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Wheat flour is an excellent source of complex carbohydrates. Other than gluten flour, all types of wheat flour derive at least 80 percent of their calories from carbohydrates. Depending on the flour type, the percent of calories from protein ranges from 9 to 15 percent, except from gluten, which has a 45 percent protein content. Calories from fat are never more than 5 percent.



In addition, wheat flour provides from 3 g (cake flour) to 15 g (whole-wheat flour) of dietary fiber per 1-cup serving. Wheat flour contains B vitamins, calcium, folacin, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium zinc and other trace elements, and minimal amounts of sodium.



Wheat is the most important cereal crop in the world and ubiquitous in our culture. Bread, pasta, bagels, crackers, cakes, muffins and other wheat containing products line our supermarket shelves and fill our grocery baskets. It is luck for us that this popular grain is available throughout the year.



Classes used in the United States are



Durum - Very hard, translucent, light colored grain used to make semolina flour for pasta.

Hard Red Spring - Hard, brownish, high protein wheat used for bread and hard baked goods.

Hard Red Winter - Hard, brownish, very high protein wheat used for bread, hard baked goods and as an adjunct in other flours to increase protein.

Soft Red Winter - Soft, brownish, medium protein wheat used for bread.

Hard White - Hard, light colored, opaque, chalky, medium protein wheat planted in dry, temperate areas. Used for bread and brewing

Soft White - Soft, light colored, very low protein wheat grown in temperate moist areas. Used for bread.

Hard wheats are harder to process and red wheats may need bleaching. Therefore, soft and white wheats usually command higher prices than hard and red wheats on the commodities market.



Wheat, in its natural unrefined state, features a host of important nutrients.



Therefore, to receive benefit from the wholesomeness of wheat it is important to choose wheat products made from whole wheat flour rather than those that are refined and stripped of their natural goodness.



The health benefits of wheat depend entirely on the form in which you eat it. These benefits will be few if you select wheat that has been processed into 60% extraction, bleached white flour. 60% extraction - the standard for most wheat products in the United States, including breads, noodles and pastas, baked goods like rolls or biscuits, and cookies - means that 40% of the original wheat grain was removed, and only 60% is left. Unfortunately, the 40% that gets removed includes the bran and the germ of the wheat grain - its most nutrient-rich parts. In the process of making 60% extraction flour, over half of the vitamin B1, B2, B3, E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, and fiber are lost.



Since 1941, laws in the United States have required "enrichment" of processed wheat flour with vitamins B1, B2, B3 and iron in response to the problems created by 60% extraction. Although not nearly as much of these B vitamins and iron are replaced as are removed from 60% extraction flour, "enriched" seems an odd word to describe this process. If you select 100% whole wheat products, however, the bran and the germ of the wheat will remain in your meals, and the health benefits will be impressive! Our food ranking qualified whole wheat (in its original non-enriched form) as a very good source of dietary fiber and manganese, and as a good source of magnesium.



Bran is made up of the outer layers of the wheat kernel. Bran is used in whole wheat flour. It is also used in breakfast cereals.



The germ is tiny - about 2 1/2% of the whole wheat kernel. The germ is the part that will sprout and grow into a new wheat plant if the kernel is planted. Wheat germ is sold in grocery stores and food markets. Whole wheat flour also contains wheat germ.

Youve probably seen food labels touting oatmeal as a food that lowers your cholesterol. That's because oats contain soluble fiber. According to research, soluble fiber may help lower blood cholesterol levels (thereby reducing the risk of heart disease) when it is included in a diet that is ALSO low in saturated fat and cholesterol.

Here's the catch: You need to eat a sizable quantity of oats to reap their benefits. You must eat approximately 1 1/2 cups of cooked oatmeal (about 3/4 cup raw) every day to get the amount of soluble fiber necessary to lower your cholesterol.

A colorless, crystalline organic compound belonging to the family of carboxylic acids, present in practically all plants and in many animal tissues and fluids. It is one of a series of compounds involved in the physiological oxidation of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and water.



First isolated from lemon juice by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, in 1784, citric acid is manufactured by fermentation of cane sugar or molasses in the presence of a fungus, Aspergillus niger. It is used in confections and soft drinks (as a flavoring agent), in metal-cleaning compositions, and in improving the stability of foods and other organic substances (by suppressing the deleterious action of dissolved metal salts)."



Citrus fruits are notable for their fragrance, and most are juice-laden. They contain a high proportion of citric acid giving them their characteristic astringent odour and flavour. They are also good sources of vitamin C. In botanical terms, "The fruit of all Citrus trees, in which the true fruit is the peel, [is] made up of an outer layer, brightly colored and rich in glands, a spongey whitish mesocarp, and a membraneous endocarp surrounding the segments. The succulent parts we eat is only a secondary tissue developed as a filler"



List of citrus fruits:

Amanatsu

Bergamot orange

Bitter orange (Seville Orange)

Calamondin (Calamansi)

Citron

Clementine

Golden Lime - hybrid between the genus Citrus and the genus Fortunella

Daidai

Dancy

Grapefruit

Ichang Lemon

Iyokan

Kaffir lime

Key lime

Kumquat - in the related genus Fortunella, not Citrus; forms hybrids with Citrus

Lemon

Lime

Limequat

Mandarin Lime

Mandarin Orange

Meyer Lemon

Mikan

Minneola

Natsumikan

Orange

Orangelo (Chironja)

Orangequat

Persian lime (Tahiti lime)

Pomelo (Pummelo, Shaddock)

Ponkan

Rangpur (Lemanderin)

Rough Lemon

Satsuma

Shekwasha (Taiwan Tangerine)

Sudachi

Sweetie

Tachibana Orange

Tangelo

Tangerine

Tangor

Ugli

Yuzu



Some brands of Citric Acid may be made from wheat, however this is very rare.

Any of a class of sweet,Soluble Carbohydrate,as sucrose,glucose,sucrose from sugar cane and sugar beets.

We get our energy from the nutrients in food. The main sources of energy are carbohydrates (starches and sugars), fats and proteins. The body can be compared to an engine that converts the energy in food into the energy we need to live. Sugars and starches are forms of carbohydrate. Nutritionists recommend that about half of our energy should be supplied by carbohydrates. The majority of this should be from starchy foods like cereals, rice, potatoes, pasta or bread, with the remainder coming from sugars. During digestion (the process by which we break down food substances ready for absorption and use by the body) complex starchy foods are broken down into sugars.

Corn Syrup High Fructose

Corn syrup is glucose produced from corn starch in a process called wet milling. Wet milling isolates the components of the corn through chemical or biochemical separation. The sugars are further separated by the use of enzymes. Since fructose is sweeter but not naturally found in corn, scientists have ways to convert the glucose into fructose. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as corn sugar, is a combination of glucose and fructose. Depending on the level of sweetness, the glucose to fructose ratio is adjusted. For example HFCS 55 is 55% fructose and is usually used in soft drinks. HFCS 42 is 42% fructose and used in foods that require only a little sweetening. The chemical composition of high fructose corn syrup is similar to that of sucrose, or table sugar. Still, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) declared that under the formal definition of “natural,” HFCS does not meet the requirements. The enzymes that are used to separate the sugars are synthetic, deeming HFCS unnatural. Also, there has been controversial evidence showing that the consumption of HFCS is associated with obesity.

Gutierrez, David. "FDA Says High Fructose Corn Syrup Cannot Be Considered "Natural"" Independent News on Natural Health, Nutrition and

More. 12 Jan. 2009. Web. 16 May 2011. .

Hofstrand, Don. "Specialty Grain Terms A3-50 December 2006." Iowa State University Extension. Dec. 2006. Web. 16 May 2011.

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Wilson, J. Justin. "Op-Ed." Center for Consumer Freedom. 15 June 2009. Web. 16 May 2011.

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Tricalcium phosphate is a compound with formula Ca3(PO4)2. It is also known as calcium orthophosphate, tertiary calcium phosphate, tribasic calcium phosphate, or "bone ash" (calcium phosphate being one of the main combustion products of bone).



It has an alpha an alpha' and a beta crystal form, the alpha state being formed at high temperatures. As rock, it is found in Whitlockite.



Tricalcium phosphate is used in powdered spices as an anti-caking agent.



Calcium phosphate is an important raw material for the production of phosphoric acid and fertilizers, for example in the Odda process.



Calcium phosphate is also a raising agent (food additives) E341. Is a mineral salt found in rocks and bones, it is used in cheese products.



It is also used as a nutritional supplement. There is some debate about the different bioavailabilities of the different calcium salts.



It is commonly used in porcelain and dental powders, and medically as an antacid or calcium supplement, although calcium carbonate is more common in this regard.



Another practical application of the compound is its use in gene transfection. The calcium ions can make a cell competent (a euphemism for "rip holes in its membrane") to allow exogenous genes to enter the cell by diffusion. A heat shock afterwards then invokes the cell to repair itself. This is a quick and easy method for transfection, albeit a rather inefficient one.

Maltodextrin is a flavorless, easily digested carbohydrate made from cornstarch. A natural, complex carbohydrate, it is not a simple sugar (dextrose, fructose, sucrose etc.) It can be derived from potato or corn starch; used in food industry such as sweets, drink, beer, ice cream, preserved fruit, milk powder, malted mild, cake, biscuit and bread, as well as in medicine, textile, printing and dyeing, paper making, casting and petroleum drilling; generally recognized as safe.



Maltodextrin often contains Monosodium Glutimate (MSG), to which many people have an adverse reaction to.

Simply put, this is dehydrated skimmed milk



Skimmed milk is milk from which the cream has been removed



Skim milk contains more calcium than whole milk.

Most of the calcium in milk is not contained in the fat that is removed when 'skimming' the milk. But rather in the water content of the milk. Removing the part of the milk with a lower percentage of calcium, increases the relative percentage of calcium in the remaining milk.

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

Soy lecithin is a mixture of fatty substances that are derived from the processing of soybeans. Lecithin is separated from soybean oil by the addition of water and centrifugation (rapid spinning) and purified for use as a food additive. Its chemical name is phosphatidylcholine, which identifies its major components of choline, phosphoric acid, glycerin, and fatty acids. Lecithin is used widely in foods as an emulsifier, stabilizer, and antioxidant.



Studies show most soy-allergic individual can safely eat products containing soy lecithin without experiencing any allergic reactions.



Although soyfoods are widely recognized for their nutritional qualities, interest in soyfoods has risen recently because scientists have discovered that a soy component called isoflavones appears to reduce the risk of cancer. More research needs to be done to determine exactly how isoflavones work, but it appears that as little as one serving of soyfoods a day may be enough to obtain the benefits of this anticancer phytochemical.



Traditional soy products such as tofu, tempeh, and soy milk are very high in protein. Tempeh has the highest percentage of protein of the traditional soy products providing approximately 22 grams of protein for each 4 ounce (113 gram) serving. Tofu provides approximately 9 grams of protein for a similar small serving size. The Recommended Dietary Allowance of protein for adult males (aged 25-50) is appoximately 63 grams and 50 grams for adult females (aged 25-50). Soy products can provide a significant portion of one's daily protein needs.



It is important to keep in mind, however, that the balance of amino acids (protein building blocks) in soy is not the same as meat. Because soy foods does not have an ideal balance of amino acids, some experts recommend taking in a little extra soy foods and/or combining soy products or legumes with a whole grain dish at meals where other protein (e.g., eggs, fish) is not eaten. The amino acids in whole grains combine well with amino acids in soy and legumes to make a more ideal balance of amino acids. If a person's diet is reasonably-balanced, however, there is usually no need to be concerned about getting enough protein.

Source:http://www.soyinfo.com/



Vegetarians and health enthusiasts have known for years that foods rich in soy protein offer a good alternative to meat, poultry, and other animal-based products. As consumers have pursued healthier lifestyles in recent years, consumption of soy foods has risen steadily, bolstered by scientific studies showing health benefits from these products. Last October, the Food and Drug Administration gave food manufacturers permission to put labels on products high in soy protein indicating that these foods may help lower heart disease risk.



As with health claims for oat bran and other foods before it, this health claim provides consumers with solid scientific information about the benefits of soy protein and helps them make informed choices to create a "heart healthy" diet. Health claims encourage food manufacturers to make more healthful products. With soy, food manufacturers have responded with a cornucopia of soy-based wares. (See "The Soy Health Claim.")



No sooner had FDA proposed the health claim regulation, however, than concerns arose about certain components in soy products, particularly isoflavones. Resulting questions have engulfed the regulation in controversy.



This came as no surprise to Elizabeth A. Yetley, Ph.D., lead scientist for nutrition at FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition . "Every dietary health claim that has ever been published has had controversy," she says, "even the relationship of saturated fat to a healthy diet."



While the controversy may seem confusing to the consumer giving it casual consideration, a careful review of the science behind the rule reveals a strict divide between what FDA allows as a health claim based on solid scientific research and related issues that go well beyond the approved statements about health benefits of soy protein.

Source:http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2000/300_soy.html

A thick, sweet liquid made by bees from flower nectar. Contrary to what many people think, a honey's color and flavor does not derive from the bee, but from the nectar's source. In general, the darker the color the stronger the flavor. There are hundreds of different honeys throughout the world, most of them named for the flower from which they originate. The flowers that produce some of America's most popular honeys are clover, orange blossom and sage

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)



Also known as bicarbonate of soda, baking soda is used as a LEAVENER in baked goods. When combined with an acid ingredient such as buttermilk, yogurt or molasses, baking soda produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles, thereby causing a dough or batter to rise. Because it reacts immediately when moistened, it should always be mixed with the other dry ingredients before adding any liquid; the resulting batter should be placed in the oven immediately. At one time, baking soda was used in the cooking water of green vegetables to preserve their color. That practice was discontinued, however, when it was discovered that baking soda destroys the vitamin C content of vegetables.



Baking Soda, or sodium bicarbonate, is a naturally occurring substance that is present in all living things--it helps living things maintain the pH balance necessary for life. Baking Soda is made from soda ash, also known as sodium carbonate. The soda ash is obtained in one of two ways: it can be manufactured by passing carbon dioxide and ammonia through a concentrated solution of sodium chloride (table salt). Whether the soda ash is mined or processed, it is dissolved into a solution through which carbon dioxide is bubbled, and sodium bicarbonate precipitates out, forming Baking Soda

Based on its histroy of use no food safety problems have been shown to occur with this chemical at the levels commonly used in foods. It is used in bread, rolls, and buns, artifically sweetened fruit jelly, canned potatoes, canned sweet peppers, canned tomatoes and as a jelling agent. In the canned products it provides calcium which has been shown to maintain the firmness of friuts and vegetables during the canning process.It also provides a source of calcium which aids in the jelling of artifically sweetened friut jellies. It acts as a dough conditioner in bakery products.

a leavening agent that is a precursor of modern day baking powder or baking soda. It must be ground to a fine powder before utilizing. It is also known as "Hartshorn", "carbonate of ammonia" or "powdered baking ammonia".













source: encyclopedia.thefreedictionary.com/

originally thought to be a single vitamin but now separated into several B vitamins.

The B-complex vitamins are actually a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), cyanocobalamin (B12), pantothenic acid and biotin.

Vitamin B3



Also called Nicotinic Acid, Niacinamide, Nicotinic.



Acts as a co-enzyme in the release of energy from carbohydrates. Also needed to help breakdown fats and proteins. Aids in formation of red blood cells.

Since the 1950's doctors have used nicotinic acid to treat high cholesterol. Niacin is the only drug available that both substantially lowers the "bad" lipids (LDL), and increases the "good"(HDL) cholesterol. The reason this vitamin is not in the forefront of cholesterol therapy is because many people treated with high doses of niacin experience bothersome side effects such as; facial flushing, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea and much more serious, liver damage.



Milk, eggs, meats (especially liver), chicken, fish, and most other protein-rich foods contain a significant amout of niacin. Also in smaller amounts in coffee and tea.



Dificiency is very rare in modern countries. Symptoms include: Pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia) Less severe symptoms of deficiency include irritability, loss of appetite, weekness and swollen tongue.

Flavor(s) Artificial

"The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

The new labeling law effective in 2006, The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), requires manufacturers to declare if one or more of the 8 major food allergens are contained in a natural flavoring. The top 8 major food allergens are defined as: milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.

If you are managing food allergies other than the top 8 major food allergens, however, the new law will not be of assistance to you in identifying the sources in any natural flavoring stated on a label.

The FDA does not require companies to disclose ingredients of color or flavor additives so long as all the chemicals in them are considered by the agency to be GRAS ("generally recognized as safe") enabling companies to maintain secrecy of formulas. It also hides the fact that flavors often contain more ingredients than the foods to which they give taste.

A typical artificial strawberry flavor contains over 30 chemicals. According to manufacturer safety data sheets those chemicals cause eye irritation, corneal damage, eye burns, skin irritation, severe / permanent damage to digestive tract, gastrointestinal irritation, gastrointestinal tract burns, CNS depression, neurological effects, liver abnormalities, cardiac abnormalities, or other harm.

Natural flavor, according to the FDA, must be derived entirely from natural sources (herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, yeast, bark, roots, etc). Consumers prefer to see natural flavors on a label out of a belief they are more healthful.

Natural flavor is not necessarily more healthful or purer than an artificial flavor. Almond flavor when derived from natural sources may contain traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. When derived by mixing oil of clove & amyl acetate, it does not. Natural flavors and artificial flavors are often manufactured at same chemical plants.

Flavor manufacturing may also involve biotechnology, using enzyme reactions, fermentation, & fungal and tissue cultures. Flavors created by these methods are considered natural flavors by the FDA.

In addition to flavor chemicals also think about genetic engineering of food, DNA or gene alteration, and medicines and hormones given to cows, cattle, hogs, and chickens. What affect does it have upon us? Some are suspected causes of cancer or other problems.

When a natural flavor or artificial flavor is added to a food or drink the resultant processed food is no longer natural & is potentially harmful.

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20030608101921/www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-bckg.html

Mineral that helps with creation of hemoglobin, and helps hold oxygen in the blood. Iron, along with B12 and Folate, creates new blood cells. Ferrous Sulfate is a common term used in the food industry for Reduced Iron.

Iron can be found in natural sources such as; Beef, Baked Potatoes, Clams, Soybeans, Eggs, Fish, and many green leafy vegetables.



Deficiency symptoms include; Anemia, dry coarse hair, dysphagia, dizziness and hair loss.



Generally considered non-toxic if under 75mg daily. Higher doses can cause abdominal cramps, vomiting & diarrhea. Severe overdoses of iron can be fatal.

originally thought to be a single vitamin but now separated into several B vitamins.

The B-complex vitamins are actually a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), cyanocobalamin (B12), pantothenic acid and biotin.

Vitamin B-1, Perfectly safe, despite adding minuscule amounts of nitrate to our food.

originally thought to be a single vitamin but now separated into several B vitamins.

The B-complex vitamins are actually a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), cyanocobalamin (B12), pantothenic acid and biotin.

Vitamin B2, or riboflavin, is required to complete several reactions in the energy cycle. Reddening of the lips with cracks at the corners of the mouth, inflammation of the tongue, and a greasy, scaly inflammation of the skin are common symptoms of deficiency.Riboflavin (B2)- Classic riboflavin deficiency involves the lips, tongue, eyes, skin and nervous system. Vision changes, cheliosis (tiny lesions in the mouth or cracks in the corners of the mouth) tongue inflammation and discomfort eating or swallowing.



Riboflavin?s role in the body involves the metabolism of fats and proteins. Enzymes influenced by riboflavin are absolutely necessary to transport oxygen to the cells. A decrease in this vitamin can result in fatigue. New research indicates that migraine headache sufferers may benefit by riboflavin. 400mgs.day have been shown to lessen the incidence of migraines.



Required for red blood cell formation, antibody production, cell respiration and growth. Important for good muscle tone. Involved in metabolism of protein, protein fats, and carbohydrates. Necessary for good vision, skin, hair and nails.

The scientific name for vitamin C, ascorbic acid helps maintain the red color of cured meat and prevents the formation of nitrosamines, which promote cancer (see SODIUM NITRITE). It helps prevent loss of color and flavor by reacting with unwanted oxygen. It is used as a nutrient additive in drinks and breakfast cereals. Sodium ascorbate is a more soluble form of ascorbic acid. ERYTHORBIC ACID is very similar to ascorbic acid, but has no value as a vitamin. Large amounts of ascorbic acid may reduce the severity of colds and offer other health benefits.

Vitamin E

Synonyms: vitamin E acetate, tocopherol acetate, 2H-1-benzopyran-6-ol, various other trade names



Works primarily as a antioxident to protect cells throughout the body.



Vitamin E can be extracted from natural oils (e.g. soybean, cottenseed, corn),leafy green vegetables and some nuts. Also can be synthesized. Humans and mammals are unable to synthesize Vitamin E.

Clinical symptoms of Vitamin E deficiency include neuropathy, fetal death, and myopathy (muscle disease).

Major uses include animal feeds (approx 75% of use), as a food supplement, as an antioxidant, and in pharmaceutical formulations



Source: Foodfacts

The term “vitamin E” refers to a family of eight related, lipid-soluble, antioxidant compounds widely distributed in plants. The tocopherol and tocotrienol subfamilies are each composed of alpha, beta, gamma, and delta vitamers having unique biological effects. Different ratios of these compounds are found in anatomically different parts of a plant. For example, the green parts of a plant contain mostly alpha-tocopherol and the seed germ and bran contain mostly tocotrienols. Along with other nutrients tocopherols and tocotrienols are concentrated in the bran layers of the rye grain, and are only present at low levels in the flour endosperm. Tocopherols are also present in algae, mint teas, and other food stuff.87-93



When this family of compounds was first discovered and determined to be essential for health, a standardized test for its activity was devised for which the members of the family were rated for their biological activity. In one test, alpha tocopherol scored highest and was rated 100% with all others having lower ratings. In accordance with this rating, alpha-tocopherol was deemed to be the essential compound and was called vitamin E. One International Unit (IU) of vitamin E activity is the activity under this rating of one mg of the plant-derived form of alpha-tocopherol.94



Since the original rating method was established, many additional important biological effects of these compounds have been discovered and many nutritional scientists now consider that rating method to be incomplete. For example, by the original rating, gamma-tocopherol was only 10% to 30% as strong as alpha-tocopherol, yet more recent studies have shown it to be essential for maintaining the health of cell membranes, especially if alpha-tocopherol is being supplemented. New studies continue to elucidate the unique benefits of individual members of the vitamin E family. For these and other reasons, the original definition of vitamin E has been enhanced to include all eight family members and the related compounds that convert to them in the body.94



Vitamin E compounds are usually produced and made available in esterified form as alpha-tocopheryl acetate or alpha-tocopheryl succinate. Neither of these forms has any antioxidant activity until converted to alpha-tocopherol in the body, but they are much more stable with respect to storage time and temperature than the unesterified forms. Moreover, while the acetate form is rapidly activated within the body, activation of the succinate form is slower. The succinate form appears to access and benefit areas of the tissues that are unavailable to the other forms. For this reason, there is a tendency to regard alpha-tocopherol succinate as a distinctly different and beneficial compound. Alpha-tocopherol succinate appears to have longer half-life in the body, and does not interfere with vitamin A or K absorption.95-98



Serious vitamin takers prefer cold-water dispersible dry powder vitamin E supplements in the form of alpha-tocopheryl succinate or acetate because the cold-water dispersible forms are efficiently absorbed even when taken on an empty stomach or with a low-fat meal. The non-cold water dispersible (oil) forms of vitamin E may be poorly absorbed unless taken with several grams of fats or oils.



Cold-water dispersible vitamin E is more efficiently absorbed than some other forms. Both “acetate” and “succinate” vitamin E can come from natural sources. The importance to the consumer is how well the vitamin E absorbs into the bloodstream. Cold-water dispersible vitamin E, whether in a succinate or acetate form, always comes in a white dry powder, while non-cold water dispersible natural and synthetic acetate forms of vitamin E are always in a thick brown oil.



Source: http://www.lef.org/newshop/items/item00063.html

Basic Egg Facts



Air Cell

The empty space between the white and shell at the large end of the egg.



When an egg is first laid, it is warm. As it cools, the contents contract and the inner shell membrane separates from the outer shell membrane to form the air cell.



The candler uses the size of the air cell as one basis for determining grade. In Grade AA eggs, the air cell may not exceed 1/8-inch in depth and is about the size of a dime. The air cell of Grade A eggs may exceed 3/16-inch in depth. For Grade B eggs, there is no limit on air cell size.



As the egg ages, moisture and carbon dioxide leave through the pores of the shell, air enters to replace them and the air cell becomes larger.



Although the air cell usually forms in the large end of the egg, it occasionally moves freely toward the uppermost point of the egg as the egg is rotated. It is then called a free or floating air cell. If the main air cell ruptures, resulting in one or more small separate air bubbles floating beneath the main air cell, it is known as a bubbly air cell.



You can see the air cell in the flattened end of a peeled, hard-cooked egg.

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Albumen

Also known as egg white. Albumen accounts for most of an egg's liquid weight, about 67%. It contains more than half the egg's total protein, niacin, riboflavin, chlorine, magnesium, potassium, sodium and sulfur. The albumen consists of 4 alternating layers of thick and thin consistencies. From the yolk outward, they are designated as the inner thick or chalaziferous white, the inner thin white, the outer thick white and the outer thin white. Egg white tends to thin out as an egg ages because its protein changes in character. That's why fresh eggs sit up tall and firm in the pan while older ones tend to spread out.



Albumen is more opalescent than truly white. The cloudy appearance comes from carbon dioxide. As the egg ages, carbon dioxide escapes, so the albumen of older eggs is more transparent than that of fresher eggs.



When egg albumen is beaten vigorously, it foams and increases in volume 6 to 8 times. Egg foams are essential for making souffles, meringues, puffy omelets, and angel food and sponge cakes.



The yolk or yellow portion makes up about 33% of the liquid weight of the egg. It contains all of the fat in the egg and a little less than half of the protein.



With the exception of riboflavin and niacin, the yolk contains a higher proportion of the egg's vitamins than the white. All of the egg's vitamins A, D and E are in the yolk. Egg yolks are one of the few foods naturally containing vitamin D.



The yolk also contains more phosphorus, manganese, iron, iodine, copper, and calcium than the white, and it contains all of the zinc. The yolk of a Large egg contains about 59 calories.



Double-yolked eggs are often produced by young hens whose egg production cycles are not yet completely synchronized. They're often produced, too, by hens who are old enough to produce Extra Large eggs. Genetics is a factor, also. Occasionally a hen will produce double-yolked eggs throughout her egg-laying career. It is rare, but not unusual, for a young hen to produce an egg with no yolk at all.

Vitamin A is very important for maintaining good vision. In fact, the first sign of a vitamin A deficiency is often night blindness. Vitamin A also contributes to the maintenance of healthy skin and mucous membranes that line the nose, sinuses, and mouth. Research has shown that this nutrient is necessary for proper immune system function, growth, bone formation, reproduction, and wound healing. Animal studies also suggest that it provides some protection from toxic chemicals such as dioxins. (Dioxins are released into the air from combustion processes such as commercial waste incineration and burning fuels like wood, coal or oil. These chemicals can also be found in cigarette smoke.)

Folic acid is the synthetic form of the B vitamin folate. Folic acid is necessary for the synthesis of nucleic acids and the formation of red blood cells. Folic-acid deficiency most commonly causes folic-acid-deficiency anemia. Symptoms include gastrointestinal problems, such as sore tongue, cracks at the corners of the mouth, diarrhea, and ulceration of the stomach and intestines. Large doses of folic acid can cause convulsions and other nervous-system problems.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulations require enriched grain products to contain this essential vitamin.



Current studies have discovered a link between folic acid and brain function in older people. The study divided 818 people ages 50 to 75 to take either a vitamin containing 800 micrograms of folic acid a day, or a dummy pill, for three years.



On memory tests, the supplement users had scores comparable to people 5.5 years younger, Durga said. On tests of cognitive speed, the folic acid helped users perform as well as people 1.9 years younger.

Vitamin B3



Also called Niacin, Nicotinic Acid, Niacinimide, Nicotinic.



Acts as a co-enzyme in the release of energy from carbohydrates. Also needed to help breakdown fats and proteins. Aids in formation of red blood cells.

Since the 1950's doctors have used nicotinic acid to treat high cholesterol. Niacin is the only drug available that both substantially lowers the "bad" lipids (LDL), and increases the "good"(HDL) cholesterol. The reason this vitamin is not in the forefront of cholesterol therapy is because many people treated with high doses of niacin experience bothersome side effects such as; facial flushing, nausea, stomach pain, diarrhea and much more serious, liver damage.



Milk, eggs, meats (especially liver), chicken, fish, and most other protein-rich foods contain a significant amout of niacin. Also in smaller amounts in coffee and tea.



Dificiency is very rare in modern countries. Symptoms include: Pellagra (diarrhea, dermatitis, and dementia) Less severe symptoms of deficiency include irritability, loss of appetite, weekness and swollen tongue.

originally thought to be a single vitamin but now separated into several B vitamins.

The B-complex vitamins are actually a group of eight vitamins, which include thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pyridoxine (B6), folic acid (B9), cyanocobalamin (B12), pantothenic acid and biotin.

Pyridoxine Hydrochloride

Activated vitamin B-6 is extensively involved in the metabolism of amino acids. efficiently from pyridoxine in the liver. Ex cessive protein intake, alcohol or contraceptive use also indicates a greater need for vitamin B-6. It also plays a crucial role in the multiplication of cells.



Source: Vitamin & Mineral Safety 2nd edition - by John N. Hathcock PHD

One of the most important and abundant of the carotenes, a portion of which the liver converts to vitamin A. It should be noted, however, that while excess vitamin A can be toxic to the body, residual beta carotene is quickly eliminated. Scientists now believe that beta carotene is a powerful ANTIOXIDANT with properties that can contribute to reducing cancer and heart disease. It's found in vegetables like carrots, broccoli, squash, spinach and sweet potatoes. Beta carotene's orange-yellow pigment is also used as a coloring in foods like butter and margarine.Carotenoids are the red, orange and yellow plant pigments that give fruits and vegetables their vivid colors. All fruits and vegetables contain varying concentrations of carotenoids, but their colors are often covered up by green chlorophyll contained in the plant.



There are more than 600 different naturally-occuring carotenoids. Some of them have been identified as playing a vital role by protecting our cells and tissues from the damaging effects of free radicals and singlet oxygen. Lycopene, the carotenoid that gives tomatoes their red color, is particularly effective at quenching the destructive free radical singlet oxygen.

In nature, glycerin forms the backbone of fat and oil molecules. The body uses it as a source of energy or as a starting material in making more-complex molecules..



In its common liquid form, glycerol is nonpoisonous, colorless, odorless and sweet tasting and has a high viscosity. Glycerine is an important component of fat and vegoil molecules and phospholipids

Serves as humectant, solvent and sweetener, may help preserve foods.

Solvent for flavors (such as vanilla) and food coloring.

Humectant and softening agent in candy, cakes and casings for meats and cheeses.

Manufacture of mono- and di-glycerides for use as emulsifiers.

Used in manufacture of polyglycerol esters going into shortenings and margarine.

Used as filler in low-fat food products (i.e., cookies).

Sugar produced from cornstarch; comprised of glucose (dextrose), maltose and higher sugars; 70 percent to 80 percent solids

Sugar based sweeteners are those such as that developed from corn starch. The development of the various types of corn syrups, maltodextrins, and high-fructose corn syrup from corn starch sources could be called one of the greatest changes in the sugar and sweetener industry over several centuries. In the late 1800s it was found that corn starch could be hydrolyzed and a sugar formed. It was not until the 1970s that it became commercially a major product bringing about changes in the food industry. Over-reliance in the food industry and over-indulgence by consumers of these processed sugers, particularly high fructose corn syrup, has most likly contributed to obesity in many western countries.



These sweeteners are processed and refined using a series of separation, and grinding processes. Finally, the products are converted and fermented. From this processing a five classes of corn sweeteners are formed. This does not include the corn syrup conversion into high-fructose corn syrup.

Maltodextrin is a flavorless, easily digested carbohydrate made from cornstarch. A natural, complex carbohydrate, it is not a simple sugar (dextrose, fructose, sucrose etc.) It can be derived from potato or corn starch; used in food industry such as sweets, drink, beer, ice cream, preserved fruit, milk powder, malted mild, cake, biscuit and bread, as well as in medicine, textile, printing and dyeing, paper making, casting and petroleum drilling; generally recognized as safe.



Maltodextrin often contains Monosodium Glutimate (MSG), to which many people have an adverse reaction to.

FDA declared that polydextrose can be called fiber. Poly-what? Polydextrose is made from glucose, sorbitol (a sugar alcohol), and citric acid. It's what puts the fiber in Fruity Pebbles (not actual pebbles). Polydextrose received FDA approval because it mimics some attributes of dietary fiber: it isn't absorbed in the small intestine, and it increases stool weight. Polydextrose mainly bulks up foods so they're not as high in calories. However, there's no research to prove that polydextrose is as beneficial as the fiber found in whole foods.



See our Blog: http://blog.foodfacts.com/index.php/2009/11/23/food-companies-are-jumping-on-the-fiber-bandwagon/#more-1196

Apples are a source of both soluble and insoluble fiber. Soluble fiber such as pectin actually helps to prevent cholesterol buildup in the lining of blood vessel walls, thus reducing the incident of atherosclerosis and heart disease. The insoluble fiber in apples provides bulk in the intestinal tract, holding water to cleanse and move food quickly through the digestive system.



It is a good idea to eat apples with their skin. Almost half of the vitamin C content is just underneath the skin. Eating the skin also increases insoluble fiber content. Most of an apple's fragrance cells are also concentrated in the skin and as they ripen, the skin cells develop more aroma and flavor.



Grown in temperate zones throughout the world and cultivated for at least 3,000 years, apple varieties now number well into the thousands. Apples range in color from lemony yellow to bright yellow-green to crimson red. Their textures range from tender to crisp, their flavors from sweet to tart and from simple to complex. They're available year-round but are at their best from September through November when newly harvested. Apples are a good source of vitamins A and C.

Basic puree is put in a food processor and purée

Sixteenth-century author William Butler wrote this tribute to the strawberry: "Doubtless God could have made a better berry, but doubtless God never did." Red, juicy and conically shaped, the strawberry is a member of the rose family and has grown wild for centuries in both the Americas and Europe. The Romans valued the fruit for its reputed therapeutic powers for everything from loose teeth to gastritis. However, it wasn't until the late 13th century that the plant was first cultivated. The most common American variety is the result of several centuries of crossbreeding of the wild Virginia strawberry (North America's main native strawberry) and a Chilean variety. Commercial strawberry products include preserves, jams, jellies, syrups and various desserts. Strawberries are an excellent source of vitamin C and also provide some potassium and iron.

Genetically Modified soybeans and corn make up the largest portion of genetically engineered crops. When looking at a product label, if any of the following ingredients are listed there’s a good chance it has come from GM corn or soy (unless it’s listed as organic.



Due to cross contamination, wheat may be present. Read food label carefully to ensure it is Gluten Free.

Cellulose may be used in foods as a hydrocolloid. As a vegetable gum, it serves a major role as a stabilizer. Cellulose is also frequently used as a fat replacer or substitute. In foods, the cellulose ingredients are insoluble fibrous particles that are capable of holding water and suspending the dispersed particulates. It can replace fat because it gives an appropriate mouth feel and lends a glossy opaque appearance when used.

Cellulose is an excellent source of insoluble fiber. Unlike soluble fiber, insoluble fiber does not feed bacteria well and is not readily fermented into short chain fatty acids.

Cellulose may be used in foods as a hydrocolloid. As a vegetable gum, it serves a major role as a stabilizer. Cellulose is also frequently used as a fat replacer or substitute. In foods, the cellulose ingredients are insoluble fibrous particles that are capable of holding water and suspending the dispersed particulates. It can replace fat because it gives an appropriate mouth feel and lends a glossy opaque appearance when used.

Cellulose is an excellent source of insoluble fiber. Unlike soluble fiber, insoluble fiber does not feed bacteria well and is not readily fermented into short chain fatty acids.

A colorless, crystalline organic compound belonging to the family of carboxylic acids, present in practically all plants and in many animal tissues and fluids. It is one of a series of compounds involved in the physiological oxidation of fats, proteins, and carbohydrates to carbon dioxide and water.



First isolated from lemon juice by a Swedish chemist, Carl Wilhelm Scheele, in 1784, citric acid is manufactured by fermentation of cane sugar or molasses in the presence of a fungus, Aspergillus niger. It is used in confections and soft drinks (as a flavoring agent), in metal-cleaning compositions, and in improving the stability of foods and other organic substances (by suppressing the deleterious action of dissolved metal salts)."



Citrus fruits are notable for their fragrance, and most are juice-laden. They contain a high proportion of citric acid giving them their characteristic astringent odour and flavour. They are also good sources of vitamin C. In botanical terms, "The fruit of all Citrus trees, in which the true fruit is the peel, [is] made up of an outer layer, brightly colored and rich in glands, a spongey whitish mesocarp, and a membraneous endocarp surrounding the segments. The succulent parts we eat is only a secondary tissue developed as a filler"



List of citrus fruits:

Amanatsu

Bergamot orange

Bitter orange (Seville Orange)

Calamondin (Calamansi)

Citron

Clementine

Golden Lime - hybrid between the genus Citrus and the genus Fortunella

Daidai

Dancy

Grapefruit

Ichang Lemon

Iyokan

Kaffir lime

Key lime

Kumquat - in the related genus Fortunella, not Citrus; forms hybrids with Citrus

Lemon

Lime

Limequat

Mandarin Lime

Mandarin Orange

Meyer Lemon

Mikan

Minneola

Natsumikan

Orange

Orangelo (Chironja)

Orangequat

Persian lime (Tahiti lime)

Pomelo (Pummelo, Shaddock)

Ponkan

Rangpur (Lemanderin)

Rough Lemon

Satsuma

Shekwasha (Taiwan Tangerine)

Sudachi

Sweetie

Tachibana Orange

Tangelo

Tangerine

Tangor

Ugli

Yuzu



Some brands of Citric Acid may be made from wheat, however this is very rare.

A natural acid found in sour apples and other fruits. In winemaking, when certain bacteria convert malic acid to LACTIC ACID (which is much less strong and sour), a process called "malolactic fermentation" occurs. This reduces the wine's tartness, adds complexity to the flavor and sometimes contributes a slight sparkle. Malic acid is used as an acidulant as well as a flavoring agent in the processing of some foods.

Salt is one of the most ubiquitous food ingredients around. Those who think of salt only as something used to perk up flavor might wonder what could possibly give this ingredient the level of importance it has gained through the ages. In reality, there is much more to this crystalline cube than first meets the eye.



Besides enhancing taste, salt has several other functions in food products. It acts as an antimicrobial or microbiological control agent. It contributes to certain chemical reactions that create a wide variety of food characteristics.



Sometimes the terms "salt" and "sodium" are used interchangeably, but technically this is not correct. "Salt" is sodium chloride. By weight, it is 40 percent sodium and 60 percent chloride.

Most foods and tap water contain sodium and chloride. Sodium is an essential nutrient, a mineral that the body cannot manufacture itself.

Because of sodium's importance to your body, the excretory and nervous systems guard against under-consumption of salt, which is a threat to your body's nerves and muscles. Other ions such as calcium, magnesium, and potassium are also very important. Concentrations of these ions are held in narrow ranges by the kidney.



The association between eating salt and the risk of blood pressure increasing is difficult to quantify. Some people are sensitive to changes in salt intake whereas others can adjust so that blood pressure does not rise at all.



Americans typically consume 4,000-8,000 mg each day, well above their daily needs. A goal for moderation for all adults, (including pregnancy and lactation) is approximately 2,400 mg of sodium per day.

One of the most widely used colors is caramel, the color of burnt sugar.



There are many different types of caramel color, each engineered to serve a particular purpose in food chemistry. They are all based on the cooking of sugars and starches. Sometimes acids such as acetic acid, citric acid, lactic acid, or phosphoric acid, are used to break the bonds between sugars to create invert sugars, or to make sugars from starches, before the sugars are raised to a higher temperature for carmelization.



The heat is carefully controlled during carmelization to get the right products from the reaction. Besides acids, alkalies and salts may be used to further control the process.



Caramel color is a colloid, a mixture in which solid particles are suspended in water. The particles in colloids have electric charges that keep the particles from clumping together and settling out of solution. The charges can be positive or negative. If a negative coloid is added to a product that has positive colloidal particles in it, the two will attract one another and clump up, making the product cloudy.



Caramel color can be made with either positively or negatively charged particles. This allows manufacturers to use negative colloidal caramel in acidic soft drinks, and positive in beers and soy sauces. Beer has positively charged proteins suspended in it, and soy sauce has a high salt content that requires the more salt-tolerant positive caramel color.



Caramel color is an emulsifying agent as well as a colorant. In soft drinks, it helps keep the flavor oils suspended in the solution.



In chocolate milk, the muddy color of caramel is darkened by the addition of FD&C Red #40 to give what the industry refers to as a "Dutch" chocolate shade. Blues and yellows are sometimes used to give a more brown color.



Caramel color is added to baked goods, to poultry, to milk to give an "eggnog" color, to malt vinegars, canned meats, syrups, and soups, stews, and gravies.



If caramel color is made in North America it is likely to be gluten-free.



The problem with caramel color is that it may or may not contain gluten depending on how it is manufactured. In the USA caramel color must conform with the FDA standard of identity from 21CFR CH.1. This statute says: "the color additive caramel is the dark-brown liquid or solid material resulting from the carefully controlled heat treatment of the following food-grade carbohydrates: Dextrose (corn sugar), invert sugar, lactose (milk sugar), malt syrup (usually from barley malt), molasses (from cane), starch hydrolysates and fractions thereof (can include wheat), sucrose (cane or beet)." Also, acids, alkalis and salts are listed as additives which may be employed to assist the caramelization process.



Source: http://sci-toys.com/ingredients/fdc_colors.html

Tricalcium phosphate is a compound with formula Ca3(PO4)2. It is also known as calcium orthophosphate, tertiary calcium phosphate, tribasic calcium phosphate, or "bone ash" (calcium phosphate being one of the main combustion products of bone).



It has an alpha an alpha' and a beta crystal form, the alpha state being formed at high temperatures. As rock, it is found in Whitlockite.



Tricalcium phosphate is used in powdered spices as an anti-caking agent.



Calcium phosphate is an important raw material for the production of phosphoric acid and fertilizers, for example in the Odda process.



Calcium phosphate is also a raising agent (food additives) E341. Is a mineral salt found in rocks and bones, it is used in cheese products.



It is also used as a nutritional supplement. There is some debate about the different bioavailabilities of the different calcium salts.



It is commonly used in porcelain and dental powders, and medically as an antacid or calcium supplement, although calcium carbonate is more common in this regard.



Another practical application of the compound is its use in gene transfection. The calcium ions can make a cell competent (a euphemism for "rip holes in its membrane") to allow exogenous genes to enter the cell by diffusion. A heat shock afterwards then invokes the cell to repair itself. This is a quick and easy method for transfection, albeit a rather inefficient one.

Approved in the United States in April 1998, sucralose (a synthetic chemical) can be used in soft drinks, baked goods, ice cream, sweetener packets, and other products. It previously had been used in Canada, Europe, and elsewhere. Sucralose is safer than saccharin and cyclamate and doesn’t raise the concerns that tests on acesulfame-K and aspartame have raised.

Sodium Alginate is pure kelp (sea weed) - it's commonly used to thicken food. It is the recommended thickener for Procion dyes and it works as a thickener for other liquids as well.

"The term natural flavor or natural flavoring means the essential oil, oleoresin, essence or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis, which contains the flavoring constituents derived from a spice, fruit or fruit juice, vegetable or vegetable juice, edible yeast, herb, bark, bud, root, leaf or similar plant material, meat, seafood, poultry, eggs, dairy products, or fermentation products thereof, whose significant function in food is flavoring rather than nutritional."

The new labeling law effective in 2006, The Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA), requires manufacturers to declare if one or more of the 8 major food allergens are contained in a natural flavoring. The top 8 major food allergens are defined as: milk, egg, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, wheat, peanuts and soybeans.

If you are managing food allergies other than the top 8 major food allergens, however, the new law will not be of assistance to you in identifying the sources in any natural flavoring stated on a label.

The FDA does not require companies to disclose ingredients of color or flavor additives so long as all the chemicals in them are considered by the agency to be GRAS ("generally recognized as safe") enabling companies to maintain secrecy of formulas. It also hides the fact that flavors often contain more ingredients than the foods to which they give taste.

A typical artificial strawberry flavor contains over 30 chemicals. According to manufacturer safety data sheets those chemicals cause eye irritation, corneal damage, eye burns, skin irritation, severe / permanent damage to digestive tract, gastrointestinal irritation, gastrointestinal tract burns, CNS depression, neurological effects, liver abnormalities, cardiac abnormalities, or other harm.

Natural flavor, according to the FDA, must be derived entirely from natural sources (herbs, spices, fruits, vegetables, beef, chicken, yeast, bark, roots, etc). Consumers prefer to see natural flavors on a label out of a belief they are more healthful.

Natural flavor is not necessarily more healthful or purer than an artificial flavor. Almond flavor when derived from natural sources may contain traces of hydrogen cyanide, a deadly poison. When derived by mixing oil of clove & amyl acetate, it does not. Natural flavors and artificial flavors are often manufactured at same chemical plants.

Flavor manufacturing may also involve biotechnology, using enzyme reactions, fermentation, & fungal and tissue cultures. Flavors created by these methods are considered natural flavors by the FDA.

In addition to flavor chemicals also think about genetic engineering of food, DNA or gene alteration, and medicines and hormones given to cows, cattle, hogs, and chickens. What affect does it have upon us? Some are suspected causes of cancer or other problems.

When a natural flavor or artificial flavor is added to a food or drink the resultant processed food is no longer natural & is potentially harmful.

Source: http://web.archive.org/web/20030608101921/www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/opa-bckg.html

Red 40

Red 40 is a dye commonly used as food coloring in today’s foods. The proper chemical name is actually

6-hydroxy-5-[(2-methoxy-5-methyl-4-sulfophenyl)azo]-2-naphthalenesulfonic acid, but also

known as “azo” dye. By itself Red 40 has an orangish-red color and found in cherry and strawberry flavored foods. Orange foods are typically dyed with Yellow 6. See Yellow 6. All dyes are considered additives by the FDA through the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act) since it is not used for the purpose of consumption, but to improve the appearance of the product. For example, chocolate pudding would be slightly greener without the use of red dye. Not just limited to foods, Red 40 is also used for coloring in cosmetics and sold as powders or liquids.

"Electronic Code of Federal Regulations." GPO Home Page. Title 21. Part 74, 12 May 2011. Web. 16 May 2011. .

FD&C Red Dye #40 Information, Education and Discussion. Web. 16 May 2011. .

Produced from the fermentation of corn SUGAR, xanthan gum is used as a thickener, EMULSIFIER and STABILIZER in foods such as dairy products and salad dressings.

Some people are allergic to xanthan gum, with symptoms of intestinal gripes, diarrhea, temporary high blood pressure, and migraine headaches

Also, since xanthan gum is produced by a bacterium that is fed corn to grow, some people allergic to corn will also react to it. Yellow Phrygian Husk is a common source of bacterium in which xanthan gum is created

Also used by people who are allergic to gluten

Sodium Benzoate

Used as a food preservative or antiseptic, sodium benzoate is a white crystalline powder chemically known as C7H5O2Na or E211. Although it is classified by the Federal Drug Administration as safe, sodium benzoate is a controversial additive. Sodium benzoate was previously used for centuries as a preservative to prevent the growth of microbial organisms in the food. In presence of Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) such as in jams, sodium benzoate can form the chemical benzene. Benzene is known to damage DNA, genetic material, which can lead to leukemia and other cancers. Since sodium benzoate works best in acidic environments, the consumption of sodium benzoate is a rising issue.

"Sodium Benzoate Food Preservative - Research Paper - Misselleanor." Free Term Papers, Research Papers, Essays, Book Reports | OPPapers.com. Web. 16 May 2011. .

"Food Additives ~ CSPI’s Food Safety." Center for Science in the Public Interest. Web. 16 May 2011. .