Some of the foods in your weekly shop are not quite what the front of the package suggests. Coffee creamer, fruit yogurt, grated Parmesan, imitation crab and others have been reconstructed with thickeners, sweeteners, fillers and flavorings. Here are ten of them, what is often really in them, simple alternatives, and how to read a label. (Based on the insights of Dr. Sten Ekberg)
Key Takeaways
- Many products are reconstructed for long shelf life and consistent texture, with added oils, starches, thickeners, sweeteners and flavorings.
- Watch for creamer (seed oil, high fructose corn syrup), fruit yogurt (thickeners, 16 g added sugar in one example), margarine (check for partially hydrogenated oils; under 0.5 g can be labeled zero) and processed cheese.
- Fruit drinks can contain as little as 2% juice, nuggets may be about 40% to 70% chicken, grated Parmesan can contain cellulose, and imitation crab usually contains no crab.
- Honey is mostly sugar with some beneficial compounds; adulterated honey appears rare (4 of 102 samples in an FDA test).
- Read ingredient lists, aim for mostly real food and cook one new recipe a week. Unfamiliar ingredients are not automatically harmful.
How Food Became Manufactured
Food has changed dramatically. We have gone from food that nature produced, grown, picked, harvested or hunted, to food that is manufactured. Because of a fear of fat, natural fat is removed from many foods and engineers then try to rebuild the texture. Products are designed for long shelf life, which cuts spoilage and cost, and for uniformity, so the brand tastes and looks the same every time. Heavy advertising then builds consistent expectations. None of this is about nutrition.
A word of balance: an ingredient being unfamiliar does not automatically make it dangerous, and many of these products are at least partly made from real food. But the more a product is reconstructed, the more worth reading its label. Large observational studies link diets high in ultra-processed food with worse health outcomes, although that cannot prove any single ingredient is to blame. Here are ten foods that are often not quite what you think.
10. Coffee Creamer
Real cream has one ingredient. Many creamers, which are named after a color, contain vegetable or seed oil, high fructose corn syrup, emulsifiers, artificial flavors and artificial sweeteners, and typical labels list 20 or more ingredients. If you want a creamer, cream or milk is the simpler option.
9. Bread
Traditional bread has four ingredients: flour, water, salt and a yeast culture. It is typically made with a long fermentation of several hours, or days for sourdough, which changes the properties of the dough. Industrial bread in a plastic bag often has faster production and more additives, including dough conditioners, emulsifiers such as mono- and diglycerides, and preservatives such as calcium propionate.
Many travelers report that they tolerate bread in Europe but get bloated at home. Possible explanations include longer fermentation and differences in wheat varieties and processing, but this is anecdotal and has not been proven to explain any one person’s experience. Bread is high in carbohydrates and contains gluten, so it is not suitable for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. A real bakery loaf with a short ingredient list is the better pick.
8. Fruit Yogurt
Traditional yogurt is milk and cultures, and you can add fruit yourself. Because of fat phobia, many yogurts are now made with skim milk, which makes them runny, so thickeners are added: modified starch, pectin, gelatin, gums, milk protein and carrageenan. Then sweeteners go in to match the taste people expect. One example label had two artificial sweeteners and still contained 16 grams of added sugar in a three-quarter cup serving, with 26 grams of carbohydrate in total.
A simple alternative is plain yogurt with fruit. If you make your own, mixing half-and-half with milk to about 7 to 8% milk fat gives a thick, creamy yogurt without straining.
7. Margarine
Margarine is made from industrial oils such as soybean, canola and corn oil that are hydrogenated to make them solid. Partially hydrogenated oils create trans fats, which are harmful, and spreads sold directly to consumers now generally avoid them, though they can still turn up in baked goods. Fully hydrogenated oils are considered much better, but products vary a lot. Be aware that in the US, anything under half a gram per serving can be labeled as zero trans fat, so small serving sizes allow rounding down to zero. Check the ingredient list for partially hydrogenated oils. Butter is a one-ingredient alternative; olive oil is another option. Butter is high in saturated fat, so moderation is sensible.
6. Processed Cheese
Real cheese is milk, cultures and rennet, aged for some time, and there are hundreds of varieties. Processed cheese is reconstituted for a uniform product that melts consistently, using emulsifiers such as sodium citrate and phosphates, added oils, starches, milk proteins and often colors and flavors. Many of these products are mostly real cheese, but because they contain things that are not cheese they must be labeled something like pasteurized processed cheese food.
5. Fruit Drinks
Real fruit has water, fiber, vitamins and minerals. You have to chew it, and the sugar is processed more slowly. Juice has everything except the fiber, so it is easy to drink a lot quickly, like squeezing four oranges and downing them in seconds. Fruit drinks are something else again: some juice plus water, sugar and flavorings. Watch for wording such as made with or made from, which could mean anything from 0.1% to 100% fruit. Some products proudly state 2% juice, with the rest high fructose corn syrup, sugar, artificial sweeteners and flavorings. Even real juice is largely liquid sugar and is absorbed very quickly.
4. Chicken Nuggets
Many nuggets are made from undisclosed parts of the chicken that are chopped, ground and reconstructed with binders. Products using whole pieces with breading might be about 70% chicken, while reconstructed ones may be closer to 40%. The rest is breading, emulsifiers, binders, stabilizers, flavor enhancers and preservatives, and they are usually pre-fried in industrial seed oils. Although people think of chicken as protein, the protein is diluted by added carbohydrate.
3. Grated Parmesan
Real Parmesan is milk, salt and rennet, aged at least 12 and sometimes up to 36 months. Much pre-grated product sold as Parmesan is not, and manufacturers use anti-caking agents such as cellulose, which is a form of plant fiber, preservatives and sometimes fillers made from cheaper cheese ground with starch. The recommendation is to buy a block and grate it yourself.
2. Imitation Crab
Real crab is just crab meat. Imitation crab usually has no crab in it. It is typically made from a cheap white fish such as pollock that is ground, washed and bleached, then bound with starch, sugar, sorbitol and egg whites, flavored with crab flavoring, MSG and yeast extracts and painted red on the outside. It also has much less protein than real crab, because carbohydrates are mixed in.
1. Honey
Real honey is made by bees from flower nectar and is mainly glucose and fructose, often close to half and half, and sometimes a bit higher in fructose. It also contains enzymes, polyphenols and antioxidants. It has antimicrobial properties, has been studied for health benefits and can soothe a cough. But it is still mostly sugar, so use it in small amounts. Never give honey to children under one year old.
Fake honey, adulterated with corn, rice, cane or beet syrup, does exist but appears to be rare. When the FDA tested 102 honeys, only four were found to be adulterated.
The Bigger Picture
In a couple of generations, we have gone from eating what our grandparents ate to eating mostly ultra-processed food, which makes up around 60% of calories in the US. Like the boiling frog story, gradual changes go unnoticed, and each generation accepts a new normal. Our taste buds adapt, and we forget what real food tastes like.
- Aim for about 90% real food and less processed and ultra-processed food.
- Read ingredient lists, not front-of-pack claims.
- Cook one new recipe a week. Marinades, wine, spices and herbs can bring out flavor and help you learn what real food should taste like.
If you have a health condition, allergies or a restricted diet, talk to your doctor or a dietitian before making big changes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is grated Parmesan real cheese?
Real Parmesan is milk, salt and rennet, aged at least 12 months. Pre-grated products often add anti-caking agents such as cellulose, preservatives and sometimes fillers of cheaper cheese and starch. Buying a block and grating it yourself avoids that.
What is in imitation crab?
Usually no crab. It is typically ground, washed and bleached white fish such as pollock, bound with starch, sugar, sorbitol and egg whites, then flavored with crab flavoring, MSG and yeast extract and colored red. It has less protein than real crab.
Can nuggets have as little as 40% chicken?
Products made from chopped and reconstructed chicken may be closer to 40% chicken, while those using whole pieces with breading may be about 70%. The rest is breading, binders, stabilizers and flavorings, and they are usually fried in industrial seed oils.
Is fake honey common?
It exists, but appears rare. When the FDA tested 102 honeys, only four were adulterated with other syrups. Honey is still mostly sugar, so use small amounts, and never give it to children under one year old.
Read-the-Label Checklist
- ☐ Check ingredient lists, not front-of-pack claims
- ☐ Be wary of made with or made from fruit drink wording
- ☐ Look for partially hydrogenated oils even if the label says zero trans fat
- ☐ Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself
- ☐ Choose plain yogurt and add fruit
- ☐ Pick bakery or sourdough bread with a short ingredient list
- ☐ Aim for about 90% real food
- ☐ Cook one new recipe each week
This article is for general educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice. An unfamiliar ingredient is not automatically harmful, and individual needs vary. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian if you have a health condition, allergies or a restricted diet. Honey should never be given to children under one year old.