NASTY
FOOD AWARDS
The Food Intolerance Network invites you to submit photos
of your favourite nasty food, one full of additives or with a tricky
label. See other
nominations.
Date of last update May 2009
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See
details at http://www.slushpuppie.com.au/. May 2009 |
Lots of
people complain about the heavy direct marketing of Slush Puppie to kids,
particularly as most of the varieties contain one or more of the Southampton
Six artificial colours being phased out in the UK and carrying a warning
label in the EU. All
contain up to three nasty preservatives known to affect kids health or
behaviour 202 (potassium sorbate), 211 (sodium benzoate) or 223 (sodium
metabisulphite). It’s even
worse that they boast that these are registered products with the Federation
of Canteens in Schools (FOCIS), supports the NSW & QLD Canteen Strategy
(AMBER) and is a registered "Healthy Kids Product". I wonder if
they’ll also note that they win a Nasty Food Award from the Food Intolerance
Network?" As one
parent said “It also made me mad that the mothers at the school really
thought they'd put the effort in to find something good to serve the kids and
they really believe that it is good - (even telling my kids -"It's ok
,it's all natural") - so the more parents who know about this the better!” |
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What
outrages the many people who complain about this product is the “Simple
Goodness – no artificial colours or flavours” logo. 621 (monosodium
glutamate MSG), 635 (mixture of ribonucleotides 627 & 631) and 631
(disodium inosinate) are not technically flavours, they are flavour
enhancers. A distinction that amuses regulators but the effects are not
amusing for some - see Ribo Rash
factsheet. Note (March 2009): the noodles themselves now contain synthetic antioxidant 319 TBHQ, so
not even these are failsafe. |
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July 2006 |
Australian-owned
Golden Circle Juicy Fruit Sticks are 99% fruit (albeit foreign, reconstituted
and with peel) and 1% added benzoates, sorbates, sulphites, synthetic
flavours, tartrazine and sunset yellow. Our member said “one of the most
misleading products I have seen and one of the worst offenders for sneaking
unnecessary chemicals into products with children as the target consumer.” |
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July 2006 |
Our
member commented “and to think they are using them as a fund raiser in
schools..!!!” This cinnamon apple filled Krispy
Kreme has five nasty preservatives and over fifty ingredients. See
ingredient comment. |
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July 2006 |
This Spinach and Ricotta roll might be expected to be
vegetarian, but it contains chicken powder (!) plus nasty preservatives 202
& 220, nasty colours 102 & 124 (plus two others illegible) and five
different flavour enhancers: 627, 631, 635, soy sauce powder and yeast
extract (MSG, 621). Our member “bought this in preference to a sausage roll
thinking it would be a better choice”!! |
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Mar 2006 |
Wacky Water contains two nasty additives and
a wicked advertising claim (“helps you get better grades”) that is contrary
to all scientific evidence regarding these additives. Plain
water is the best drink. |
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Mar 2006 |
Streets Rainbow Paddlepops contain sulphites in the glucose syrup
(risk of asthma) and three nasty colours (risk of irritability, sleep
disturbance, restlessness). Why
are they recommended by the NSW School Canteen Association? |
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Mar 2006 |
Home Brand Canola from Woolworths contains two nasty synthetic
antioxidants. Nearly all other cooking oils have phased out these unnecessary
additives, so why does Woolworths persist? May 2008 SUCCESS! The Home Brand Canola no longer
contains these antioxidants, but check the label in case you are being
offered old stock. Consumer action! |
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What
happens if you take two loaves of bread with the same use-by date, Wonder
White (left) with preservative 282 and Might Soft (right) with no preservative
282, and let them stand at room temperature side by side for eight days?
Remember that 282 is used as a mould inhibitor. Jan
2006 |
The Wonder White with preservative is
covered in mould. The Might Soft
no-preservative bread has no mould growth at all! Why? Maybe it’s made in
more hygienic conditions, or with slightly lower moisture content. Try this
for yourself and let me know…… Mar 2006 SUCCESS! The two biggest selling breads in |
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Jan 2006 |
On
the left is the menu in a Qld café, but what you get is fake chicken: scraps blasted off carcasses with steam, combined with
“extenders”, antioxidants, flavour enhancers, flavours, coated in Cajun
spices. Inedible. Comment? “This isn’t a gourmet restaurant, luv.” |
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Nov
2005 |
Pressure
from our Network urged Devondale to take BHA 320 and flavour enhancer 635 out
of their Dairysoft range, so why are they still in their “healthy”
alternative? Mar 2006 SUCCESS! This product no longer contains
either BHA 320 or flavour enhancer 635. We can make a difference. |
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Nov
2005 |
The “25%
fruit juice” on the front turns out to be 40% orange peel (do you want
pesticides with that?), and since when was peel a fruit? Don’t
mention two nasty preservatives and a nasty annatto colour. |
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Email confoodnet@ozemail.com.au with
your photo, nomination or comment, or mail labels to |
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