With federal regulators now cracking down on Parmesan cheese products that contain wood pulp and other fillers, it was just a mater of time before the first lawsuit was filed against a retailer selling its grated cheese product as “100% Parmesan.” [More]
food additives
Jewel-Osco Pulls House Brand Of Grated Cheese Over Wood Pulp Concerns
By 2.19.16
As reports spread of federal regulators cracking down on Parmesan cheese products that contain a bunch of a wood pulp and other fillers, one national grocery chain says it’s pulling its house brand of grated cheese from shelves amid concerns about the food additive. [More]
‘Natural’ Is A Meaningless Marketing Term When Applied To Food
By 1.27.16
One of the many labels that you’ll see on food at your local food-buying store is “natural.” What marketers want you to think is that “natural” products lack artificial flavor or color additives or preservatives, and maybe even that they’re made with organic ingredients. What it actually means is that the product says “natural” on the label, and that label is probably in shades of tan and light green. [More]
Panera Bread Dropping Nearly 150 Artificial Ingredients From Menu This Year
By 5.5.15
Panera Bread’s plan to remove food additives from its menu appears to be taking shape, with the restaurant announcing today that it plans to remove at least 150 artificial ingredients from its menu in the coming months. [More]
Why Is Food That Doesn’t Contain Any Grains Labeled ‘Gluten-Free’?
By 3.27.15
In the last few years, you may have noticed two words appearing on the front of food packages in stores and in your own cupboard. “Gluten-Free,” they brag. That’s nice, but gluten is a substance found in wheat and some other cereal grains. Why do foods that never would have included wheat in the first place boast on their labels about their lack of gluten? [More]
The Science Behind Those Never-Melting Ice Cream Sandwiches
By 8.11.14
If you find the idea of ice cream that doesn’t melt after sitting out for hours in 80-degree heat unsettling, you aren’t alone. And because you can’t believe everything you hear on the news, our knowledge-thirsty compatriots at Consumer Reports decided to test out those never-melting ice cream sandwiches for themselves. [More]
Subway: No More “Yoga Mat” Chemicals In Our Bread By Next Week
By 4.11.14
Back in February, Subway pledged to stop using Azodicarbonamide, a controversial chemical that it uses to improve elasticity in its bread but that also shows up in things like yoga mats. You won’t be doing any downward dogging (that’s how yoga people talk, right?) on Subway’s bread soon, as the company says it’s almost done phasing out the chemical. [More]
Potentially Harmful Chemicals Find Their Way Into Our Food Thanks To 56-Year-Old FDA Rule
By 4.7.14
There are a number of federal protections to keep unsafe chemicals out of our favorite foods. But more often than not, those protections fail consumers. A new report by the Natural Resources Defense Council explores one of those failures: Generally Recognized As Safe (GRAS) designation. [More]
Beaver Anal Gland Sacs & Other Weird Stuff You've Probably Eaten
By 4.12.12
All the talk about “pink slime” had us wondering, “What other weird things have we been eating?!” While the answers provided by the foodies at Consumer Reports often didn’t come with illustrative names such as pink slime, it did leave us a better bit informed — and a lot less hungry! [More]
Are The Most Common Fast Food Ingredients Actually Food?
By 5.11.09
Sure, many of us read Fast Food Nation and had nightmares for weeks afterward. Or, I did. William Harris analyzed fast food menus and broke down the most popular ingredients for a How Stuff Works article. Only one item on the list is something that I would acknowledge as “food.”
