Some of your favorite foods may be fakes.
"Foods masquerading as something else — a more nutritious something else — have been big news in the past two years. Chinese food companies in particular have been blamed for making deadly alterations to dairy, baby and pet foods by adding melamine. The chemical makes it appear that the food or beverage has the required level of protein.
But what about food producers in this country? What fraudulent foods do U.S. consumers have to fear from American companies?
Experts say dangerous U.S.-produced foods are comparatively few, but producers have been known to practice "economic adulteration" — adding a little to their bottom line by padding, thinning or substituting something cheap for something expensive.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Food and Drug Administration regulate the food industry, but with safety issues to deal with, economic adulteration has "really been back-burnered," says Bruce Silverglade of the non-profit Center for Science in the Public Interest. So in a caveat emptor world, what should consumers look out for?"
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-01-19-fake-foods_N.htm
I saw something about this on the news and went to check the label on my extra virgin olive oil. It's one of the better brands and I couldn't find anything that said it was 100% olive oil. So, for all I know I probably paid a hefty price for up to 90% soybean oil.
Fresh or frozen Salmon is trickier. On TV they said farmed salmon gets its color from dyes added to food pellets...while wild salmon gets its color from the plankton they eat in the ocean. The wild salmon keeps its bright color when you cook it...the farmed salmon doesn't.
Then there's honey...some honey is thinned out with high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar or beet sugar. My label said 100% honey.
Maple syrup is another product that can be easily adulterated. Sellers can simply dilute the boiled-down sap of the sugar maple tree with water or sugar and never worry about what the label says.
Dang, we've known that the FDA lacked the funding and staffing necessary to adequately police our food industry through the Bush years, I hope Obama will bring the leadership and mandate as well.
Peanut butter sammie anyone?
