To build awareness of the chemical additives in our food supply, Citizens for Health has declared April 11, 2013 as “Read Your Labels Day.”
By reading the ingredients labels on food packages, Americans will get the “411” on what they’re eating. A study conducted in 2011 by the food and beverage research group Mintel reported that less than half of consumers surveyed read the ingredients labels on the foods they purchased in supermarkets.
“Studies show that the majority of us aren’t checking the list of ingredients on the foods we buy,” said Jim Turner, who chairs Citizens for Health. “It’s staggering how many supermarket products we’d never think to check contain things like monosodium glutamate, aspartame, and High Fructose Corn Syrup,” said Turner. “No one needs these ingredients in their diets.”
Food identity Theft editor and Kindred advisory board member, Linda Bonvie, has identified the “Top 10 Ingredients to Avoid.
Top 10 Ingredients to Avoid
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Aspartame
- Monosodium Glutamate
- BHA and BHT
- Partially Hydrogenated Oils
- Potassium Bromate
- Brominated Vegetable Oil
- Artificial Colors
- Autolyzed Yeast
- Hydrolyzed Protein
In the FIT blog she has provided background information on each ingredient, including what they are and why they should be avoided.
Industrial chemical additives are causing a lot of concern among many consumers. Heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are just a few of the health risks associated with the increasing levels of man-made preservatives, stabilizers and sweeteners that many food manufacturers are using in their products.
Does your favorite Fiber One cereal contain BHT? Is aspartame hiding in your Yoplait yogurt? Are your hamburger buns made with High Fructose Corn Syrup? Is it natural to put chemicals in our bodies, and to eat “unreal” food?
When you find any of the Top 10 Ingredients to Avoid, help others by taking a picture of these products on your smart phone, and share your photos with others on Instagram, using the hashtag #ReadYourLabels.
Find out more at Food Identity Theft.