Do you know that the freshly squeezed juice from the supermarket can be 2 years old? Or that not everything that looks like yogurt actually is? You can be very sure of what you eat, but you may be surprised how the products you consume are made. We reveal some secrets that the food industry does not tell you so as not to bother you.
Do you know that freshly squeezed orange juice can be 2 years old?
Even if you read on the label that orange juice is "freshly squeezed" and natural, it can be around two years old; and also some substance will have been added to preserve it. When juices are prepared in factories, they are squeezed in large quantities. So that they do not spoil, heat them to 95º for a few seconds. Then they add nitrogen to them to contain oxidation. All these liters of juice are stored in huge tanks and remain there until they are packed.
What are the frankfurters in?
Everything, and very little meat. They contain starch to give them volume, milk protein, sodium nitrate (E251), a preservative to prevent them from turning gray; polyphosphates (E452), to prevent the action of bacteria, and carminic acid (E120) to enhance the color. But the percentage of meat is very small and it is not of the best quality.
They are usually made with remains of pork meat (what is left over after making ham, chops and bacon) and with the carcasses and entrails of the chicken. All this is crushed, mixed and the resulting pasta is cooked in buckets, to then give it the desired shape and package it.
Is yogurt what you are drinking?
The law allows yogurt to be called products that do not carry active bacteria, precisely the microorganisms that make this product a healthy food for the intestinal flora. For this reason, the most recommended is the traditional one, the one that has been made from previously pasteurized milk, which is fermented and does contain friendly bacteria. But these "bugs" are not immortal, and their expiration date may even be earlier than the package.
How do I know if it contains "bugs"? Very easy. Make your own yogurts. “When the milk curdles, the microorganisms are alive and active”, explains the biotechnologist and member of the Higher Center for Scientific Research (CSIC) José Miguel Mulet. To prepare them, you need a glass of natural yogurt and a liter of milk. Mix the two ingredients in a saucepan, put it in the oven at 40º and let it set for 8 to 10 hours. If you want it thicker, add powdered milk to the mixture.
Are all smoked salmon the same?
No. When you go to salmon or other smoked products, check the label and the price. If it has been smoked in the traditional way (with brine and burning wood), the product will be more expensive. If it is cheaper, the smoking may have consisted of the injection of a chemical substance, the aroma of smoke.
Rapeseed oil hides rapeseed oil
Many of us did not go rapeseed oil because we associate it with the serious health problem that caused its adulteration in the 80s. But in reality it is a very nutritious oil and not dangerous. As the food industry knows that alarms will go off if you see it written on the label, "they prefer to put vegetable fats or rapeseed oil, which is the same thing," explains expert Juan Revenga.
What are crab sticks or gulas made of?
The paste with which these products are made is called surimi (in Japanese it means fish muscle). This pasta is made with cephalopod meat (squid, cuttlefish …) and white fish. All of these products are washed, shredded, and mixed with other ingredients such as salt and phosphates to preserve them. Starch, egg white, and other additives are also added to give them texture and flavor. The dough is molded. Once prepared, it is shaped into the desired product. Subsequently, natural colorants are added to the crab sticks so that they have that characteristic orange tone of the crab; Squid ink is added to the eels to simulate the grain of the eel, which also gives them more flavor.
How do you get that nice red color?
Some products owe their deep red color to a colorant, carminic acid (E120), which is produced by crushing insects such as cochineal. Candy, some sodas, fruit drinks, gum, dehydrated soups, smoothies, cakes, even ham can contain it, according to Daniel Tapper, author of the book Food Unwrapped . It is dangerous? You can rest assured because "it is a totally harmless natural dye that has been used for many centuries," according to Mulet. Furthermore, it is not the only insect that is used in food.
And that delicious vanilla scent?
Not from the vanilla plant, because it is rare and very expensive. In fact, the most common is that it is vanillin, an aroma manufactured in the laboratory from guaiacol, a phenol that comes from benzine (petroleum ether). The food industry also uses castoreum, a secretion of glands that the beaver has near the anus and that, due to the animal's diet, has an aroma similar to that of vanilla.
What do the sweets carry?
Oil, no. Not plastic either, despite the fact that it is a widespread myth. Gummies are made mostly of sugars and glucose syrups (which is extracted from beets, coconut, palm or corn). In addition, gelling substances are added to give them this particular rubbery texture. These come from cartilage, animal skins or fruit pectins. They also contain colorants and other ingredients such as beeswax so they are not too sticky.
And what about cookies?
Even those that are endorsed with the seal of a medical society contain ingredients that the little ones should not consume. Some of them are made with palm oil, a cheap fat used to make industrial pastries. They contain a large amount of sugar and are very caloric, so it is not recommended that children take them daily. If you dare, prepare them yourself, you will control the ingredients better but it is better to take them from time to time.
What about baby food?
Pediatricians recommend not giving sugar to babies until they are one year old, but the baby food contains sugar and salt to make them more palatable for children. The quantities are within the margins established by the European directive. A high amount of sugar in your diet will get you used to this taste and will determine your preferences. There are also cookies sold for 4-month-old babies that contain sugar and palm oil.
Is it better to eat "no" or "low in" foods?
Watch out. For example, in the case of low-fat foods , sugar and salt are added to compensate for the absence of fat. This is the case of ham or light turkey. For a product to be "low fat" it must have less than 0.1 g of trans fat and less than 1.5 g of saturated fat.
The same happens with foods "low in sugar", since their fat content will be higher, so that, even if they are 0% sugar, they will be equally caloric. For a food to be truly "light" it must have 30% fewer calories than the original.
If you are looking for a low-salt product, you should pay attention to containing less than 120 mg; although if you want it to be "unsalted", the amount should be less than 5 mg. Similarly, if you want a food rich in fiber, look only at those that have 5 g or more.
