20 Shocking Facts About Food and Beverages

20 Shocking Facts About Food and Beverages

You Didn’t Know Food and water are essential for our survival. But the food industry has been tampering with the stuff we consume in order to make it look more appealing, taste better, and last longer. In this video, we reveal the shocking facts about food and beverages you probably consume every day. All foods and drinks mentioned here are considered safe to consume, however these facts may lead you to reconsider before you actually consume them…

Number 1 — Burgers The average hamburger contains meat from nearly 100 cattle. Imagine that… pieces from 100 cows just to make a burger. But wait…It gets better! Mass production cows are often raised knee-deep in their own poop. They’re butchered so fast, that there often isn’t enough time to clean them. The end result? Cow pie in your cheeseburger. Yum!

Number 2 — Processed Cheese Nothing makes a burger better than a thick slice of cheddar cheese. Right? The problem is that processed cheese isn’t cheddar. Heck, half the time it’s barely even cheese! Research has revealed that around half the contents of most processed cheese are chemicals, additives and fat — leaving a final slice with an alter ego — and less than 50% of what it claims to be!

Number 3 — Candy Mmmmm…. yum, yum. Who doesn’t like candy? M&Ms and Jellybeans are tasty treats, but I bet you didn’t know that their shiny coating is made from bug feces? Did You?! Shellac, also known as confectioner’s glaze, is made from a resin excreted by the female lac beetle. The resin is first processed into flakes, then it’s made into a liquid shellac, and then sprayed on food products. — Oh… and this stuff is also used to make lacquer for hardwood floors and furniture…

Number 4 — Packaged Food Ah yes… packaged foods. What a blessing. Especially if you’re like me, and hate cooking! Yeah, yeah I know they’re full of preservatives and a bunch of other crap. But if everyone’s eating it, then it can’t be THAT bad… or can it? The FDA actually says it is okay for things like maggots, rodent hairs, fruit flies and parasites to be in our food. But don’t worry — they regulate the amount. The guidelines outline how much microbiological or extraneous matter can be present before it is considered a food safety issue. How appetizing…

Number 5 — Fruit Flavored Snacks You may never have guessed, but your favorite fruit flavored snacks are made with carnauba wax, the same ingredient that’s found in car polish! The wax is made from the leaves of carnauba palm trees, and it’s actually used to add that attractive sheen to many things you put in your mouth, such as candy, chewing gum, gravy and sauces. Carnauba wax is also used in shoe polish, dental floss, surf boards and floors… Gummy bears, anyone?

Number 6 — Bread Many commercial breads are made with L-Cysteine to soften the dough and prolong its shelf life. But, did you know that L-Cysteine is made from human hair and duck feathers?! Most of the hair is obtained from barber shops and salons. And when human hair is not available or is too expensive, people use duck feathers, chicken feathers, and even cow horns to extract the softening agent. So, yeah… your bread is kind of gross.

Number 7 — Salmon You might have heard the buzz about wild-caught vs farm-raised salmon. But, as it turns out, that’s’ not the only concern about this particular fish! It’s crazy how mislabeled salmon is! In Europe about 30 % and in the US about 40 %. This means, that you’re eating similar, cheaper fish that’s just colored pink — to make it “look like” salmon. Hmmm… That’s seriously FUCKED UP.

Number 8 — Gelatin You probably enjoy treats like Jelly-O, marshmallows and frozen cakes… Right? Well, they’re all made with gelatin. Great. But, did you known that gelatin is made from collagen extracted from the skin, bones, and connective tissues of animals such as cows, pigs, horses, chickens and fish? Eek…

Number 9 — Vanilla Flavoring Many delicious sweets and baked goods use Castoreum as vanilla flavoring. And in case you didn’t know… Castoreum is created from the secretions of the anal glands of beavers. Yep, you heard that right. What’s even more shocking is that in some cases, manufacturers don’t even have to list castoreum on the ingredients list, and may instead just refer to it as “natural flavoring.” Enjoy! Number 10 — Decaf Coffee Or is it…? Most decaffeinated coffee is not completely caffeine free, as it contains small amounts of caffeine. For example, a decaf latte can have as much caffeine as one can of coke.

Number 11 — Honey Honey is made from nectar and bee vomit. Nectar is extracted from flowers by bees and stored in their stomach. The stored nectar mixes with enzymes and its chemical composition and PH are transformed. When the bees return to the hive, they pass the collected nectar by regurgitating the liquid. Then, the process of evaporation removes the water and transforms it into honey. Another interesting fact about honey is that it never goes bad — apparently it can last 3000 years!

Number 12 — Fountain Drinks Ever notice how you still feel thirsty after guzzling down a jumbo-sized fizzy drink from fast food restaurants? Well, there’s a reason for that. To give these beverages their sweet taste, many fast food chains load their fizzy drinks with high fructose corn syrup — a highly processed substance used as a sugar substitute that allows that sweet flavor to dance on your tongue, while tearing away at the enamel on your teeth, stretching out your stomach lining, and attacking your vital organs. Sweet…

Number 13 — Fast Food Nuggets Golden, crispy chicken nuggets are a favorite treat for many. However, the way that they’re produced is rather shocking. Studies have shown that junk nuggets contain barely any chicken at all. Instead they’re mainly comprised of fats, bone, nerve and tissue.

Number 14 — Raw Meat When you buy meat from the supermarket, you’re under the impression that you can tell how fresh the meat is by its color. But the unfortunate reality is, that it’s actually sprayed with carbon monoxide in order to make it “look fresh” and retain its color. Good thing I don’t eat meat!

Number 15 — Hot Dogs Hot dogs may be one of the most popular street foods, but they’re not much more than a disgusting mix of discarded meat parts, fats and starch. They also mix it with something called cereal filler, which is a mix of bread crumbs and flour. It sounds pretty awful right? But that’s not all. Once they have a mix made, they add toxic dyes and artificial flavors as well… Bon Appétit.

Number 16 — Orange Juice Oh the good old O-Jay… It’s supposed to be “nothing but freshly squeezed oranges.” Right? That’s what they want you to believe! But the reality is, that they’re far from being freshly squeezed. In fact, orange juice is stored in a tank for about a year or so. The process of making juice starts off by extracting oxygen out of it so it can be stored accordingly. And because of this process, it loses its original flavor, and then artificial flavor is added. How refreshing!

Number 17 — Packaged Salad Are you one of those people who keeps buying packaged salads for lunch? Well, you may not be making the healthiest choice, because packaged salads are sprayed with a chemical called propylene glycol, that’s also found in anti-freeze! This chemical is responsible for keeping your lettuce crispy and your veggies full of color…but, still…

Number 18 — Bottled Water You may think that bottled water is pure and good for your health, as opposed to tap water with all its impurities. Have you have wondered if that’s really true? About 40 % of bottled water is actually regular tap water — and what’s even more surprising is that a lot of it doesn’t even get treated. It’s just straight out of the tap.

Number 19 — Red Food Coloring I’m pretty sure that the main ingredient in this common food dye might seriously “bug” you… If you enjoy eating strawberry-flavored yogurt or sipping on cranberry juice, you may be consuming bugs! But don’t worry. These insects don’t contaminate your food by accident! The red food coloring Carmine — extracted from a type of insect known as the cochineal — is deliberately added by food manufacturers.

Number 20 — Peanuts There’s nothing “wrong” with peanuts. Well, besides the toxic mold issue…. But, you may be a little shocked to find out that peanuts are an ingredient in dynamite. Peanuts contain an oil that is used in the process of making glycerol. Glycerol is one of the main ingredient in nitroglycerin, and nitroglycerin is the main part of dynamite. Who knew?! What do you find the most shocking about the foods and beverages you consume every day? Have you ever completely stopped eating a certain food? Or stopped drinking a beverage just because you found out something unsettling about it!? We wanna know! Share your thoughts and comments below!