College has many stereotypes. One of them being that we all eat crappy food and gain the freshman 15 in our first year, or in my case, within the first 6 weeks of college. Another area of expertise that college kids will all agree on, is that the price of food is just too much if it’s not packaged in plastic, or recommended to open the box before drinking, or switch the container before putting it into the microwave. But, the problems in our gross, yet satisfying, cans of Spaghettios or boxes of wine, isn’t the weight gain anymore.
Recently, many of us caught wind of a horrible fact and realized that our lives were coming to an end when studies came out that brands like Franzia and Sutter Home contain arsenic. Even though the FDA describes inorganic arsenic as “essentially harmless,” I’m not sure about the rest of you, but I definitely will be cutting out a little less wine each week. And, yes I said cutting out less, no way will that $4 bottle be in the garbage. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/27/living/arsenic-wine-california-lawsuit-feat/
Another favorite making its way on to the list is one of my personal faves, Kraft Mac & Cheese. Kraft issued a recall on our beloved, cheesy pasta for having metal pieces in the boxes of mac and cheese. I’m not sure the lingo of “I ate a bowl of nails for breakfast” either fits with this perfectly, or is making too much sense to some. It was recalled on the 15th of March, but was also not the first time these surprising, shiny objects were found in boxes. Over 242,000 boxes were a part of the recall. So, the next time you take a bite into the wonderful world of spirals and characters, make sure the only shiny object is your utensil. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/23/health/amys-kitchen-recall-spinach-listeria/
Some people believe in fairy tales of falling in love with your Prince Charming and living happily ever after, but the real question is, have you ever dreamed of becoming Snow White and biting into an apple? And oops, you’re dead. Well, thanks to some California Caramel Apple companies, 35 people fell ill in 12 states, and seven of those people were pronounced dead. The sudden cause of death from the deliciously sweet, yet sour, treat was due to an illness called Listeria. In a dumb-downed sense, listeria is just very strong food poisoning. So, the next time you take a chomp into a sweet, delicious apple, make sure the evil witch wasn’t around with a poisoning wand. http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/23/health/amys-kitchen-recall-spinach-listeria/
“Can I have a piece of gum?” The most hated question most of us hear on a day to day basis. But, next time someone asks you for a piece, you might want to hand over the entire package. Thanks to a new study, gum’s chewy, goodness came from Lanolin, or in other words, the oil in a sheeps wool. So, as they described it, “The goopy sensation of a chew,” you might want to think twice before putting that piece in. Its baaah-d for you.
http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/05/08/10-weird-and-gross-ingredients-in-processed-food/
Finally, you are what you eat, that used to be the next coolest phrase next to, if you are, then what am I? But, have you ever wanted to be a Twinkie? With the depressing loss of the Twinkie in early 2013, many people treated it like a lost shirt that their friend just happened to find and wanted, but you wanted to keep it because you didn’t want them to have it. But when it comes to the yummy goodness in Twinkies, what’s actually making that sponge so bouncy and full? Well, that’s also what’s making our bellies so bouncy and full; beef fat. Studies show that along with multiple oils, Twinkies are also full of beef fat. With just the thought processing, some might think about going vegan. http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2009/05/08/10-weird-and-gross-ingredients-in-processed-food/, http://www.cnbc.com/id/101934633
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I had to save the best for last; jello. What really is the bouncy, see-through, yummy gelatin actually made of? You guessed it, animal bones and hides. Typically, pork, horse and cattle. What happens with these items is they are boiled up and put in as an ingredient into all types of gelatin. This is another case where vegetarians might want to think twice about their “animal free” products. So, the next time you want to take a bite into the tastiness of jello, think of the jiggly stuff as an animal bone, and you just might change your mind.
http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/jello.asp
Sorry to make you lose your appetite on these cheap, tasty and yet satisfying treats. But you never know who’s lying, especially when it comes to selling a product.