The growing problem of obesity seems to be no stopping any time soon and the food companies and the health supplement industry is capitalizing the situation. And since there have been a growing sense of reducing weight and the influx of weight loss programs, the food companies probably figured out that millions (if not billions) are looking to buy healthy foods. And a lot are consciously switching their dietary habit to healthy living considering that the WHO has declared it as a pandemic issue.
And since there have been a growing awareness by consumers on food labels written on the packaging, the food companies are also doing their own research on trying to hide the unhealthy contents of foods. It’s actually tricky though on how to know which the real healthy food is and which one isn’t healthy eventually. Aside from the fine line written at the back of most of the packages (sometimes the warning labels), they figured it out also on how to hide the unhealthy ingredients by using nicer sounding names.
One good example for this is the Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) which consumers don’t want to have in their food. We all know what MSG will do and its effects in our body. And one article that I read just did the same thing by substituting with appealing and nicer sounding name, hydrolyzed protein yet the effect is just the same with MSG. They are using and label the packing with other glutamates and not use MSG.
I did a quick browse on Wiki about hydrolyzed protein and what I got is not appealing to hear. Then I click the link in their references that redirects me to the website of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and it says that MSG and hydrolyzed protein are related. What’s worse is what was said about labeling the product packaging and below is what I got from USDA.
“Hydrolyzed proteins, used by the food industry to enhance flavor, are simply proteins that have been chemically broken apart into amino acids. The chemical breakdown of proteins may result in the formation of free glutamate that joins with free sodium to form MSG. In this case, the presence of MSG does not need to be disclosed on labeling. Labeling is required when MSG is added as a direct ingredient.”
NB: Image from wikimedia commons.
sus, ang father dear of mine, graveh maka MSG pero less salt naman sya…ambot libog man ng timpla sa ako papa hahaha. Pero diri sa Sweden, walay MSG or hydrolyzed protien. makakita ka lang ani sa mga Asian store..pero ang swedish, healthy kaayo ila food. mao ng mga swedish diri, tag-as ug kinabuhi…
agi ko sir rob…nag adgi pa ko hahaha
Pretty kat
A Woman’s Note recently posted..The Apple Trees
Yet another reason why I prefer to eat “real” food.
sharkbytes recently posted..Basic Traditional Apple Pie- 10 inch
This is something to worry..I have a daughter who used to be allergic to certain foods.And I depended on these food labels to choose which is good or bad for my daughter.. Now What if they are not telling us the truth…
This is what we really do avoid when eating, we don’t even use MSG in our cooking..
Jackie Catuday-Sardar recently posted..Going Back to my Old Hobby
Some people don’t really read food labels. They just rely on the advertisements they see on TV. As a result, they still use MSG in their food even if they are not using MSG. How? The substance is in a product with a name other than MSG and the hydrolyzed protein is yet another example of that.
Chin chin @ The Good Health recently posted..Healthy Weight Loss Tips
Admiring the time and effort you put into your blog and detailed information you offer! I will bookmark your blog . I’ll have a look at some of your other posts as well.
This is a great info, thanks for sharing! I learned something today. I don’t really look at labes but with this post will make me watch out for those ingredients which is not healthy for our body.
meiyah recently posted..Contest – Win A £50 Palmer’s Stretch Mark Goody Bag