Do you know what is in your food? Part 2

     So after a long list of not so good ingredients that we should all try to avoid in our food, here are some of the better ones! You may recognize some of these ingredients, which are found in a lot of packaged health foods. Some of the other common ingredients usually need some decoding.

Acacia Gum (also known as guar gum and gum arabic): This natural ingredient is made from the hardened sap of the acacia tree; it helps stick stuff together and adds important fiber.

Chicory Root Fiber: This is used to hold different ingredients together and also contains the naturally occurring fiber inulin.

Evaporated Cane Juice Syrup: A minimally processed sugar, this amber coloured liquid retains a slight golden colour and a subtle taste from the original cane juice.

Oligofructose: Oligosaccharide is an alternative sweetener derived from inulin, which is found naturally in chicory root. Often used to help provide a thicker texture.

Expeller-Pressed Ingredients (also known as Cold-Pressed): In this process, natural oils are extracted from seeds by mechanical pressure without the use or addition of chemicals, colourings, or preservatives.

Glutamate (also known as glutamic acid): Free glutamate is naturally occurring in some foods such as cheese, milk, tomatoes, mushrooms, yeast, and soy. This is different from MSG, the artificial flavour enhancer, a compound of sodium plus glutamate.

Vegetable Glycerin: This colourless liquid helps ingredients of different water content get along together (so dry ingredients such as grains stay dry, and moist ingredients like fruit stay moist.

Non-Irradiated Spices: Unless specifically stated as "non-irradiated," spices undergo a process of ionizing radiation to increase shelf life and kill bacteria. While this may sound good, many believe using gamma radiation from nuclear material goes beyond the level of processing necessary to make natural foods.

Casein (also known as sodium caseinate): This dairy protein can help hold different foods together.

Sodium Phosphates: These are normal and essential salts for the body that work as a natural leavening agents, helping make baked goods light and fluffy.

Tartaric Acid: This organic acid can be found in plants and is used to provide tartness in foods. 


Hope you found this information helpful!
Michelle:)