by Cary McNeal
Katherine Zeratsky, “Moldy cheese: Is it unsafe to eat?” Nutrition and Healthy Eating, Expert Answers, Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com.
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FACT : Bacteria multiply between temperatures of 40° and 140°F, so be careful when reheating food in slow-cookers or chafing dishes. This is good news for those who like fast-food drive-thrus—the French fries there are usually around 34°F.
Katherine Zeratsky, “Food Poisoning: How long can you safely keep leftovers?” Nutrition and Healthy Eating, Expert Answers, Mayo Clinic, www.mayoclinic.com.
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FACT : Parasitic round worms such as Anisakis simplex, frequently found in fish, can lead to anisakiasis in humans, a condition marked by severe abdominal and gastric pain, nausea, vomiting and abdominal distention, which can last for months. I think my wife’s been cooking with those.
R. Wootten and D. C. Cann, “Round Worms in Fish,” Food and Agriculture Association of the United Nations, Ministry of Agriculture Fisheries and Food, Torry Research Station, www.fao.org.
Sari Edelstein and others, Food and Nutrition at Risk in America: Food Insecurity, Biotechnology, Food Safety, and Bioterrorism (Jones & Bartlett, 2008), 28.
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FACT : Long a staple of the American diet and U.S. economy, corn is a high-carbohydrate, highglycemic food that fattens up cattle and does the same to humans who consume it in excess. If you don’t believe me, visit Nebraska.
Melissa Diane Smith, “Corn Fed and Fat: The American Problem That is Spreading to Other Countries,” News & Notes, Against the Grain Nutrition, July 31, 2008, www.againstthegrainnutrition.com
Audrey Ensminger, Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. (CRC Press, 1994).
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FACT : Corn is in almost everything we consume. It is the primary food for the chicken, pigs, and cows we eat; the source of corn oils found in many snack foods, margarines, and baked goods; used to make high-fructose corn syrup, the most prevalent, cheapest and, some believe, most hazardous of all sweeteners; and the source of numerous food additives. As a result, corn is found in things that come out of our bodies, too. Like the one you’re working on right now.
Melissa Diane Smith, “Corn Fed and Fat: The American Problem That is Spreading to Other Countries,” News & Notes, Against the Grain Nutrition, July 31, 2008, www.againstthegrainnutrition.com.
Audrey Ensminger, Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia, 2nd ed. (CRC Press, 1994).
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FACT : Beef cattle evolved to survive on grass but are regularly fed corn, which has disastrous effects on their digestive systems, requiring a constant regimen of antibiotics to keep them healthy. The antibiotics are clearly working; cows digest things just fine. About every two to three minutes, in fact.
Michael Pollan, “When a Crop Becomes King,” New York Times, July 19, 2002, www.michaelpollan.com.
Danielle Nierenberg and Lisa Mastny, Happier Meals: Rethinking the Global Meat Industry (Worldwatch Institute, 2005), 25.
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FACT : Many environmentalists believe salmon farms could have a catastrophic effect on the world’s wild salmon populations. Concentrations of solid-waste and nitrogens from farmed pens can poison marine life, and many researchers fear that salmon farm escapees could soon overrun and decimate wild stocks. As of 1999, a million salmon had escaped from farms in Puget Sound and British Columbia alone. Although farmers use dogfish to track the escapees, most ultimately find their way to freedom. Fish that are caught are returned to the farms, where they face intense grilling over an open flame for 8–10 minutes.
David F. Arnold and William (FRW) Cronan, The Fishermen’s Frontier: People and Salmon in Southeast Alaska (University of Washington Press, 2008), 187.
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FACT : Peanut allergies afflict an estimated 4 million Americans, and can be life-threatening.
Almost half of annual emergency room visits and two-thirds of deaths due to anaphylaxis are the result of peanut allergies. On the bright side, if you’re a peanut allergy sufferer, you won’t have to worry about all those bug fragments and rat hair in peanut butter.
“Of Mice And Peanuts: A New Mouse Model For Peanut Allergy,” Science News, Science Daily, Jan. 14, 2009, www.sciencedaily.com.
Kalidas Shetty and others, Food Biotechnology, 2nd ed. (CRC Press, 2006), 970.
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FACT : Peaches, apples, nectarines, and strawberries are among the top six “dirtiest” foods, according to investigations by the Environmental Working Group. More than 90 percent of samples of these fruits tested positive for detectable pesticides, even after being rinsed or peeled. What, that two-second splash of cold water didn’t wash off all the chemicals?
“Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides,” The Environmental Working Group, www.foodnews.org.
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FACT : Independent studies show that bell peppers, celery, kale, carrots, lettuce, and potatoes are the vegetables most likely to expose consumers to pesticides, despite being rinsed or peeled. Bell peppers, celery, carrots, lettuce, and potatoes are also the foods most likely to expose family and friends to your lethal flatulence. Who the hell eats kale?
“Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides,” The Environmental Working Group, www.foodnews.org.
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FACT : Red-colored grocery items like fruit punch and strawberry yogurt are often dyed with carmine, which is made from ground-up cochineal beetles. For some, carmine can cause severe allergic reactions and can even lead to anaphylactic shock. That’s too bad, because eating ground-up beetles sounds really great otherwise.
Daniel M. Marmion, Handbook of U.S. Colorants: Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices, 3rd ed. (Wiley-Interscience, 1991), 128.
J.B. Greig, “Cochineal Extract, Carmine, and Carminic Acid,” WHO Food Additive Series 46, Food Standards Agency, London, www.inchem.org.
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FACT : Citrus Red No.2 is often used to give Florida oranges a brighter, more appealing hue.
The same dye has been banned for use in food processing because studies have shown that it causes cancer. Citrus Red No. 2 is also used at spray-on tanning spas to give customers that oh-so-life-like bright orange glow.
Mike Adams, “Grocery Warning: The Seven Most Dangerous Ingredients in Conventional Foods,” (Truth Publishing LLC, 2006), Organic Consumers Association, www.organicconsumers.org.
Elson Haas and Buck Levin, Staying Healthy with Nutrition: The Complete Guide to Diet and Nutritional Medicine, 21st ed. (Celestial Arts, 2006), 447.
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FACT : Prior to 2007, Girl Scout cookies were made with trans fat-filled hydrogenated oil, though most trans fat has now been removed from the recipes. Hold on, Sparky. They’re still packed with sugar and saturated fat, so it’s not a good idea to down an entire box of Tagalong’s in one sitting. Even though I have. More than once.
Thin Mints, too.
Mike Adams, “Grocery Warning: The Seven Most Dangerous Ingredients in Conventional Foods,” (Truth Publishing LLC, 2006), Organic Consumers Association, www.organicconsumers.org.
“Thin Mints Recipes,” Little Brownie Bakers, www.littlebrowniebakers.com.
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FACT : A diet high in processed meats like sausage, hot dogs, and luncheon meats increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. Chemical reactions that occur during the preparation of these meats yield carcinogens, which could be responsible for the association. Subway’s Jared: “I ate Subway every day for a year and lost 200 pounds. And my pancreas.”
Mike Adams, “Grocery Warning: The Seven Most Dangerous Ingredients in Conventional Foods,” (Truth Publishing LLC, 2006), Organic Consumers Association, www.organicconsumers.org.
“Processed Meat Linked to Pancreatic,
” Consumer Affairs, April 22, 2005, www.consumeraffairs.com.
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FACT : Mushrooms can kill. The two species most commonly to blame in mushroom poisonings are the Death Cap, which contains seven toxins and can be lethal with just one bite, and the Destroying Angel, often confused for an edible white cap mushroom. Death Cap. Destroying Angel. Who names these things, Dr. Evil?
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
Ian Robert Hall, Edible and Poisonous Mushrooms of the World (Timber Press, 2003).
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FACT : Think you’re avoiding monosodium glutamate (MSG) by checking product labels? You could be wrong. Food makers now conceal MSG in packaged foods by listing it under other names, such as autolyzed or hydrolyzed vegetable protein, torula yeast, soy extracts, yeast extract, and protein isolate. So the next time you’re at a Chinese restaurant, instead of asking for “No MSG, please,” say, “No autolyzed or hydrolyzed vegetable protein, torula yeast, soy extracts, yeast extract, and protein isolate, please.” And the waiter will still nod and smile as if the MSG wasn’t already in the food and he could remove it even if he had any intention of doing so, which he doesn’t.
Mike Adams, “Grocery Warning: The Seven Most Dangerous Ingredients in Conventional Foods,” (Truth Publishing LLC, 2006), Organic Consumers Association, www.organicconsumers.org.
Myrna Chandler Goldstein and Mark Allan Goldstein, Controversies in Food and Nutrition (Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002), 13.
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FACT : Blowfish (fugu), a delicacy in Japan and Hong Kong, contains deadly amounts of tetrodotoxin, a poison 500 times stronger than cyanide. Several diners die each year from blowfish consumption. And yet, people continue to eat it. If I’m going to die from eating something, I assure you it won’t be fish.
Donuts, maybe, or bacon, but not fish.
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
Jack Jackson, Complete Diving Manual (New Holland Publishers, 2005), 177.
Robb Satterwhite, What’s What in Japanese Restaurants: A Guide to Ordering, Eating, and Enjoying, 2nd ed. (Kodansha International, 1996), 64.
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FACT : Because they are filter-feeders, shellfish can accumulate high levels of toxins from the algae they consume. Eat enough of them, and you could die. Lobster and shrimp: two more things I’d rather die from eating than blowfish.
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
“Various Shellfish-Associated Toxins,” Bad Bug Book, U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, www.cfsan.fda.gov.
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FACT : Rhubarb leaves contain a high concentration of oxalate, which is poisonous in large doses.
The stems contain a lower concentration of oxalate, and also act as a good laxative. Some foods were never meant for human consumption, and rhubarb is at the top of that list. The proof: it either poisons you or makes you crap your pants.
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
Ian Shaw, Is it Safe to Eat?: Enjoy Eating and Minimize Food Risks (Springer, 2005), 127.
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FACT : Potatoes contain toxic compounds called glycoalkaloids that cannot be reduced in cooking. Consumption of high doses of glycoalkaloids can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and, in severe cases, death. Death by potato. Still better than death by blowfish.
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
Ian Shaw, Is it Safe to Eat?: Enjoy Eating and Minimize Food Risks (Springer, 2005), 127.
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FACT : Apricot, cherry, and peach pits contain cyanogenetic glycosides, which release cyanide. It would take a huge dose to kill you, but there have been reports of children in Turkey suffering from apricot seed poisoning. In case you needed another reason not to eat a peach pit. Imagine passing that thing.
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
Y.H. Hui, R. A. Smith, and David G. Spoerke, Plant Toxicants, 2nd ed. (Marcel Dekker, 2001), 47.
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FACT : Chocolate contains the alkaloid theobromine, which in high doses can be toxic to humans, and in even small amounts can kill dogs, parrots, horses, and cats. This means that despite its name, the Kit-Kat candy bar is not a recommended snack for your kittycat.
I wonder how many cats have died because of this confusion.
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
Lewis R. Goldfrank and others, Goldfrank’s Toxicologic Emergencies, 8th ed. (McGraw-Hill Professional, 2006), 993.
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FACT : If not processed properly, tapioca can be toxic; it is made from cassava root, which contains a natural cyanide-like compound called linamarin.
If the plant is properly dried, soaked, and baked, however, the linamarin is rendered harmless and safe for consumption. Soaked and Baked—two of my college roommates.
Dahlia Rideout, “Ten Dangerous & Deadly Foods,” Divine Caroline, www.divinecaroline.com.
Rudolph Ballentine, Diet & Nutrition: A Holistic Approach (Himalayan Institute Press, 1982), 389.
FACT : Bluefin tuna is popular at sushi bars, but it contains high amounts of mercury. Mercury poisoning can cause fatigue, memory loss, and numbness in extremities; recent studies also suggest that mercury can increase your risk of cardiovascular disease. Do not confuse mercury poisoning with Freddie Mercury poisoning, which causes buck teeth, stage theatrics, uncontrollable porn-mustache growth, and a desire to dress like Cap’n Crunch.
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Aaron Casson Trenor, Sustainable Sushi: A Guide to Saving the Oceans One Bite at a Time (North Atlantic Books, 2009), 14.
“High Mercury Levels Are Found in Tuna Sushi,” New York Times, January 23, 2008, www.nytimes.com.
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FACT : The well-known poison arsenic is approved by the FDA as an additive to poultry feed and given to at least 70 percent of chickens raised for consumption in the United States. Arsenic has been linked to cancer, birth defects, diabetes, and death. Worse, arsenic has almost no taste. They could at least use cyanide, which is every bit as lethal but has the flavor of delicious almonds. And who doesn’t love almond chicken?
“Feeding Arsenic to Poultry: Is this Good Medicine?” Going Green: A Resource Kit for Pollution Prevention in Health Care, Health Care Without Harm,
“Playing Chicken: Avoiding Arsenic in Your Meat,” report, Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, April 5, 2006, www.iatp.org.
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FACT : Though banned by all European nations and Canada, the synthetic hormone rBGH (Recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone) is still used by American dairy farmers to boost growth rates and increase body mass of cows, despite being linked to higher risks of breast cancer and hormonal disorders in humans who consume milk from those cows.
Got cancer?
Samuel S. Epstein, Cancer-Gate: How to Win the Losing Cancer War (Baywood Publishing Company, 2005), 223.
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