widespread fake food products

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6-7% foods contain fraudulent ingredients.
DNA testing showed 16% counterfeited foods.
Problems grew 60% in the last year.
My suspicion is this is directly due to the hidden food price inflation.
Most common adulterated products: olive oil, fruit juces, spices, tea bags, etc.

Quote:
USP tells ABC News that liquids and ground foods in general are the easiest to tamper with:

Olive oil: often diluted with cheaper oils
Lemon juice: cheapened with water and sugar
Tea: diluted with fillers like lawn grass or fern leaves
Spices: like paprika or saffron adulterated with dangerous food colorings that mimic the colors

Milk, honey, coffee and syrup are also listed by the USP as being highly adulterated products.

Also high on the list: seafood. The number one fake being escolar, an oily fish that can cause stomach problems, being mislabeled as white tuna or albacore, frequently found on sushi menus.

National Consumers League did its own testing on lemon juice just this past year and found four different products labeled 100 percent lemon juice were far from pure.


http://abcnews.go.com/US/exclusive-group-finds-fake-ingredients-popular-foods/story?id=18281941

(you have to suffer an ad before the video)

BTW, I tested olive oil from Sam's Club and it solidified in fridge in 1-2 days. Most likely good (saturated fats).
 
Sadly, this isn't surprising to me. That's a good simple test for your olive oil. I eat mostly fruits and vegetables, so luckily I don't have to worry about this much.
 
I agree with friendly_jacek and panthermike. Most of the items listed don't surprise me at all, and the motivation is always to increase profit margin on the end product:

- Olive oil can easily be adulerated with cheap oils, and honey with sugar/corn syrups.
- Tea, lemon juice, and high-value spices often don't taste right. No surprise there.

I doubt milk is adulterated much in the USA (maybe the cows are!
lol.gif
) but it is well know to be in some other countries.
 
Every time I look at obviously-injected glistening packaged meat in the store I keep wondering on why everyone else does not find the practice revolting. I've butchered my own beef. And worked for hormel so have an idea on what they add and where it comes from. I wish more people would pitch a fit so all of this would stop.
 
Originally Posted By: dave munson
Every time I look at obviously-injected glistening packaged meat in the store I keep wondering on why everyone else does not find the practice revolting. I've butchered my own beef. And worked for hormel so have an idea on what they add and where it comes from. I wish more people would pitch a fit so all of this would stop.



Good post, Dave. I feel the same.

Shop local is the answer. Get thee to a local farmer's market and patronize the small farms near your home if possible. A grass roots revolt in our buying habits will bring BIG FOOD down one day...
 
I think what US allows done to a dairy cow, pretty much makes the milk adulterated, just in the poor cow!
I think unfortunatley, big government regulation of the food industry is the only practical chance for improving food quality, with a vast majority of people who have their head in the sand.
We opt out from buying most of our meat, eggs, and milk, and don't buy many things that come in cardboard or pre-processed, but most people never will go as far as us. Its pretty much a lifestyle more than a food choice, but I suppose many people spend more time walking their dog than we do on chores everyday, but chores are "work" and walking a useless dog is "recreation"...
 
This topic reminds me of this... http://i.imgur.com/F6WvIaf.jpg

People just need to be more informed and t he market will follow. I have yet to step into Whole Foods, but have managed to cut down on my processed food intake considerably by getting my food from the perimeter of the grocery store.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
I doubt milk is adulterated much in the USA


Ummmm the growth hormone rbst is outlawed in Europe and other places.

A European Union report on the animal welfare effects of BST states that its usage often results in "severe and unnecessary pain, suffering and distress" for cows, "associated with serious mastitis, foot disorders and some reproductive problems".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovine_somatotropin
 
I agree with IndyIan and Sam2000 about the treatment of cows. I wrote that statement with direct adulteration of the milk in mind.

I do my best to avoid processed meats and foods overall. And I agree that because many have their head in the sand about food, the industry continues to find ways to increase their profits at the expense of our food quality, and consequently our health.
 
Originally Posted By: BearZDefect
I agree with friendly_jacek and panthermike. Most of the items listed don't surprise me at all, and the motivation is always to increase profit margin on the end product:

- Olive oil can easily be adulerated with cheap oils, and honey with sugar/corn syrups.
- Tea, lemon juice, and high-value spices often don't taste right. No surprise there.

I doubt milk is adulterated much in the USA (maybe the cows are!
lol.gif
) but it is well know to be in some other countries.


The honey,I always buy the raw/unfiltered. Maple syrup,same thing. The "cheap" stuff is nothing but thickened corn syrup/sugar with a tiny bit of real honey and real maple syrup in in. Costs more,but totally worth it!
 
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