Americans
are slowly realizing that food sold in the US doesn’t just taste
different than foods sold in other countries, it’s created differently.
Sadly, many U.S. foods are BANNED in Europe — and for good reason. Take a
look at the plummeting health of Americans; what role might toxic foods play in our skyrocketing disease rates?
#1: Farm-Raised Salmon
Farm-raised
fish is usually fed an unnatural diet of genetically engineered (GE)
grains, antibiotics and chemicals unsafe for humans. To mask the
resulting grayish flesh, they’re given toxic and potentially
eyesight-damaging synthetic astaxanthin.
To
determine wild from farm-raised salmon (sold in most restaurants), wild
sockeye gets its red color from natural astaxanthin and carotenoids.
The white “fat strips” are thin, meaning it’s lean. Pale pink fish and
wide fat marks are a sign of farmed salmon.
Avoid “Atlantic Salmon.” Look for “Alaskan” or “sockeye,” which is illegal to farm and has very high astaxanthin concentrations.
Where it’s banned: Australia and New Zealand
#2: Genetically Engineered Papaya
Most
Hawaiian papaya is genetically engineered to be ringspot
virus-resistant. But research shows animals fed GE foods like corn and
soy suffer intestinal damage, multiple-organ damage, massive tumors, birth defects, premature death and/or nearly complete sterility by the third generation. Dangers to humans are unknown.
Where it’s banned: The European Union
#3: Ractopamine-Tainted Meat
About
45 percent of US pigs, 30 percent of cattle and an unknown percentage
of turkeys are plumped with the asthma drug ractopamine before
slaughter. Up to 20 percent of ractopamine is still there when you buy
it.
Since
1998, more than 1,700 US pork lovers have been “poisoned” this way. For
this very health threat, ractopamine-laced meats are banned in 160
different countries! Russia issued a ban on US meat imports, effective
February 11, 2013, until it’s certified ractopamine-free. In animals,
it’s linked to reducedreproductive function, increased mastitis and increased death. It
damages the human cardiovascular system and may cause hyperactivity,
chromosomal abnormalities and behavioral changes. Currently, US meats
aren’t even tested for it.
Where it’s banned: 160 countries across Europe, Russia, mainland China and Republic of China (Taiwan).
#4: Flame Retardant Drinks
Mountain
Dew and other drinks in the US contain the synthetic chemical
brominated vegetable oil (BVO), originally patented as a flame
retardant.
BVO bioaccumulates in
human tissue and breast milk; animal studies report reproductive and
behavioral problems. Bromine alters the central nervous and endocrine
systems and promotes iodine deficiency, causing skin rashes, acne, loss
of appetite, fatigue and cardiac arrhythmias. The featured article
explains:
“The
FDA has flip-flopped on BVO’s safety, originally classifying it as
‘generally recognized as safe,’ but reversing that call, now defining it
as an ‘interim food additive,’ a category reserved for possibly
questionable substances used in food.”
Where it’s banned: Europe and Japan
#5: Processed Foods and Artificial Food Dyes
More than 3,000 preservatives, flavorings and colors are added to US foods, many of which are banned in other countries. The featured article noted:
“Boxed
Mac & Cheese, cheddar flavored crackers, Jell-O and many kids’
cereals contain red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and/or blue 2 … (which) can
cause behavioral problems as well as cancer, birth defects and other
health problems in laboratory animals. Red 40 and yellow 6 are also
suspected of causing an allergy-like hypersensitivity reaction in
children. The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that
some dyes are also “contaminated with known carcinogens.”
In countries where these food dyes are banned, companies like Kraft employ natural colorants like paprika extract and beetroot.
Where it’s banned: Norway
and Austria. Britain advised companies against using food dyes by the
end of 2009. The European Union requires a warning notice on most foods
containing dyes.
#6: Arsenic-Laced Chicken
Arsenic-based
drugs are approved in US-produced animal feed because they cause
animals to grow quicker and meats products to look pinker and “fresher.”
The FDA says arsenic-based drugs are safe safe because they contain organic arsenic … But organic arsenic can turn into inorganic arsenic, run through contaminated manure and leach into drinking water.
The European Union has never approved using arsenic in animal feed; US environmental groups have sued the FDA to remove them.
Where it’s banned: The European Union
#7: Bread with Potassium Bromate
Bread, hamburger and hotdog buns are “enriched” with potassium bromate, or bromide, linked to kidney and nervous system damage, thyroid problems, gastrointestinal discomfort and cancer.
While
commercial baking companies claim it renders dough more tolerable to
bread hooks, Pepperidge Farm and others use only unbromated flour
without experiencing “structural problems.”
Where it’s banned: Canada, China and the EU
#8: Olestra/Olean
Olestra,
or Olean, created by Procter & Gamble, is a calorie- and
cholesterol-free fat substitute in fat-free snacks like chips and french
fries. Three years ago, Time Magazine named it one of the worst 50 inventions ever. MSN noted:
“Not
only did a 2011 study from Purdue University conclude rats fed potato
chips made with Olean gained weight … several reports of adverse
intestinal reactions to the fake fat include diarrhea, cramps and leaky
bowels. And because it interferes with the absorption of fat soluble
vitamins such as A, D, E and K, the FDA requires these vitamins be added
to any product made with Olean or olestra.”
Where it’s banned: The UK and Canada
#9: Preservatives BHA and BHT
BHA
(butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are
common preservatives in foods like cereal, nut mixes, chewing gum,
butter spread, meat and beer. The National Toxicology Program’s 2011
Report on Carcinogens says BHA may trigger allergic reactions and
hyperactivity and “is reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen.”
Where it’s banned: Both are banned in parts of the European Union and Japan; the UK doesn’t allow BHA in infant foods.
#10: Milk and Dairy Products Made with rBGH
Recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH), a synthetic version of natural bovine
hormone is injected into cows to increase milk production. Monsanto
developed it from genetically engineered E. coli bacteria, marketed as
“Posilac.”
But
it’s banned in at least 30 other nations. Why? It converts normal
tissue cells into cancerous ones, increasing colorectal, prostate and
breast cancer risks. Among other diseases, injected cows suffer
exorbitant rates of mastitis, contaminating milk with pus and
antibiotics.
In 1997, two Fox-affiliate investigative journalists, Jane Akre and Steve Wilson attempted to expose the dangers of rBGH,
but lawyers for Monsanto – a major advertiser with the Florida network –
sent letters promising “dire consequences” if the story aired.
In 1999, the United Nations Safety Agency ruled unanimously not to endorse rBGH milk, resulting in an international ban on US milk.
The Cancer Prevention Coalition, trying for years to affect a dairy industry ban of rBGH, resubmitting a petition to
FDA Commissioner Margaret Hamburg in January 2010, but the FDA sticks
to its false position that rBGH-treated milk is no different than milk
from untreated cows.
Action: Look for products labeled “rBGH-free” or “No rBGH.”
Where it’s banned: Australia, New Zealand, Israel, EU and Canada
Take Control of Your Health with REAL Food
If
you value your health, avoid foods containing harmful ingredients and
ditch processed foods entirely – even if they are permitted in the US.
Opt for fresh whole foods, organic, grass-fed/pasture-raised beef and
poultry, dairy products and eggs.
