Page 214 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

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SAFE VS. SCARY

INGREDIENTS

he swell of interest in clean labels stems from good inten-
tions—the pursuit of real food. Guidance to seek out foods
Twhose back panels don’t read like chemistry textbooks
has been about urging Americans to eat more wholesome whole
foods. Amen to that! But as convenience wins time and again
in our food culture, what has actually come about is a recipro-
cal tidal wave of “clean-label” packaged foods. They tout their
short lists of short-lettered ingredients. It’s great that so many
of us are giving a closer eye to labels and questioning whether
we really want to be putting Red 40 or sucralose in our bodies.
But there’s a risk in letting that skepticism spill into blanket
avoidance of ingredients that are unfamiliar sounding. Ditto
for blanket acceptance of ingredients that are nice sounding.
Here are five examples of ingredients that sound scary but
are actually safe, and five that sound safe but are actually scary.

SOUND SCARY, ACTUALLY SAFE
1 Ascorbic acid. Also known as vitamin C, it helps preserve
food’s color and flavor.
2 Citric acid. Found in citrus fruits and berries, it’s used to add
tart flavor.
3 Modified food starch. Most commonly made from corn,
wheat, potato, or tapioca, these starches have been altered
to attain properties desirable in processed foods, such
as longer shelf life and stabilization. Usually used as a

Stuff that Comes from Factories 203

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