Ever wonder what goes into your favorite foods? While they’re all safe to eat, some ingredients will make you want to give them up altogether. Well, that’s the journey from farm to table, so naturally, they will contain surprises (sometimes alarms) for us consumers. Today, we’ll be bringing you the 10 shocking truths on how your favorite foods are made.
10. Ground Beef Can Contain Meat from Hundreds of Different Cows
While this may not be a shocker to some, a single hamburger patty contains meat from up to 400 cattle! That’s right, as industrial meat processing combines beef from numerous sources into a massive batch. It’s impossible to trace its origin, so it’s possible that your patty contains cattle from another country.
9. Shellac (Bug Secretions) Makes Your Candy Shiny
Ever wondered how your jelly bean candy or chocolate nuts are so shiny? That’s shellac speaking. It’s made from a resin that’s secreted by a female lac bug. Also known as confectioner’s glaze, shellac is also used in nail polish and wood finishing. Don’t worry, they’re safe to consume, although they really do come from creepy crawlies.
8. Your Sandwich Bread Contains Human Hair and Duck Feathers
L-cysteine is the ingredient responsible for that. It’s usually used to soften bread dough and extend shelf life. However, they’re collected from duck feathers or, worse, human hair. The human hair is actually collected from barbershops and salons, which are dissolved in acid and processed to extract the L-cysteine. While there are synthetic versions of it, both hair and feathers are cheaper to use in industrial baking.
7. Processed Meat Is Held Together with “Meat Glue”
Transglutaminase is used as a “meat glue” to bind smaller pieces of meat into a larger portion. It’s an enzyme that actually puts proteins together so strongly that it may even glue your fingers to meat. It’s usually used in processed meats and even in some restaurants. Extreme caution is important when handling them.
6. Farm-Raised Salmon Is Naturally Gray (The Pink Is Artificial)
Wild salmon naturally gets its pink color from consuming krill and crustaceans that are rich in astaxanthin. Meanwhile, the farm-raised ones feed on grain-based pellets that are naturally gray and white. To achieve the pink salmon that we know of, fish farmers add synthetic astaxanthin or canthaxanthin to their salmon feeds.
5. Your Honey Might Not Actually Be Honey
Sadly, about 75% of the honey that you see in grocery stores has been ultra-filtered. Manufacturers removed all pollen, which makes it impossible to trace their origin. The “honey” that they sold is a blend of actual honey and high-fructose corn syrup. Worst, they even use synthetic sweeteners entirely that taste like honey.
4. Some Ice Creams Contains Beaver Secretions
Natural vanilla flavoring can sometimes contain castoreum. This substance is actually from a beaver’s an*l glands. However, they’re less common now due to their cost, so manufacturers use a lab-created vanillin instead to add to their ice cream. Still, some ice cream (particularly expensive ones) still use castoreum up to this day.
3. Chocolate Contains an Acceptable Level of Insect Parts
Yup, you read that right. The FDA actually allows up to 60 insect fragments per 100 grams. They’re under “natural defects,” which include insect heads, bodies, and legs. They came from cocoa beans during their harvesting and processing. Don’t worry, these levels are considered safe to consume. Although they’re unappetizing to think of, there’s nothing manufacturers can do as they’re unavoidable.
2. Gummy Bears and Marshmallows Are Made from Animal Skin and Bones
As creepy as it sounds, your gummy bears and marshmallows contain gelatin. It’s a key ingredient that gives off their chewy texture. However, they’re made from boiling animal collagen from cow hides, pig skins, and animal bones. These animal parts are treated with acids, and they’re boiled for hours to break down their collagen to gelatin. Yup, even your favorite chewy candy has a bounce made of animal connective tissue.
1. Your “Fresh” Produce May Be Nearly a Year Old
That crispy apple from dessert could have been harvested 10 months ago. It’s because many produce of fruits and vegetables are stored in controlled atmosphere warehouses where they reduce oxygen levels and carbon dioxide. With this, fresh produce undergoes slow ripening. For instance, apples are stored in these facilities for up to 6-12 months before they reach grocery stores.