Your new tool for food label sleuthing.
©Celldial Inc./Apple Inc.
Have you ever turned over a box of cereal, read the ingredients label, and wondered: "What exactly is Yellow #5?"
If you knew it was derived from coal tar, would you still eat it?
Now, Don't Eat That, a brand new iPhone app, allows you to investigate before dropping the item into your grocery cart. I took a test spin of Don't Eat That today on my iPhone, and here is what I discovered:
Carmine is a red dye found in ice cream, yogurt, eye shadow, and lipstick. It is made from the scaled insect Cochineal. Upon further investigation, I discovered that it is prepared by boiling the dried insect in water.
Natural flavors are considered "trade secrets," and therefore, the FDA does not require them to be listed on a food label. (I had always wondered why certain ingredients got a free pass and didn't have to be specifically mentioned).
Overall, there are a staggering number of food dyes derived from coal tar. And many are used in kids' cereals, which I confirmed today after looking at a box of Cap'n Crunch.
WATCH VIDEO: How to feed your kids
Here's a video demo on Don't Eat That:
The solution? Slash out food additives
It's easier said that done, but dear God, grocery stores are land mines for carcinogens. Check out the Don't Eat That app for help, and if you miss your cereal, try these make-at-home breakfast recipes instead:
Stop Buying Packaged Cereal! 5 Awesome Granola Recipes to Try Instead[/url]
