By Mary Houston-Harvey
The author is a food and nutrition consultant, who resides in Oriental.
First, bring your magnifying glass. Most ingredient lists are too small or covered over and hard to read. Second, search the side effects of the chemicals on your smart phone.
Many years ago we invited a couple of pre-teens to America who had been 200 miles downwind of the Chernobyl Nuclear plant explosion. A couple of parents with their own ‘American born and raised kids’ invited them to be our guests at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York City.
As we sat at a long table, it was impossible to not notice that the two Ukrainian kids looked a lot healthier than our American kids. Their cheeks were rosy; skin was clean and they were larger and stronger boned — had more color generally than our pale faced, small-boned American kids.
Both of the Ukrainian kids were diagnosed with thyroid cancer. They were later cured by a brown seaweed supplement the Russians were using to cure Chernobyl-laced radiation victims. Many Ukrainians and people from Belarus never received the seaweed supplement and died. Many hundreds – maybe thousands.
However, there was no doubt these children – despite their radiation illness — were healthier than our own. A few years later, while on vacation in Azores, we met a German family at a restaurant who asked us where we were from. When we answered the USA, they didn’t believe us because my husband and I are thin!!
They said: “You can’t be. All Americans are fat.” Of course these were stereotypes and hardly scientific. However, some real science follows.
Ractopamine is an animal feed additive used for our nation’s pig population. It is linked to several major health issues in humans including cancer, cardio vascular disease, tachyachardia and others. Ractopamine is the active ingredient in products marketed in the US as: “Payload” for swine, “Optaflexx” for cattle, and “Topmax” for Turkeys. These are meats produced and consumed here!
RACTOPAMINE IS BANNED IN CHINA, RUSSIA, AND MOST EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, BUT WIDELY USED IN THE USA.
My childhood favorite RITZ CRACKERS are banned by many countries around the world due to the use of trans fats. Trans fats have been directly connected to cardiovascular disease, stroke, and hardening of the arteries. Most of our snack chips including potato, corn, vegetable chips, and popcorn are made with trans fats.
Other foods and drinks that are allowed in the USA but banned in Europe due to health concerns include: Farm-raised salmon, pork, Skittles candy, non dairy creamer, chicken, Mountain Dew, Swiss Rolls, Maraschino Cherries, Kraft and Heinz Stove Top Stuffing, Twinkies, Corn, Wheat Thins, Dairy with Synthetic Hormones, M&M’s, Fruit Loops, Pop Tarts, Drumstick Desserts, Gatorade, Papaya, US Milk,
Lucky Charms, Quaker Oats, Beef with Hormones.
Got any in your cupboard?
Food chemicals banned in the European Union and other countries, but permitted in the United States, include these, which should be avoided at all costs:
- Brominated vegetable oil (BVO): Contains bromine, which is toxic and corrosive. BVO is banned in the EU, Japan, and the U.K.
- Potassium bromate: Used to strengthen dough, but linked to cancer, kidney damage, and nervous system damage.
- Azodicarbonamide (ADA): An additive found in baked goods that may cause cancer.
- Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA): An additive that may increase the risk of cancer. BHA is banned in the EU.
- rBST: An artificial hormone that stimulates milk production in the U.S. The EU has banned rBST.
- Flame retardants: Found in Mountain Dew until recently. Exposure to flame retardants has been linked to ADHD, autism, memory loss, and nerve issues.
- BHT and Artificial food dyes.
Some American restaurant chains have removed ADA and potassium bromate from their food in response to consumer pressure.
RFK Jr., the USA’s new head of Human Health and Services has devoted his life to studying these harmful chemicals. He prayed every morning for 20 years that God would give him a chance to expose and end harmful chemicals in our food, drugs and vaccines. You can watch him online, follow him on X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook. Please do so to protect your health and that of your family.
In a future article. we will be exposing the harmful chemicals in cosmetics.
