Unraveling food industry lies - Your chicken is full of liquid fillers and chemicals

Those juicy, delicious chicken breasts in the meat case at your local supermarket are more than likely hiding a dirty little secret that might make you think twice about ever eating them again. Most people are unaware of it, but conventional chicken meat typically contains a whole lot more than just chicken, as it is often "plumped" up with brine (salt water), chicken stock, flavor and texture-enhancing chemicals, and even the waste byproducts of other animals that can constitute as much as 30 percent of the meat's total weight.

Rather than produce and sell pure chicken meat as most people assume they do, many conventional chicken producers inject all sorts of liquid fillers and chemicals into the meat prior to packaging it, all for the purpose of making poor quality meat appear and taste superior. The process is not only deceptive, as it tricks consumers into thinking they are getting more chicken than they really are, but it also increases the sodium content of chicken by as much as 500 percent.

Perhaps the worst part about plumping, though, is the fact that chicken producers can still label their plumped chicken as being "100 percent natural," since this terminology is not properly regulated, and does not have a standardize legal definition. As long as the injected substances are considered to be "natural" themselves -- "natural" technically cannot be legally defined in this context, either -- then anything goes as far as chicken production is concerned.

According to Foster Farms, a large chicken producer that claims not to plump its chickens, the average consumers inadvertently spends about $1.50 per package of plumped chicken just on salt water. Throughout the course of a year, this translates into a hidden cost of more than $100 per year for a family of four eating chicken with their meals roughly four days a week. (http://www.saynotoplumping.com)

Plumped chickens can contain waste byproducts of other animals like pigs, cows

Besides containing high levels of refined salt chemicals like monosodium glutamate (MSG), arsenic (http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_arsenic_chicken.html), and various other chemicals, plumped chickens may also contain bits and pieces of other animals and animal waste.

The U.K.'s Independent reported back in 2009 that many restaurants throughout Great Britain had been caught injecting their chicken meat with the bones and gristle of both pigs and cows. Similar to the agenda behind plumping with water and salt, injecting these animal waste byproducts is intended to fatten up chicken meat in order to make it appear larger, weigh more, and thus generate higher profits. (http://www.independent.co.uk)

Another investigation by BBC revealed similar plumping methods involving the flesh of other animals. It turns out that chicken processing in general often involves injecting chicken meat with the protein material of other animals. Some producers even try to cover up this dirty practice by deconstructing the DNA of the foreign animal matter so that it cannot be detected in tests. (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/3047159.stm)

This is all very disturbing news, of course, especially for folks who, for religious or dietary reasons, specifically eat chicken in order to avoid eating other forms of meat. Little do they know that, since the 1970s, conventional chicken manufacturers have been pumping up chicken meat with foreign materials and animal waste in order to turn a higher profit.

Stick with local, pastured varieties when eating chicken

The best way to avoid falling victim to the food industry's chicken deception is to buy only local or specifically pasture-raised chicken meat. It is important also to make sure that the chicken meat you buy is organically fed, regardless of whether or not it is officially certified as such, since conventional birds are often deliberately fed arsenic, a cancer-causing chemical compound. (http://www.naturalnews.com/032659_arsenic_chicken.html)

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/037153_food_industry_chicken_fillers.html#ixzz2Vony8jSN

Originally Posted On: http://www.naturalnews.com/037153_food_industry_chicken_fillers.html

FDA: Toxic Waste® Gum Is Toxic

A type of bubblegum sold under the name Toxic Waste® Short Circuits™ is now being recalled by its distributor because it's ... well, toxic.

Recent tests performed by the FDA found that Toxic Waste® Short Circuits™ -- which is made in Pakistan -- contained unsafe levels of lead.

Ironically, Indianapolis-based Circle City Marketing and Distributing promotes its products via the buzzphrase "Hazardously Sour Candy." The company's website features videos with such titles as "Toxically Wasted" and "Black Cherry Holocaust: A Toxic Waste Adventure." (Then again, the Circle City site also offers Earth Day tips as part of its "Toxic Takedown challenge": Compost. Recycle. Stop global warming.)

It was announced last week that the FDA-tested gum contained 0.189 parts of lead per million; the FDA's limit is 0.1 parts per million. The amount of lead discovered in the gum "could cause health problems, particularly for infants, small children, and pregnant women," reads the FDA's announcement.

Hazardous!

As a result, Circle City is issuing a voluntary recall of Lot #15070SC12 of the 3.2 oz. (90 g) size of Toxic Waste® Short Circuits™, which was distributed from January 4 until March 18.

How ironic is this for a company that markets a whole range of "Toxic Waste" sweets? As the website proudly declares: "Each collectible container is shaped like an over-flowing drum of Toxic Waste." The vivid yellow cans have printed green slime dripping down the sides, and the words "TOXIC WASTE" in a stencil motif -- just like in real life!

Circle City's promo for Toxic Waste® Short Circuits™ Bubble Gum promises that the gum "is sure to make sour candy and gum lovers pucker with delight. Presented in bite size gum fashion filled with ultra sour powder, kids will be struck by the intense souricity when they reach the shockingly sour core."

I feel bad that they had to do a recall, because they're a Greater Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce Green Business and, in this economy, who can afford recalls? But... lead. I also hate seeing bad grammar on food packaging. Not only are the necessary hyphens between "bite" and "size" and between "ultra" and "sour" missing, but that second sentence reads as if kids are presented in bite-size gum fashion. And because hyphens are also missing from the first sentence, it basically implies that the candy and gum lovers are sour, not the candy and the gum. This makes my eyes hurt.

The FDA reassures us that "no other 'Toxic Waste®' brand product or 'Short Circuits™ Bubble Gum' besides Lot #15070SC12 is affected by this recall." So if you bought your Toxic Waste before January 4, you're safe -- from lead, if not from souricity.

Originally Posted On: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anneli-rufus/fda-toxic-waste-gum-is-to_1_b_841262.html

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"Is Chewing Gum the Most Toxic Substance in the Supermarket?"

Recently, I asked about thirty women, whose ages were mostly under the age of forty, if they carried chewing gum with them. Twenty seven of the thirty were able to pull out a pack of gum, some even going as far as telling me why they loved a particular brand/flavor of gum.

While this demographic is not representative of all women, 90% of them chewed gum on a daily basis, some consuming more than one stick per day. As with many things that we expose our bodies to on a daily basis, let’s take a moment and analyze the ingredients of chewing gum and ask some important questions that pertain to whether it contributes to good health. How many of us have looked at the ingredients on a pack of gum?

If you have, do you know what each one of the substances is? Is a stick of chewing gum more of a “cancer stick” than a cigarette? As you will see below, commercial gum products are some of the most toxic substances that you can expose your body too and literally can lead to some of the worst diseases on the planet.

Here is a list of the most common ingredients in the most popular chewing gum products on the market:

• Sorbitol, Xylitol, Mannitol, Maltitol
• Gum Base
• Glycerol
• Natural and Artificial Flavors
• Hydrogenated Coconut Oil and Starch
• Aspartame –Acesulfame
• Soy Lecithin
• Colors (titanium oxide, blue 2 lake, red 40)
• BHT
• Malic Acid, Citric Acid

Ingredient #1: Gum Base. Imagine if someone came up to you and said, “Hey, would you like to chew on some tire rubber and plastic?” You probably would politely decline and want to report this person to a doctor for a psychological evaluation. “Gum base” is a blend of elastomers, plasticizers, fillers, and resin. Some of the other ingredients that go into this mix are polyvinyl acetate, which is frequently referred to as “carpenter glue” or “white glue”. Paraffin wax is another ingredient that is a byproduct of refined petroleum. Is chewing plastic, petroleum and rubber safe? As you chew, these substances leach into the mouth and body. Yummy.

Ingredient #2: Aspartame. The controversy surrounding this substance is widespread. It is one of the most body toxic substances we can consume. The political corruption and money trail behind this agent of disease is a mile long. Aspartame has been linked to all of the major brain diseases including Alzheimer’s and ALS. It is also considered a prime contributor to many other diseases such as diabetes, multiple sclerosis, asthma, obesity, and many others. It is in many diet products on the market today, but in the long run actually contributes to obesity due to his extreme acidity. Aspartame is an excitotoxin, which over excites neurons in the brain until they burn out and die. Dr. Russell Blaylock is the leading expert on Aspartame and other excitotoxins and I would highly encourage you to see the documentary entitled “Sweet Misery: A Poisoned World”.
Ingredient #3: Hydrogenated Coconut Oil and Starch. Hydrogenation is chemical process that adds hydrogen across a double bonded carbon. This is done to increase the shelf life of a product, turning oil into a more plastic like substance. This process also creates Trans fats, which are now known to be very harmful to health.

Ingredient #4: Colors (titanium dioxide, blue 2 lake, red 40). Titanium dioxide is a nanoparticle that is very common in sunscreen and many other health products, including synthetic nutritional supplements. New evidence is leading in the direction of this substance being carcinogenic, leading to cancer. We as humans are drawn to things that are colorful. Artificial food colorings, such as red 40, are made from petroleum and are dangerous to our health. Many people have extreme allergies to these substances and they have been implicated in contributing to ADD and other disorders and diseases.

Ingredient #5: Sorbitol, Xylitol, Mannitol, Maltitol. These sugar alcohols are originally made from sugar, but are altered so much that they are considered sugar free. As a general rule, when nature is altered and changed to make a “better” product, more often than not, the result is something that is not healthy. Some even go so far as to say that these products are far worse than sugar and can stimulate weight gain. Other side effects can include abdominal pain and diarrhea. Is sugar alcohol better than sugar? Neither are good substances, so comparing the two is somewhat pointless.

Chewing Gum and Digestion

Every time you chew gum, your brain is tricked into thinking that you are eating food. Therefore, it sends signals to your stomach, pancreas and other organs involved in digestion to prepare for this “food”. Your salivary glands and pancreas will begin to emit enzymes, which are necessary to digest food and absorb nutrients from food. Constant emission of enzymes over time will deplete enzymes and over time this process can slow down. If you are not breaking down and absorbing food properly over time, you will get disease because the body needs nutrients to rebuild and thrive.

A Great Alternative for Fresh Breath

A great alternative to chewing gum is to carry around a small bottle of organic food grade peppermint oil and when you would like fresh breath, just put one drop in your mouth and you will have achieved the same effect. You can find many food grade oils that are wonderful for helping you have fresh breath.

Nothing in chewing gum is natural. It is chemical goop that in no way contributes to health or is good for your teeth. Don’t be fooled by fancy advertising. The five ingredients that we reviewed above, in one form or another, contribute to disease and poor health. Is this really a risk that you want to expose yourself to all for the sake of fresh breath? In the future, perhaps we will see that chewing gum may be as much of a contributor to disease as are cigarettes.

Originally Posted On: http://www.activistpost.com/2012/08/is-chewing-gum-most-toxic-substance-in.html

Spray Weeds With Vinegar?

By Don Comis 
May 15, 2002

Some home gardeners already use vinegar as a herbicide, and some garden stores sell vinegar pesticides. But no one has tested it scientifically until now.

Agricultural Research Service scientists offer the first scientific evidence that it may be a potent weedkiller that is inexpensive and environmentally safe--perfect for organic farmers.

ARS researchers Jay Radhakrishnan, John R. Teasdale and Ben Coffman in Beltsville, Md., tested vinegar on major weeds--common lamb’s-quarters, giant foxtail, velvetleaf, smooth pigweed and Canada thistle--in greenhouse and field studies.

[Link above is down] http://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publications.htm?seq_no_115=131932

They hand-sprayed the weeds with various solutions of vinegar, uniformly coating the leaves. The researchers found that 5- and 10-percent concentrations killed the weeds during their first two weeks of life. Older plants required higher concentrations of vinegar to kill them. At the higher concentrations, vinegar had an 85- to 100-percent kill rate at all growth stages. A bottle of household vinegar is about a 5-percent concentration.

Canada thistle, one of the most tenacious weeds in the world, proved the most susceptible; the 5-percent concentration had a 100-percent kill rate of the perennial’s top growth. The 20-percent concentration can do this in about 2 hours.

Spot spraying of cornfields with 20 percent vinegar killed 80 to 100 percent of weeds without harming the corn, but the scientists stress the need for more research. If the vinegar were sprayed over an entire field, it would cost about $65 per acre. If applied to local weed infestations only, such as may occur in the crop row after cultivation, it may only cost about $20 to $30.

The researchers use only vinegar made from fruits or grains, to conform to organic farming standards.

ARS is the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s chief scientific research agency.

Originally Posted On: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2002/020515.htm