The modern food industry is a miracle of science and logistics. It is also an industry that is filled with several shocking and often unappetizing secrets. To produce the huge amount of cheap and consistent food that we demand, the industry relies on a variety of controversial practices and ingredients. These are the things that they would rather you not know about. Here are seven of the dirtiest secrets of the food industry.
1. The Use of “Meat Glue”
“Meat glue” is the common nickname for an enzyme called transglutaminase. Food processors can use this enzyme to bind smaller, cheaper scraps of meat together. This allows them to create a single, uniform piece of meat that looks like a high-quality cut, like a filet mignon or a large scallop. While the FDA considers it safe, many consumers are disturbed by the idea of eating a steak that has been glued together from leftover bits.
2. The Process of Making “Mechanically Separated” Meat
Mechanically separated meat is a paste-like substance that is created by forcing bones with a small amount of meat left on them through a high-pressure sieve. This process is a very efficient way to get every last bit of meat off a carcass. This paste is then used as a filler ingredient in low-cost meat products like hot dogs and chicken nuggets. The process itself is a deeply unappetizing one that the industry does not like to advertise.
3. The Widespread Mislabeling of Seafood
Seafood fraud is one of the biggest and most persistent problems in the food industry. Independent studies have repeatedly shown that a huge percentage of the seafood sold in restaurants and grocery stores is intentionally mislabeled. A cheaper, lower-quality fish, like tilapia or escolar, is often sold as a more expensive one, like red snapper or white tuna. It is a classic bait-and-switch that cheats consumers out of their money.
4. The Amount of “Defects” Allowed by the FDA
The FDA has a handbook called the “Food Defect Levels Handbook.” This document explicitly lists the maximum amount of “natural or unavoidable defects” that are allowed in food. This includes things like the number of insect fragments, rodent hairs, and mold that are permitted in a given amount of a product. The reality is that a small amount of these disgusting contaminants is in almost every processed food we eat.
5. The Use of Carbon Monoxide on Meat and Fish
To keep the meat in the butcher case looking fresh and red, some processors will pack it in a modified atmosphere that contains a small amount of carbon monoxide. The gas reacts with the myoglobin in the meat. This gives it a bright red color that can last for days. This can make a piece of meat that is starting to go bad look perfectly fresh. It is a deceptive practice that is legal in the U.S. but banned in many other countries.
6. The “Wood Pulp” in Your Shredded Cheese
Many brands of pre-shredded cheese contain an additive called cellulose. This is a plant fiber that is used as an anti-caking agent to prevent the shreds from sticking together. While it is safe to eat, cellulose is often sourced from refined wood pulp. Many consumers are shocked to learn that they are eating a small amount of wood pulp every time they sprinkle some Parmesan cheese on their pasta.
7. The Beak-to-Claw Reality of Chicken Broth
The chicken broth you buy at the store is not always made from the high-quality meat you might imagine. The industrial production of chicken broth is a way for the poultry industry to use every last part of the chicken. The broth is often made by simmering the leftover carcasses, which can include the bones, the skin, the feet, and the necks of the chickens.
The Unsavory Truth
The secrets of the food industry are often a direct result of our demand for cheap, convenient, and perfectly uniform food. The industrial-scale production required to meet this demand has led to several practices that can be unappetizing, deceptive, and, in some cases, unsafe. As consumers, the best way to avoid these dirty secrets is to eat a diet that is based on simple, unprocessed, whole foods as much as possible.
What do you think is the dirtiest secret of the food industry? How does knowing about these practices affect the way you shop for food? Let us know!
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