I have some news for you eaters out there. Your food is not what you think it is. In fact, you probably couldn't imagine some of the ingredients in your wildest dreams. You may feel safe because the USDA and FDA regulate the ingredients, right? Unfortunately these organizations have the the interests of their industries as their number one priority and consumers are a distant second.
Recent example #1: You may be familiar with the term "pink slime". No, this isn't something conjured up by a horror movie. If you eat ground beef, chances are you've ingested it. The Wikipedia definition is, "a food additive consisting of low quality protein of a connective tissue, spinal, rectal, and digestive lining of beef treated with ammonia gas to kill foodborne illness causing bacteria. This matter closely resembles disinfected beef gristle puree. The material is not sold directly to consumers on its own, but is used as a filler in ground beef." Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack claims that the media has been launching a "smear campaign" against the stuff and vows to launch a marketing campaign defending it - claiming it's a staple of the school lunch program because it's lower in fat and makes the meat less expensive.
Recent example #2: This week, the media picked up on the fact that Starbucks' strawberry and cream frappuccinos have cochineal extract as an ingredient. What is cochineal extract you may ask? Well, you may be disturbed to learn that it's derived from the bodies and eggs of cochineal, which are similar to beetles. Do you think this is a new phenomenon? Nope. It's been used for many years as a food additive and in cosmetics. It's often what makes your red lipstick red. The only thing that has changed is that 3 years ago the FDA mandated that this ingredient needed to be called out on labels - not buried in "artificial colors" or "colors added".
As eaters, we absolutely need to educate ourselves about ingredients in the food we eat. Whether you're a vegan, vegetarian or omnivore, I hope you're as outraged as I am. The American food supply has been quietly hijacked over the last few decades and I am standing up to say, "I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore!" I hope you're with me.
I'm vegan and I'm fine with eating cochineal extract. The conditions they are raised in when they are farmed are fundamentally comparable, and probably preferable, to their "natural" life conditions, unlike factory farmed mammals that are brought up in squalor and pain. Compared to the meat and fish industry, their production is environmentally friendly and doesn't waste valuable resources like grain - they are raised on rotting cactus.
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