You have seen articles about food safety and food additives in the news lately. I dug up an article from Prevention Magazine written by Liz Vaccariello entitled "Seven Foods Even Food Safety Experts Won't Eat?. Bon appetit!
- Canned Tomatoes - resin linings of tin cans can contain bisphenol-A,
a synthetic estrogen. Acidic contents (such as tomato sauces) cause
BPA to leach into food. Solution: choose fresh tomatoes or ones
packaged in glass bottles or waxed boxes.
- Corn-Fed Beef - cattle evolved to eat grass, not grains. According
to a Clemson University study grass-fed beef, compared to corn-fed, is
higher in beta-carotene, Vitamin E, conjugated linoleic acid, calcium,
magnesium and potassium; lower in the inflammatory omega-6's; and lower
in saturated fats. Solution: buy grass-fed beef.
- Microwave Popcorn - the problem is the chemicals in the lining of
the bag. Solution: pop it the old-fashion way in a skillet or pan.
- Potatoes (non-organic) - root vegetables absorb herbicides,
pesticides, and fungicides during the growing season. Because these
chemicals are absorbed they cannot be washed off! Solution: buy organic potatoes.
- Farmed Salmon - nature didn't intend for salmon to be artificially
fed in pens. Farmed salmon tend to be lower in Vitamin D and higher in
contaminants including carcinogens, PCB's, and pesticides. Solution: switch to wild-caught Alaska salmon. If the package says fresh Atlantic, it's farmed. No commercial fisheries remain for wild Atlantic salmon.
- Milk Produced with Artificial Hormones - bovine growth hormone (rBGH
or rBST) is used to increase milk production but may have a deleterious
effect on humans. Solution - check labels for rBGH-free, rBST-free, produced without artificial hormones, or organic milk.
- Conventional Apples - fall apples are sprayed with pesticides
because, as individually grafted trees, apples don't develop resistance
to many pests. Solution: buy organic apples or at least wash and peel
them first.
As you can see, there are a few relatively easy and not very
expensive ways to protect yourself from potentially harmful food
products.