Poison on your plate

Over the years ​the number of organic food fairs held in the city has multiplied and so have organic food stores. We are more conscious of the calories we intake, and like healthier options  on restaurant menus. If you have a smartphone, you are most likely to find a calorie app. Clearly, everything healthy piques our interest. Then why do we ignore the poison on our plate?

​You see, all the twisted treats, bakes, snacks, and even some health foods are laced with poison. Certain additives — preservatives, flavouring, colouring and leavening agents may change the foods to the tasty, attractive treats we crave for, but the products used to do the magic can be harmful to our health. And while many countries have in fact banned some of these items, unfortunately, in India, we are serving them to our families.

Nutritionist Dr Nupur Krishnan helps After Hrs highlight the dangers lurking in our foods.

BHA and BHT



​These three-letter abbreviations are actually fat-soluble antioxidants that are also found in cosmetics. ​

Found in...
BHA is generally used to keep fats from becoming rancid. It is also used as a yeast de-foaming agent. BHA is found in butter, meats, cereals, chewing gum, baked goods, snack foods, dehydrated potatoes, and beer.

BHT is used to preserve food odour, colour, and flavour. Many packaging materials incorporate BHT. It is also added directly to shortening, cereals, and other foods containing fats and oils.
 
Health hazards
Dr Nupur Krishnan says that their oxidative characteristics may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigenicity. There is evidence that certain persons may have difficulty metabolizing BHA and BHT, resulting in health and behaviour changes.

Banned in...
T​he compound has been banned for use in food in Japan, Romania, Sweden,
and Australia. In  the US, it’s banned only in infant foods.

Magic sweetener



Aspartame is an intense sweetener, approximately 200 times sweeter than sugar. It’s made up of three chemicals — aspartic acid, phenylalanine, and methanol. ​It was discovered by accident in 1965 when James Schlatter, a chemist of GD Searle Company, was testing an anti-ulcer drug.

Found in...
Soft drinks and other low-calorie or sugar-free foods. 

​Health ​hazards
Over the 25 years since its use, experts have documented studies of many of its adverse reactions that includes migraines, dizziness, seizures, nausea, numbness, ​depression​ and even memory loss.
​
Banned in...
In 2007, the UK supermarket chains Sainsbury’s and Wal-Mart subsidiary Asda, announced that they would no longer use aspartame in their own label products.​ In 2009, the South African retailer Woolworths followed suit.

Synthetic growth hormones



​If you look up on this one, you will find mention of rBGH and rBST. These are actually two names for the same thing. ​A dose of this hormone to cows ensures an ​increase ​in ​milk production by 10 to 15 per cent.

Found in...​
Milk and dairy products.

​Health hazards
Dr Krishnan says elevated levels of this hormone in people has been linked to colon and breast cancer, infertility, weakened muscle growth, and a whole array of cancers.

Banned in​...
​European Union, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Japan. Safeway, Kroger, Wal-Mart, and Starbucks, all major American giants have all stopped selling rBGH-treated milk.

MSG



​Monosodium Glutamate is a flavour-enhancer and preservative found in packaged and canned foods. It is, however, not always listed as MSG; sometimes label read “natural flavouring” or “glutamic acid”.

Found in...
Potato chips, packaged soups, canned meats etc.

​Health hazards​
​“H​eadache, flushing, chest pain, nausea and weakness were common reactions, now known as MSG symptom complex​,”​ ​says Dr Krishnan. ​

Potassium Bromate



​Potassium bromate is used as a flour improver, strengthening the dough and allowing higher rising.​

​Found in...
All sorts of breads, even cakes and pastries​

​Health Hazards​
​Dr Krishnan says potassium bromate is classified as a potential carcinogen.
​
Banned in..​.
​Europe, Canada, and China, but in the US and India, bromated flour is legal.

Raw Milk
​Pasteurisation was the answer to the evils of raw milk that was commonly consumed during industrialisation.

Found in...
In India, raw milk is actually sold as a health food, with many believing raw milk is a far healthier option, and that pasteurisation destroys milk’s nutrients.

Health hazards
Raw milk contains harmful bacteria that cause vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain and flu-like symptoms such as fever, headache, and body ache.

Banned in...
Selling raw milk is currently banned in 22 American states, as well as Canada, Australia and Scotland, with partial bans in many other countries.