What is in the food we eat.

What is in the food we eat.

Many of us consume at least some processed food products. Most of these food products contain food additives to enhance flavors, maintain color and texture, and preserve freshness.

In this discussion each of you will investigate at least one processed food that you eat regularly. First, create a complete list of its ingredients. (If you only consume foods prepared from basic ingredients, select a commonly used food product.) Once you have that list of ingredients, go to CSPI’s Guide to Food Additives.  For each ingredient that is not a basic foodstuff, look for the food additive on the chart of Chemical Cuisine.

In the class discussion, report on your processed food product by answering the following questions:

What is the complete list of ingredients?
Which ingredients are additives, and what are the functions of each additive? (Don’t assume all ingredients are additives! If in doubt, check the discussion of additives in Chapter 12.)
Is there any other label information that you found of interest or concern (serving size, sodium content, health claims, etc.)?
After learning about the food additives contained in your food product, would you recommend this food product to your classmates? Why or why not?

What is in the food we eat.