With the help of recent documentaries, TV shows and legislation, Americans are becoming more aware of just what really is lurking in their favorite foods. But, even with this knowledge, people are still being served processed foods full of chemicals, preservatives and artificial flavors, all deemed safe by the government.
On Monday, February 27, The Doctors, with special guest and celebrity chef Rocco DiSpirito, will take a closer look at the harmful additives and processes used to prepare many of the foods we eat every day.
Amongst the foods spotlighted are:
Burgers. Fast food burgers are comprised of “pink slime,” the term given to the mechanically separated meat that has been treated with ammonia hydroxide to kill bacterias like E-coli. Top fast food restaurants say they have discontinued their use of this meat, made from discarded cow parts, but schools still serve it up daily to our kids.
Chicken. Chicken seems harmless, right? To disinfect and cool chickens after they are slaughtered, chickens are often dunked in a chlorine bath with a ratio of water to chlorine up to 50 times stronger than your local swimming pool. The chickens are then “plumped” with salt water to hide the chlorine taste and make them larger in weight and, thus, price. The Doctors will perform an experiment to show that these chlorine baths may not even kill the bacteria in the first place.
Ice Cream. Real vanilla beans are very expensive, so to cut costs, many ice cream companies use a fake flavoring called piperonal which is also an active ingredient in lice killer.
Bread. Many breads are made with potassium bromate, which has been named a carcinogen by the EPA and has been banned in Canada and the UK, but is approved by the FDA.
But don’t worry. The Doctors will offer up plenty of tips to avoid these shady foods, including reading your nutrition labels to avoid artificial flavors and artificial dyes, especially Red 40, Blue 1, Yellow 5 & 6. They also recommend limit processed foods, buying organic whenever possible, checking “sell by” dates, buying from farmers markets, and much, much more.