5 foreign substances found in foods we eat daily

You may already be aware that the food you consume doesn't reach your table without bringing in some bizarre ingredients or sinister substances that if you knew they were there, you might rethink your menu. The guys from Health, a health information site, have made a list of some items that may be in the foods that come to you. Find out which ones to follow, and be more careful when shopping, if necessary:

1 - In gelatin

The gelatinous consistency of this traditional dessert exists thanks to collagen, an animal substance. You may not know it, but gelatin collagen is mostly extracted from pigskin. If you are concerned about products that have animal ingredients, be aware that this same collagen can also be found in cereals, yogurts, candies, jelly beans and the like.

2 - In pate and sausage

That paste that you pass on bread is made from leftover chicken and pork, after pieces of meat are cleaned and moved to the butcher shop. Pate is a bizarre mix of skin, fat, bones, cartilage and other animal parts that are discarded. The same goes for the hot dog sausage. To disguise the disgusting factor of the thing, colorants and flavoring agents are added to these products.

3 - In unprocessed meat

Some factories use carbon monoxide to pack red meat and fish such as tilapia and tuna. The substance helps the food to maintain a reddish color, so once packaged, doses of carbon monoxide are injected into the pieces of meat in a process considered safe. The good news is that most refrigerators do not use the bizarre conservation tactic today. When in doubt, ask the manufacturer how the meat is packaged.

4 - In the jelly beans

These candies are made from a gooey substance taken from females of Kerria lacca insects, native to Thailand. It is this substance that gives these candies the shiny aspect and, in the description of the ingredients, if there is something like “icing glaze”, you may know: it is the mosquito slime.

5 - In the soda

When you drink a generous sip of the drink and feel that strange sensation in your throat, know that it is caused not only by gas but also by the substance known as sodium benzoate, which is a relatively common preservative in the beverage industry and even considered non-harmful to human health.

This issue was best studied in 2007, when research related sodium benzoate consumption to childhood hyperactive behavior. If you want to avoid consuming the product, stop taking soda, canned juices and pickled foods.

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So what do you think about the presence of these substances in the foods your family consumes? Do you worry about them or see no need to change eating habits? Tell us in the comments!