PND recently found an article on MSN Health and Fitness 12 Preservative to Avoid, it seemed worth sharing. The article briefly lists MSN Healths picks for the top 12 additives and preservatives to avoid and briefly explains why. This list has inspired PND to create a new series.
We’re calling it ~ The Twinkie Report.
The 12 preservatives to avoid:
Sodium Nitrate Propyl Gallateu usually used in conjunction with BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydrozyttoluene) Propyl gallate MSG – Monosodium glutamate – AKA Natural Flavorings Trans fats Aspartame Acesulfame-K – Another Sweetener Food colorings: Blue 1, 2; Red 3; Green 3; and Yellow 6 Olestra Potassium bromate White sugar Sodium chloride
In future installments PND plans on going through each preservative on the list to learn even more about why we should be avoiding them.
Mr Twinkie image courtesy of Jeffery C. Johnson (Chicago)
Some questions we’ll ask:
- What is it?
- Why Should we avoid it?
- Where is it used/Which Foods?
- What can we do/use instead?
We’re not sure exactly why we’re picking on the Twinkie – except when thinking about the ultimate in non food, preservative laden food ~ The Twinkie comes to mind first! Then we found this picture, which keeps making us laugh.
On side note I don’t think we’ll be doing any hostess giveaways in the near future. Apologies to our readers.
What exactly is in the Twinkie – not much that can be considered real food from our research.
Digging a little deeper the top twinkie ingredients are:
- Enriched Wheat Flour – enriched with ferrous sulphate (iron), B vitamins (niacin, thiamine mononitrate [B1],ribofavin [B12] and folic acid).
- Sugar
- Corn syrup
- Water
- High fructose corn syrup
- Vegetable and/or animal shortening – containing one or more of partially hydrogenated soybean, cottonseed or canola oil, and beef fat.
- Dextrose
- Whole eggs
According to Steve Ettlinger’s book, Twinkie Deconstructed, five ingredients come from rocks and other ingredients like cellulose gum, Polysorbate 60, and calcium sulfate… These ingredients are also used in sheet rock, shampoo, and rocket fuel.
We’re looking forward to learning more and sharing with you over the coming weeks.
First up: Sodium Nitrate.
{ 8 comments… add one }
this is about ADDITIVES – not preservatives.if you quote articles, you should read them first. otherwise this is just another spacewaster blog diluting any residual knowledge left with internet users.
Additives…. Preservatives… I’m happy to lump them together if they are causing cancer, high blood pressure, hyperactivity and obesity.
As I stated at the very beginning of this post – the inspiration come from a post on MSN Health entitled 12 Preservatives to Avoid – I followed suit. Did it occur to me that food colorings aren’t exactly preserving foods… sure… but this is how MSN classified them – as preservatives – and the point of analyzing these substances is not to get lost in a debate about preservatives vs additives.
This series is an opportunity to educate people about ingredients in everyday foods that consumed by Americans. Foods that are making us sick and killing us. Foods that increase your probability of getting cancer if you move here from another country.
Disagreeing politely, and addressing the distinction is productive and welcome.
Calling PND a SpaceWaster Blog was insulting, uncalled for and mean spirited. I hope it made you feel better.
I enjoyed reading this thank you, really makes you think about what you eat (and what your kids eat). Not sure if i will ever eat another twinkie!!
This is a good article and although maybe the definiation may not be 100% correct it is not your article which you mentioned in your post. The average person is looking for knowledge. Anything that makes us look more closely at what we eat is good because whether it is good or bad, we need to know what we are eating. Our body doesn’t care what the ingredient is called, just the effect it has
Great article! Especially love the twinkie picture you used! haha fit perfectly! It is interesting to see what goes in to the foods we eat. I am not much on junk food like twinkies, but if you look carefully at some of even things every day items like canned goods and juice, you will be surprised at what they contain!Thanks for sharing! I can’t wait to hear more!Sorry about that unnessisary comment. If he really felt your blog was a waste of space, then why did he bother commenting? Like you said, it was unneeded. Oh well, some people just seek negative attention. Your readers wouldn’t return if they didn’t like your posts, and you like your posts, so to me that is all that matters.
True, additives are classed as preservatives, but does it really matter? Doubtful as many additives are generally bad for your health anyway, much like all those man made chemicals you find not only in commercial cosmetics, but food too.I would think though, rather than highlight sugar and salt (flavourings, as much as preservatives), you highlight the fact that you can (still) find two parabens in todays food – that’s right, those parabens found in cosmetics are also found in many of our processed foods.If I remember correctly, look for E216 and E218 here in the UK. MJ
I’m reading Steve Ettlinger’s book, Twinkie Deconstructed, right now. Most of the ingredients he’s describing in his book are ingredients I already avoid in my diet, but reading about how they are actually produced makes me want to avoid them even more! It’s a good read. Thanks for sharing the funny picture. 😉
Great article – thank you! And your reply to Dr. M was spot on. He/She seems to be angry at the world and you don’t need to waste any more time on that negative energy. Your readers love your posts – and you!