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Sugar Editorial Picks
Label Able: Vegetable Glycerin
I was going on a trip and picked up some Kashi TLC Trail Mix bars. I trust their products completely so don't feel it's necessary to read labels before buying them. While in the car, I happened to check out the list of ingredients and saw vegetable glycerin.
Label Able: Palm Stearin
At the grocery store to pick up some soy nut butter for a batch of Soy Nut Butter Muddy Buddies I was planning on making, I saw a new kind made by Simple Food. Checking out the label I noticed an ingredient I've never heard of — organic palm stearin.
If you're curious to know whether it's healthy or not read more
Label Able: Nigari
I just reread the label of my favorite mac-n-cheese alternative, the Country Cheddar Bowl by Amy's Kitchen, and happened to catch something on the list of ingredients that I didn't recognize — nigari. In parentheses it says "magnesium chloride, a natural firming agent," but that use of the word "natural" didn't make me feel any better.
I trust food from Amy's Kitchen because it's made with such wholesome ingredients, so nigari can't be bad for me, right?
Label Able: Carnauba Wax
A couple weeks ago, I reviewed Annie's Bunny Fruit Snacks. As much as I liked them, I was a little weirded out by one item on the list of ingredients — carnauba wax.
As unappetizing as it sounds, I know in my heart that a company like Annie's would never put anything unhealthy in their foods, right?
Label Able: Methylcellulose
To save money and eat for my heart, I've been enjoying veggie burgers instead of hamburgers. While checking labels, I noticed the ingredient methylcellulose on the All-American Grilled Boca Burger.
This ingredient is derived from cellulose and used as a thickener and an emulsifier to bind ingredients together.
Why Is Quaternium-87 in My "Herbal" Conditioner?
I made the switch to all-natural shampoo and conditioner a few years back. Not only do I like the fact that they're made with "a perfectly balanced blend of botanicals," as the bottle states, but I also like that they're made without animal testing. As I was washing my hair the other day, I went to pour some Nature's Gate Herbal Conditioner in my palm, and I saw Quaternium-87 in the list of ingredients.
Label Able Round Up
There are a few weird ingredients that I keep seeing over and over again on packages and I used to always wonder what they were doing in my food. In case you ever are perplexed by certain ingredients on food labels, here are some common ones along with what they do.
View Slideshow ›
Label Able: Tricalcium Phosphate
I like to read food labels; I find them fascinating, especially when the list of ingredients seems long enough to contain a plot character development. As a general rule, I try to steer clear of foods made with ingredients that have lengthy confusing names. When researching for the yogurt breakdown, I saw tricalcium phosphate on the Dannon yogurt label.
Label Able: Malic Acid?
Another day of food shopping, another weird ingredient. What in the world is malic acid? I found it on the label of Dannon Fruit on the Bottom yogurt.
Label Able: Gum Acacia
I recently reviewed Morningstar Farms Chik Patties, and when reading the way-too-long list of ingredients I came upon gum acacia. Great. Another ingredient that sounds weird and unhealthy.
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