FitSugar

Label Able: Disodium Dihydrogen Pyrophosphate

FitSugar — Fri, 28 May 2010 09:22:23 PDT

Label reading is an obsession of mine, and there are a few ingredients I just won't eat. Enriched flour, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, and mono- and diglycerides are on the to-be-avoided list. Add to that the ingredients whose names I just cannot pronounce.

I recently came across the ingredient disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate on a package of Alexia Roasted Red Potatoes & Harvest Vegetables. I trust this company's all-natural products, but since you should never assume anything is healthy, I decided to do a little research to see what this incredibly lengthy ingredient is made of. Curious to know what I discovered? Then

read more. On the package, it says that disodium dihydrogen pyrophosphate is used to "retain natural color," but it doesn't say where it comes from. When searching the Internet, it was actually difficult to find information on the ingredient at first, which made me even more wary. After a few clicks, I learned that it's an odorless chemical food additive in the form of a white crystalline powder. You may also see it listed as disodium diphosphate on labels such as canned seafood. Aside from retaining color, it's also used to prevent oxidation (browning) of potatoes, and as a leavening agent in breads. It's characterized as GRAS (generally recognized as safe), but there are warnings that excessive use can lead to imbalanced levels of minerals in the body and bone loss.

Label Able: Vegetable Glycerin

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:30:50 PDT

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.

If you're curious to know what it is or why it's used keep reading

Label Able: Palm Stearin

FitSugar — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 12:00:57 PDT

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. When palm oil is extracted from the fruit of the palm tree and then refined, it can be further refined into two forms - palm olein (liquid) and palm stearin (solid). This ingredient has a neutral taste, and contains a balance of polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated fatty acids. Palm stearin also contains linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid our bodies don't produce, and tocopherols, which are natural antioxidants. This fat is cholesterol free, and may even lower LDL (bad) cholesterol levels. Palm stearin shouldn't be confused with palm kernel oil, which is made from the seeds of the palm fruit and is high in saturated (unhealthy) fats. Since palm stearin is solid at room temperature, it's often used instead of butter in breads and cakes, and can be found in nonhydrogenated margarine. It's also used to prevent nut butters from separating, as in this soy nut butter. Well that's a relief. Now I can enjoy my Muddy Buddies even more!

Label Able: Nigari

FitSugar — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:00:00 PDT

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? I decided to do a little research. To find out what I discovered,

read more. Magnesium chloride is a salt that's highly soluble in water. In Japan, it's known as nigari, derived from the Japanese word for "bitter." It's a white powder made from seawater after the sodium chloride has been removed and the water evaporated. It's an important coagulant used when making tofu or soy milk and is also found in baby formula. Well, that's a relief. I knew Amy wouldn't steer me wrong.

Label Able: Carnauba Wax

FitSugar — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 03:00:00 PDT

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? If you're curious to know what this ingredient truly is, then

read more. Carnauba wax comes from the leaves of the carnauba palm, a plant that grows in northeastern Brazil. In hot, dry weather, the palm secretes wax to protect its leaves from damage. To collect the wax, the leaves are dried and then beaten to dislodge the yellowish to brown waxy coating, which usually flakes off. The wax is refined and bleached before it's used. I didn't know this, but carnauba wax is often called the "queen of waxes." It's a hard substance, so it's used to make durable coatings for floors and cars. It's also used in polishes, varnishes, and beauty products like mascara, deodorant, and lipstick. In foods, it's used as a coating or anti-caking agent, and can be found in frosting, candies (such as Altoids and Tic Tacs), gum, gravies, and sauces. Although I'm not too psyched that the same substance used to add a glossy finish to my shoes is also in something I eat, at least I now know that carnauba wax is plant-derived.

Label Able: Methylcellulose

FitSugar — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 12:00:00 PST

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. It's what helps keep all the veggies and grains together in one compact patty. This ingredient is found in many processed foods.

Methylcellulose also has another surprising use. To find out what it is

read more. This ingredient is a soluble fiber that comes in the form of a white powder, and when it gets wet, it forms a viscous gel. That's why it's the main ingredient in Citrucel pills, which are used to promote regularity. Don't worry - for most people, methylcellulose won't cause gas or bloating, but can help keep things moving in your digestive tract.

Why Is Quaternium-87 in My "Herbal" Conditioner?

FitSugar — Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:00:00 PDT

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. To me that sounds more like a show on the SciFi channel canceled after one episode than a "botanical" ingredient to me.

To find out what it is,

read more. With a little exploring on the Internet, I discovered that Quaternium is the name for a category of chemicals, and there are many varieties including Quaternium-15, 18, 24, 27, 80, and so on. As the various numbers indicate, all these "Quats" are unique because they are made from different ingredients and have different properties. Some Quats, such as Quaternium-15, have caused skin reactions for some people, but it's one of the ingredients in Johnson's Baby Shampoo, so I would think that it'd be safe (since it's meant for wee ones). As for Quaternium-87, since it's added to all natural conditioners, I'd assume that it also wouldn't cause any unpleasant reactions. This ingredient is an ammonium compound that can be synthetic or vegetable based. It's a viscous, cloudy yellowish liquid that mixes well with water. It can be used alone as a conditioner, but I guess Nature's Gate mixes it with herbs and flower extracts to give it the fresh, clean scent I love. I didn't find any info stating that Quaternium-87 was harmful for human use, but that doesn't mean it's 100 percent safe. I guess you'll have to use your own judgment when it comes to this ingredient. Although if you have sensitive skin, I'd heighten your awareness when using products that contain Quats.

Label Able Round Up

FitSugar — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 03:00:00 PDT

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.

Label Able: Tricalcium Phosphate

FitSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 10:00:00 PDT

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. The name reminded me of sodium bicarbonate, aka baking soda, but I was fairly certain these two ingredients are not related at all.

I did a little poking around and found that tricalcium phosphate is calcium salt of citric acid. It's added to foods to act as a firming or anti-caking agent, or as an acidity regulator. Companies also add it to their products to increase the calcium content (Dannon told me this when I phoned them). That's why calcium supplements sometimes contain tricalcium phosphate as well. You may find this ingredient in foods such as dairy products, wine, carbonated beverages, powdered spices, candy and jams. Reduced fat liquid foods may also contain this ingredient, to add smoothness and an opaque color.

Want to hear more about this ingredient? Then

read more. The funny thing is, Dannon Fruit Blends Yogurt (which contains tricalcium phosphate) has 20 percent calcium, and Stonyfield Farms Fat Free Yogurt (which doesn't contain this ingredient), has 30 percent calcium. If tricalcium phosphate is being added to increase the amount of calcium, then shouldn't Dannon have more? It just doesn't make sense. Also, it seems that tricalcium phosphate is used in a lot of processed foods that contain some not-so-healthy ingredients (what's with the red 40 and high fructose corn syrup in the Dannon yogurt?). So for that reason, I think I'll stick to foods made with actual food ingredients.

Label Able: Malic Acid?

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:00:00 PDT

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.

It doesn't sound healthy to me, but I may just be thinking this because it also contains high-fructose corn syrup – an ingredient I don't like to find in my yogurt. To find out, just

read more. I found it interesting that this food additive is centuries old. Malic acid was first isolated from apple juice in 1785 by Carl Wilhelm Scheele. He decided to name it "acide malique," which comes from the Latin word for apple, mālum. Malic acid is actually a natural compound that's found in tart or sour foods. Besides apples, it's also found in cherries, tomatoes, and grapes, and it can be found in wine. It's used as a food additive to give foods and candies a tart flavor. Sometimes it's added along with citric acid to foods such as Jolly Ranchers, SweetTarts, and salt and vinegar potato chips. It may also be added to dairy products, processed fruit, condensed milk, soups, beer, malt beverages, and processed meat. Be warned - if you eat too much, it could irritate your mouth.