Starbucks uses coloring made from crushed beetles? Blech. OCD_OCD: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/20/us-starbucks-idUSBRE83J01K20120420 Starbucks Corp said on its blog on Thursday that it will stop using a natural, government-approved coloring made from crushed beetles in its strawberry flavoring by late June, bowing to pressure from some vegetarian customers. Starbucks has been using the extract in its strawberry frappuccinos and smoothies, as well as some deserts like raspberry swirl cake. "After a thorough, yet fastidious, evaluation, I am pleased to report that we are reformulating the affected products to assure the highest quality possible," Cliff Burrows, president of Starbucks U.S., wrote in a blog post. Instead, the coffeehouse chain said it plans to use lycopene, a natural, tomato-based extract. Burrows said Starbucks "fell short" of customer expectations. One blogger in March began an online petition to pressure Starbucks to stop the practice. Ground up cochineal beetles is a commonly used Food and Drug Administration-approved food coloring. OCD_OCD: WTH? Who was the first person who decided to grind up a nasty beetle and say, "Ooooh, what a pretty color! Let's use it in food!"? And the FDA thinks it's a good idea.... OCD_OCD: In addition as a dye for textiles, cochineal became widely used as a food colouring. Cakes, cookies, beverages, jam, jelly, ice cream, sausages, pies, dried fish, yogurt, cider, maraschino cherries and tomato products were brightened with it as were chewing gum, pills and cough drops. Cosmetic rouge was developed with cochineal as the main ingredient. Cochineal is still widely used in cosmetics. The demand for cochineal fell sharply with the appearance on the market of alizarin crimson and many other artificial (food and textile) dyes discovered in Europe in the middle of the 19th century. Trade in cochineal almost totally disappeared in the course of the 20th century, but in recent years it has become commercially valuable again as many producers (and consumers) prefer natural colours over synthetic colours. However, most consumers are unaware that the ‘natural colouring E120' refers to a dye that is derived from an insect. It is thus not suitable for vegetarians and is banned by some religions http://www.food-info.net/uk/colour/cochineal.htm  (Post deleted by staff )  I was here: Finding insects in our food usually troubles people because it was the bug/insect that they SAW. On average we eat 1 kilogram of insects, insect fragments, rodent hair and excrement per year( per person). It’s natural and unavoidable. But it doesn’t bother us because we don’t see them. It’s called the “Food Defect Action Level” ( allowable insect parts in our food). We’ re eating insects, rat hair, rat excrement and insect fragments every day. And that it’s OK by law! It’s true. The Food and Drug Administration sets “food defect action levels,” the maximum levels of natural or unavoidable defects in foods — like how many insects or rat hairs are permissible. The action levels were created because it’s “economically impractical to grow, harvest or process foods that are totally free of safe, naturally occurring, unavoidable defects,” says Dr. Barry Swanson, professor of food science and nutrition at Washington State University in Pullman. In fact, the FDA action level defect guidelines say: “The alternative to establishing natural defect levels in some foods would be to insist on increased utilization of chemical substances to control insects, rodents and other natural contaminants. The alternative is not satisfactory because of the very real danger of exposing consumers to potential hazards from residues of these chemicals, as opposed to the aesthetically unpleasant but harmless natural and unavoidable defects.” In other words, to have no defects, you would have to use more chemicals, and foods would be less healthy. It’s been estimated by an Ohio University fact sheet that we actually eat 1 to 2 pounds of insects each year, unintentionally. The FDA’s defect guidelines cover about 105 foods— anything exposed to biological contamination, as well as foods attractive to insects or microbes. Here is a small sampling of foods from the guide. You can view the list in its entirety on the FDA Website. PEANUT BUTTER • Defect: Insect and rodent filth • Action level: An average of 30 or more insect fragments and one or more rodent hairs per 100 grams • Example: In every 18-ounce jar of peanut butter, there can be as many as 150 insect fragments and five rodent hairs. CHOCOLATE • Defect: Insect and rodent filth • Action level: An average of 60 or more insect fragments and one or more rodent hairs per 100 grams • Example: A typical chocolate bar is about 60 grams, or 2 ounces. It could have as many as 36 insect fragments and about half a rodent hair and still be sold in supermarkets. MACARONI AND PASTA • Defect: Insect and rodent filth • Action level: An average of 225 or more insect fragments and 4.5 rodent hairs per 225 grams (an 8-ounce serving) WHEAT FLOUR • Defect: Insect and rodent filth • Action level: An average of 75 or more insect fragments and one or more rodent hairs per 50 grams • Example: A 2-pound bag can have as many as 1,344 insect fragments and 18 rodent hairs. CHERRIES, BRINED AND MARASCHINO • Defect: Insect filth • Action level: An average of 5 percent or more cherries are rejects due to maggots. ~~~ Bon appétit ~~~ http://thescienceoftabbouleh.com/2010/04/25/how-many-insect-parts-and-rodent-hairs-are-allowed-in-your-food-more-than-you-think/ I was here: I hear you. It is one of the reasons I moved away from processed foods. I won't even touch a can of soup...ugh. OCD_OCD: I'll do mushroom soup or French onion soup, or tomato, but I won't touch a can of soup with meat in it. OCD_OCD: I did see a show on how bologna was made on an episode of...How It's Made. It was like slimy bubble gum or something. OMG Barf. I was here: I just can't resist though.  Canned mushrooms may have “over 20 or more maggots of any size per 100 grams of drained mushrooms and proportionate liquid” or “five or more maggots two millimeters or longer per 100 grams of drained mushrooms and proportionate liquid” or an “average of 75 mites” before provoking action by the F.D.A. OCD_OCD: A friend of my parents' does meat processing. He makes our sausage, etc. His place is like a hospital, though. It's a small operation and he only does orders for regular customers. I was here: That's different. I mean processed like store bought crap. We make our own sausages and such too. OCD_OCD: That's in canned mushrooms? I don't use those. Please tell me that's not fresh mushrooms. Please.....LOL OCD_OCD: I think it's fun to make your own sausage. We make boudin and bratwurst and it's a lot of fun. | Off Topic Chat Room Similar Conversations |
