New study underscores fakery in common food products
Tea and olive oil. Milk and honey. Paprika and Pomegranate Juice. All seemingly simple and familiar food products that, according to a new study, may prove to be neither simple nor familiar at all.
As exclusively featured today by ABC News, a soon-to-be-released analysis by the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) has identified a significant uptick in the use of synthetic ingredients in the items listed above, as well as others like lemon juice, coffee, and pancake syrup. Now, I’d expect some degree of fakery involved with products like pancake syrup and honey. Even Pomegranate Juice, unless freshly prepared, didn’t surprise me too much (in fact, I’ve stopped drinking store-bought juices based on high sugar content alone). But paprika and safron? Why spice fairies, why?
I don’t know why those two in particular disturbed me the most; perhaps it’s because we generally assume that everything on our spice rack comes from more, um, holistic origins. And while it doesn’t mention any other favorite spices of mine (whew) I tend to cook with paprika a lot, so it doesn’t sit well that it’s often “adulterated with dangerous food colorings that mimic the colors.” Uh uh, I don’t like that at all.
The data will officially be released tomorrow on USP’s website. In the meantime, learn more about the foodie fraud going down in this exclusive video segment.
About the Author
Janet Dickerson Janet A. Dickerson is a multimedia marketing specialist who earned her stripes shaping and driving communications strategies for Cory Booker, NYC Mayoral Candidate Bill Thompson, and national civil rights organization PolicyLink. A Journalism grad of Temple University’s School of Communications and Theater, Dickerson is Co-Founder and Principal of brand management consulting group Pixel Prose Media. She couldn’t be happier to marry her love of writing with her insatiable appetite for delicious epicurean excursions. You can follow her @PRLady25.
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