20 September 2023 , 12:09
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Even if you think you're eating as healthy as possible, there are certain questionable ingredients you could be consuming without realising. In fact, you could have been eating these things for your entire life. Some of these ingredients are used in everyday cooking and can also be found in packaged foods.
Thankfully today we are going to be sharing with them with you so you can make sure to avoid them in the future. If you have a squeamish stomach, it might be a good idea to look away now. The first ingredient you may want to cut out from your diet is food that includes red dye.
Ground-up bugs are used to create a red dye known as carmine, which is used in many dishes. It is made by removing the carminic acid from female cochineal bugs. Starbucks ran into trouble in 2012 when it claimed that some of its beverages were vegan despite the fact that they contained this bug extract. Carmine is still used by a variety of companies, such as jams and cakes, so make sure to check the labels of the food you're buying if you want to avoid it. While some people may be allergic to the ingredient, it is otherwise safe to consume.
There have also been instances where the poisonous element arsenic has been found in grains, fruit and vegetables. Sadly, this is because it has been absorbed through the ground and in 2013, it was actually detected in beer by German researchers. This is due to the fact that beer, as well as wine, are filtered using diatomaceous earth, which is a natural product that contains iron and metals - and sometimes arsenic. Consuming too much arsenic can be dangerous because high levels have been associated with an increased risk of developing certain cancers.
Unfortunately, the disgusting ingredients don't end there. An essence derived from beaver anal glands - known as castoreum - can be found in some vanilla, strawberry and raspberry flavours in foods like ice cream. While they use it to mark their territory, we use it as a tasty additive. Sheep secretion can be found in chewing gum, hiding under the ingredient name lanolin. It comes from sheep's wool and isn't harmful to humans.
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Some loaves of bread contain a chemical derived from human hair, also known as L-cysteine. It is used to lengthen the shelf-life of products like bread and can also be derived from chicken feathers, duck feathers and cow horns. The Food Standards Agency regulations in Europe mean only L-cysteine products produced from duck and chicken feather can be used. So in the UK your loaf will be safe from human hair, but that might not be the case everywhere else.
If you were hoping your favourite cheese was vegetarian, we have some sad news for you. Some cheeses contain rennetm which is an enzyme extracted from the inside of a goat's, calf's or sheep's stomach. Stirred into a vat of cultured milk, it causes the milk to coagulate and separate into solids.
You also may want to think twice before ordering your next pint, as a substance derived from fish bladders - known as isinglass - is added to some beers. It is a gelatin-like substance added to cask beers and Guinness that removes residue yeast or solid particles in the beverages.