Odd facts (Part Two)

Fertilizer in Subway Sandwich Rolls
Chemical fertilizers inevitably make it into our produce in trace amounts. You wouldn't expect it to be a common food additive. Ammonium Sulfate can be found inside many brands of bread, including Subway's. The chemical provides nitrogen for the yeast, creating a more consistent product.

What's in your Raspberry candy?
The anal glands of a beaver, "Euphemized as Castoreum" is a common ingredient in perfumes and colognes but are also sometimes used to enhance the flavor of raspberry candies and sweets.

Beef Fat Cake anyone?
While this may not bother everyone, but others will be shocked when they discover their favorite childhood treats contain straight-up beef fat. The ingredients come included with a list of other oils that may or may not be used, so its always a gamble.

Red Bug food coloring?
After killing thousands at a time, the dried insects are boiled to produce a liquid solution that can be turned to a dye using a variety of treatments. Some people worry that the coloring - often called cramine or carminic acid - cold be listed as a 'natural color'. Disguising the fact that there are bugs in the product.

Beetle Juice in Sprinkles and Candy?
Ever wonder why the coating on candy is shiny? Or the sprinkles on cupcakes and ice cream sundaes? The reason they are shiny is due to secretions of female lac beetle. The substance is also known as shellac and commonly used as a wood varnish.


What does Bubble Gum and a Sheep have in common ?
The oils inside sheep's wool are collected to create the goopy substance called lanolin. From there, it ends up in chewing gum (often disquised as 'gum base') but also used to create vitamin D3 supplements.

Duck feathers or human hair?
What's in your morning bagel? If you get it from Noah's Bagels, it contains either human hair or duck feathers. The substance called L-cysteine or cystine is used as a dough conditioner to produce a specific consistency. While artificial cysteine is available, it is cost prohibitive and mostly used to create kosher and halal products.

Coal Tar Candy
Coal tar is listed as number 199 on the United Nations list of "dangerous goods", but that doesn't stop people from using it in food. The coloring Allura Red AC is derived from coal tar and is commonly found in red-colored candies, sodas and other sweets.

Stomach Cheese anyone?
In the UK, all cheeses are labeled as either suitable or not suitable for vegetarians because in Britian - and everywhere else many cheeses are made from the fourth stomach of a cow. In the U.S. and most other countries, people are left to guess about the stomach-content of their cheese.

Sand in your Chili?
Sand is hidden in Wendy's chili as a name you might remember from high school chemistry class: silicon dioxide. Apparently they use sand as an "anti-caking agent", perhaps to make sure the chili can last for days and days over a heater. You're better off cooking yourself a quick vegetarian meal instead of this meal.

Devon M