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DRAFT TODAY, POST TOMORROW: Some posts may be in draft status until I (aka procrastinator extraordinaire) get around to posting them.



Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Food. Or products formerly known as food.

"Food-product makers" are using wood pulp in our food to make it creamy, keep foods from clumping, increase the dietary fiber content, and substitute for other "raw materials" such as flour, sugar, oil, as well as vegetables that contain fiber.  Cellulose additives are even used in organic food products, as long as it is "powdered cellulose in its least manipulated form."  The author does a bit of a dance around the issue--it's cheap and nothing says it's not safe.  Like other insoluble dietary fibers, it's not digested, so food can be lower fat and bulked up at the same time--and that's great since we have an obesity epidemic.  But how much of that epidemic is caused by the chemicals we're ingesting?  "Powdered cellulose is made by cooking raw plant fiber—usually wood—in various chemicals to separate the cellulose, and then purified. Modified versions go through extra processing, such as exposing them to acid to further break down the fiber."  While that sounds super-yummy, I think I may start grating my own cheese again.

2 comments:

  1. Again - gross. I believe I'll be looking at my cheese labels closely and grating mine too. :)

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  2. I just picked up my first batch of cheeses, not shredded. I can't wait to put everyone to work in my kitchen...

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