An article based off one of Muhlenberg’s numerous activities on campus
Have you ever wondered what is truly in your food? Are the labels that you find on products 100% accurate? Do the foods that you eat make up 100% of your body? Professor Gene Hall of Rutgers University conducted an experiment about what actually is in the items of what we consumed and held a seminar at Muhlenberg college on what his findings were. I was lucky enough to attend this seminar and wanted to share my thoughts on his findings.
Introducing this topic, research has found that many companies have been getting sued based on the fact that they are relaying false information to customers when it comes to what truly lies in the packaging and labels put on these foods. For example, the brand Horizon recently was sued based on the fact that they lied on the label of their Milk saying “it promotes brain health” because the milk “includes DHA” which is “a protein omega-3 fatty acid that is important for brain health, eye development, and other functions” (Prof. Hall). Although Horizon included DHA, it was not organic DHA which was said on their labeling and many people would have not bought the product if they knew the truth about the milk product.
When Professor Hall pulled up his findings on what was in the differences in foods that we consume, it was shocking (although I knew that product straight from the original source is the best) to see that he found many of the processed foods/supplements that we take, are not one-hundred percent of what we truly think they do to our bodies.
To conduct this research and findings, Professor Hill took a tool called an Atmospheric Solids Analysis Probe (ASAP), which allows for several types of the product on the tool to be determined by different types of ions (by using a Mass spectrometer to determine those ions), and stuck it in a bunch of foods. These ions then determine the type of makeup/what they are (lipids, proteins, vitamins, etc..). These shocking results can identify many substances such as if a mother has been drinking during their pregnancy.
Hill’s results when poking this tool into various different types of foods were shocking. Starting with the Dunkin’ Meat Patties vs. the Plant Meat that they use in their breakfast sandwiches. Although you and I both know that any Vegetarian option or any substitution for meat will not hold the same nutrients or be the exact same as actual meat, however, there were significant differences that showed they did not have the same nutrients at all to nourish your body (Although you might not be wanting to eat Dunkin’ – or processed foods- everyday; that is not the best thing for your health!) Plant Meat was proposed to have more decomposed fat whereas the real Meat had more fat, which is more important for your body because you need four essential nutrients to survive (Carbohydrates, Fats, Proteins, Minerals and Vitamins).
Image Discription:The Dunkin’ breakfast sausage (left) and the Beyond Sausage (right)
You might be asking me, well Dunkin isn’t healthy anyways, so why should this matter?
Looking at a healthier comparison, Avocado Oil Bottled vs Avocado itself. The bottle Hill took as an example claimed “Fresh squeezes,” which makes you think its a good replacement to actual avocados. But when he tested it, it turns our that it had Alpha-tocopherol (Vitamin E) and also inorganic Beta-sitosterol, which “lowers cholesterol,” but they could not say that because “lower cholesterol to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) claims to be a “drug term”. Instead they label it as a way to maintain cholesterol, however that is not healthy in the sense that the oil maintains the bad cholesterol. However, when Hill tested the real avocado, it did not contain the inorganic Beta-sitosterol, which is a healthier option in the perspective of lowering cholesterol.
After testing the products that were made up in the various foods that he ate, he wanted to find out if those foods would end up in the blood stream and throughout his body make up. To no surprise, they did show up exactly in what he ate
So why does this matter? Learning about this has made me rethink what I should accept is true or not. Professor Hall’s seminar at Muhlenberg shed light on the unsettling truth about the food we consume. His research revealed that many of the labels and claims made by companies can be misleading. Whether it’s processed meat substitutes or bottled oils, the gap between marketing and reality is concerning. This experience has changed my perspective on food, making me more aware of the importance of truly understanding what goes into my body. Sadly, the old adage “you are what you eat” feels more relevant than ever—what we consume directly affects our health as the products that makeup the products in our foods, whether that is organic or inorganic, will find a way somehow to dominate our systems, and it’s crucial to remain vigilant about the quality and sources of our food.
Leave a Reply