In the first of this two-part discussion on convenience foods, we discussed the reasons we enjoy eating fast foods and the reasons this is a dumb decision. In this part we dissect a typical convenience food to actually see what is in it.
I have chosen the McNugget to discuss because Michael Pollan in his "Omnivore's Dilemma" has analyzed in great detail the ingredients in this often eaten industrial meal. There are actually 38 ingredients in a McNugget, 13 of which are derived from corn. First there is the corn fed chicken. Then there is modified cornstarch used to bind the pulverized chicken meat; emulsifiers monoglyceride, triglyceride, diglyceride, dextrose and lecithin to keep the fat and water from separating; chicken broth for added flavoring; cornstarch as a filler; yellow corn flour for the batter; vegetable shortening; partially hydrogenated corn oil and finally citric acid as a preservative. In addition there are several compounds not derived from corn but from a petroleum refinery or chemical processing plant. These include sodium aluminum phosphate, mono-calcium phosphate, sodium acid pyrophosphate and calcium lactate. These compounds are supposed to keep the "food" from going bad or looking strange after months in the freezer. There is also an anti-foaming agent, dimethylpolysiloxene which just happens to be a suspected carcinogen. Oh, it is also flammable! (see a handbook of chemistry). Finally there is an antioxidant derived from petroleum, tertiary butylhydroquinone (TBHQ) which is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box to "help preserve freshness". TBHQ is a form of butane which is lighter fluid.
Recently on a tour of our kitchen I read the ingredients of the powder we add to freshly mashed potatoes to keep them white (they turn yellow on the heating table). I found many of these same ingredients listed. While eating dinner recently in the coffee shop, I picked up a pack of Paul Newman's Salad dressing. It contains high fructose corn syrup, corn starch dextrin, caramel color and xanthan gum (whatever that is). Whatever happen to olive oil, vinegar and spices?
So you see there is a lot more to convenience foods than food. When you add the above chemicals to the large amounts of sugar, fat and salt found in convenience foods we have real reasons to be concerned. I just gave a few examples but remember there are over 12,000 such items in an average super market - all from the same food-industrial complex that gave us the McNugget.
Reference: The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan; The Penguin Press, 2006.