Reading Labels . . . Doing Research . . .

The more modern and advanced we get in this world, the more it seems we have to be vigilant in making choices. It is seriously important in just purchasing food for our families. This appeared in an e-mail today and made me realize that we have to look way past the packaging and surface information when we buy food.

 Lies That Food Manufacturers Tell

Olive Oil: Many brands of olive oil aren't what they seem. Manufacturers may dilute extra virgin olive oil with lower quality olive oil. Or they may dilute it with another oil entirely, like corn oil or soybean oil. Peanut oil and hazelnut oil are also popular choices for cutting olive oil, which puts people with nut or peanut allergies at high risk.

Milk: That gallon of milk may be pure, wholesome milk from the cow, or it might be a mix of fresh milk and reconstituted milk powder. There was also information about the milk producers wanting to add aspartame to milk, too.

Coffee: Ground coffee and instant coffee may both contain roasted, ground grains like corn and barley. Some ground coffee contains roasted parchment paper, ground up to match in texture. In instant coffees, experts found chicory, starch, malt, and even ground figs.

Pomegranate Juice: This tasty juice is considered to be very good for you. But, you may actually unwittingly be drinking a blend of other juices and sugar water.

Honey: Raw, natural honey tops the list of my favorite health foods. But when you buy honey at the grocery store, it's possible it's been cut with high-fructose corn syrup to increase the sweetness and reduce the cost. And much of the honey imported from other nations contains nasty things like heavy metals and antibiotics.

Tea: Some tea manufacturers add leaves from other plants or even lawn clippings to their products to cut costs.

Orange Juice: Few things seem more healthful than a glass of orange juice. But frankly most brands are so packed with sugar they are anything but. Beet sugar, paprika, and high fructose corn syrup have also been found in "pure" orange juice products.

Turmeric: Some unethical food manufacturers mix in less expensive spices and other fillers with their ground turmeric.

Chili Powder: Ditto for chili powder.  I like to buy dried chilies and grind them up in a blender so I actually know what I'm using.

Fish: How well do you know your fish? Well enough to tell wild salmon from farm-raised salmon? Well enough to discern the difference between escolar and white tuna? These are two of the most common fish swaps done by food processors and restaurants.

Maple Syrup: In today's food market, it's hard to know if you're getting pure maple syrup or maple syrup cut with high fructose corn syrup.

Black Pepper: This is another spice that's commonly cut with less expensive spices. So, when you're buying pure ground black pepper that may not be what you're getting at all.  Buy a pepper grinder and use pepper corns. You won't have to guess what else might be in your black pepper.