow 6 food coloring Show Notes: Contact:  foodlabelsrevealed@gmail.com  The podcast can be subscribed to at the...