7 Crazy Food Industry Tricks You Don’t Know About
Your food goes through a lot before it reaches the supermarket, but what happens on the journey? What makes apples look so shiny, salmon look so pink, and oranges look such a vibrant color? The answers may surprise you. Below we’re going to examine some of the crazy things that are done to our food that the food industry does not want us to know about.
1. Salmon is made pinker
Most salmon is not the pink color we have grown accustom to, it’s actually a more on the gray side. Wild salmon can naturally obtain the classic pink color when they have been eating krill. Farm raised salmon can only obtain that beautiful color by being fed pink pigment pellets.
2. Pollen is removed from honey
According to recent research done by scientists at Texas A&M University, the majority of the honey we buy in supermarkets contains no pollen at all. Honey producers admit to filtering out pollen as a way to delay the crystallization process of the honey.
3. Oranges Dyed
Citrus dye number two is sometimes sprayed on Florida oranges. This dye is approved by the FDA; however the Center for Science in the Public Interest warns that this color brightening dye may possibly lead to health risks. Don’t use Florida orange peels to avoid the risk. Many other foods are dyed as well to make them look more appetizing.
4. Wax coating on produce
Some produce, like apples, are known to have a shiny coating. That coating does not occur naturally, it is actually a food grade wax that has been applied to the skin. The wax is not dangerous, but to avoid consuming it make sure to wash your fruits and vegetables with a little soap and water.
5. Olive oil is not pure
According to consumer reports, many bottles of extra virgin olive oil have been found impure. The oil that most people buy for their health is being contaminated by being mixed with oils such as canola.
6. Chicken receive baths
To help control bacterial contaminations, freshly slaughtered chickens are cooled in a tank that contains water and a sanitizing substance like chlorine. Some chickens are also injected with saltwater to enhance the flavor when it’s cooked.
7. Fruit is artificially ripened
Have you ever wondered how produce that is only grown certain times of the year seem to be available all the time? Fruit is picked before it is ripe and stored in a room that had not oxygen and is filled with carbon dioxide. This will effectively force the fruit into a type of hibernation mode until oxygen is reintroduced. Bananas are green when harvested as well. When the bananas are needed, ethylene gas is introduced to quicken the ripening process.
The food industry keeps some crazy things that they do to food a secret. Most of them are harmless, but some can put your health at risk by adding sodium or introducing dyes or wax into your body.
