Food Labels Revealed

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  None Have you ever wondered how our modern commercial food system got to be so chock full of additives in the first place?  There’s something like 10,000 chemicals approved for food use.  And how does a new food additive get approved for use?  The answers to those questions are both historical and complicated, and I will attempt to tackle them in this episode. Show Notes: ...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  Methyl Cellulose, Glutamic Acid, Agar, Cultured Sugar, Black Sea Salt, Mung Bean Protein Isolate, Gellan Gum, Transglutaminase, Nisin, Brown Rice Flour, White Whole Grain Sorghum Flour, Milled Flax Seed In this episode, which will probably be the last of the diet programs, I describe processed foods found in the plant-based diet, a food regimen which is paralleling the oth...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  allulose, MCT, monk fruit extract, inulin In this episode I continue the examination of alternative foods, i.e. foods that are manufactured to cater to specific diets or health conditions.  In the previous episode, #47, I reviewed the gluten free diet and a number of processed foods designed for gluten sensitive consumers.  The focus of this episode is the keto diet.  Topi...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  fructooligosaccharides, psyllium, and potassium bitartrate In today’s show I examine alternative foods, i.e. foods that are manufactured for consumers with specific health conditions.  That category includes foods to avoid allergies or food sensitivities (e.g. lactose intolerance, gluten sensitivity) or foods for special diets like vegetarian, vegan, keto, paleo, Weight Wa...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  None This is another show dedicated to news stories about processed foods and trends.  The food industry never stays static, so you and I have to stay on our toes to be aware of the changes constantly happening.  In this episode I’ll discuss the following: (1) the evolution of a very old product that your great grandma probably used; (2) how scientists can observe the effe...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  Cultured Wheat Flour, Ferrous Gluconate, Alum, Calcium Silicate Today, I return to investigating a fast food restaurant.  The target is Subway, long heralded as a healthy choice for those consumers seeking convenience food that’s a cut above the rest.  But, here’s the question, does Subway live up to its self-promoted reputation.  Is its menu really good for you or is it j...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  none How do we defend ourselves against the unhealthy, ultra-processed foods filling the shelves of grocery stores, convenience stores, and big box stores, and populating the meals in fast food restaurants?  Education, education, and education!  We need to become informed.  The FLR podcast certainly helps, but there are other great resources out there.  In today’s episode,...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:  fructooligosaccharides and invert sugar In this episode, I address the most dangerous store in America.  Most every one of you has been in one.  They are all over the place in nearly every town and city.  They lure you in with one thing, then appeal to your vices, habits, and appetites, to open your wallets further.  Only the strongest will power is successful against thei...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none In today’s show, you’ll once again get to test your knowledge of processed foods.  There will be a quiz, BUT don’t panic.  Don’t get nervous.  Don’t bail out on me.  What’s the worst thing that can happen?  It’s just a quiz; “Not to worry!”  It’s all for fun and education.  Show Notes: To Contact Show:  foodlabelsrevealed@gmail.com Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook....

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:    Dipotassium Phosphate  Today, once again, I focus my attention on fast food restaurants and the prevalence of industrial ingredients in their products.  I evaluate two of the most iconic American restaurants:  Kentucky Fried Chicken and Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen.  Along the way, we’ll look at some history, some nutritional facts, and some truly astounding findings about t...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    None This program is another in the irregular series called hidden ingredients in food where I talk about substances that will never show up on a food label.  The subject today is chicken.  What kinds of hidden ingredients could wind up in chicken, you ask?  Well, unfortunately, there is a lot to talk about, from cradle to grave, so to speak.  By the end, you may be a bi...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    None This is another show devoted to news stories popping up in early 2019.  A recurrent theme in this podcast is the terrible impact that highly processed foods have on our health.  I think, in the next 10 years, that topic will become front-and-center in the national discourse as the health crises in this country and others reach epic proportions.  Even now, I’m seeing...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    Leghemoglobin and Isolated Pea Protein What’s all this buzz about fake meat lately?  It’s not fake news about real meat, but it’s real news about fake meat.  Got that?  The Impossible Burger and the Beyond Burger are taking some giant bites out of the burger business.  What’s the scoop?  Why are these burgers becoming so popular and what’s really in them?  Are they healt...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    Cane Sugar Fiber In this episode, I return to fast foods and continue to ask the question, “Is fast food the same as processed food?”  This month I examine products from Pizza Hut, Domino’s, and Papa Murphy’s, some of the most popular pizza chains in the United States.  How do they measure up against each other and how do they measure up in general in terms of their ingr...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    soluble corn fiber  The program for today explores an old subject:  breakfast cereals.  I reminisce a little about the start of the podcast and will play you a never-heard-before clip.  Then I tackle the sugary realm of breakfast cereals trying to answer the question:  Is there a difference between eating cereal for breakfast and just downing cookies?  In this investigat...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    none In this abbreviated episode, you will learn about some of the online resources I use when I want to find information about processed food ingredients and their nutritional properties.  You may want to make note of these sources for future reference. Show Notes: To Contact Show:  foodlabelsrevealed@gmail.com Facebook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/prophetofprocessed...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    none This is another news show relating stories that appeared in 2018.  After podcasting for 2 1/2 years, I finally get around to addressing Genetically Modified Organisms in our food supply and what our federal government is doing about them.  Then, I explore some stories about little known toxins in processed foods and why the Food & Drug Administration changed its min...

INGREDIENTS OF THE DAY:    Calcium disodium ethylene diamine tetraacetic acid/Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose/Sodium aluminum phosphate/Sodium erythorbate/Ammonium chloride/Calcium iodate/Calcium Citrate The program for today continues the intermittent series on fast food restaurants.  For this episode, I wanted to see how bad it gets in terms of unhealthy food, so I searched for 3 of the worst fast...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none In today’s show, you’ll once again get to test your knowledge of processed foods.  There will be a quiz covering the previous 7 shows, BUT don’t panic.  Don’t get nervous.  Don’t bail out on me.  What’s the worst thing that can happen?  As Alfred E. Newman used to say, “Not to worry!”  It’s all for fun and education.  Show Notes:  To Contact Show:  foodlabelsrevealed@g...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  fumaric acid This is the second program on the subject of fast food restaurants.  I will be pitting two icons of Mexican-style food:  Chipotle Mexican Grill vs. Taco Bell.  Which is healthier?  Which is worse?  I will be analyzing both ingredients and nutrition values in a single meal in each restaurant.  Be prepared for a few surprises.  Hang onto your seats for this will...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none This program is another in the irregular series called "Hidden Ingredients in Food" where I talk about chemicals that will likely never show up on a food label.  The subject today is beef.  Sounds simple enough, right?  What kinds of hidden ingredients could wind up in a natural product like beef, you ask?  Well, there’s a lot to talk about, from cradle to grave, so to...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none Today's show is a re-cast.  I talk about merchandising.  Long before you get to the label on a food package to evaluate whether the food is good for you or not, there are various influences at play that may be unconsciously directing you to a particular product.  Some of those influences are need, desire, habit, coupon incentives, advertising, marketing, product placem...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  none This is another show devoted to recent news stories popping up all over the internet.  Today, I will showcase “clean food,” a new trend in the food industry just getting its feet wet.  I’ll explore the “whats” and “whys” of “clean food,” a phrase that we’ll be hearing lots about in the near future, particularly as regards the meat industry.  Then, for story #2, it’s fi...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  propylene glycol alginate In this show, I’ll examine in detail the ingredient compositions and nutritional breakdowns of two similar meals from two fast food restaurants to answer such questions as:  (1) Is there really a difference between fast food and the types of highly processed foods found in the typical grocery store?; (2) Are the rumors true that fast food is intrin...

INGREDIENT OF THE DAY:  None In this episode, I’ll hit the newsstands for stories about the relationship of cancer and processed foods.  A breakthrough study published in January rocks the world.  Foods can kill, but which ones? We need to choose carefully.   At the end of the show, I’ll investigate a new product hitting the grocery store shelves. Show Notes: To Contact Show:  foodlabelsrevealed@g...