Castoreum
This beaver secretion, coming from the anal gland, is often used to enhance the flavour of raspberry candies.
Shellac
This ingredient is essentially the secretions from the female lac beetle. What is it used for? Coating Skittles, of course!
Beef Fat
Okay, there’s really nothing wrong with beef fat, it’s motha fuckin’ delicious. But… something about the fact that it’s added to Twinkies to enhance the flavour is a little bit off-putting.
Tartrazine
Tartrazine is a coal tar derivative that is often used to give candies and other foods bright colours. It’s banned in several counties including Austria and Norway. These are Jolly Ranchers.
Azodicarbonamide
Azodicarbonamide is a substance that is often used to manufacture synthetic leather and plastics. It’ also used as a bleaching agent for flour.
E405
E405 is often used as a thickening ingredient in foods. The same ingredient can be found in automotive antifreeze and runway de-icers.
Phosphoric Acid
Phosphoric Acid is a low cost ingredient that is used to give soda that typical ‘tang’. It also is an ingredient that is linked to problems in the kidneys and bones. Shit.
Gelatin
Gelatin isn’t a particularly uncommon word. Most of us have heard of it and are aware that it’s in some of our food. But did you know that it is derived from the collagen of the skin and bones of animals? It’s most commonly found in marshmallows, yogurt, and jellies.
Ammonium Sulfate
Ammonium Sulfate is something that is used to make yeast more consistent, by adding nitrogen to it thus making bread more enjoyable. It is also used as a flame retardant.
Sodium Nitrate
This preservative is commonly used in things like hot dogs, packaged meats, and other common food products. What else is it commonly found in? Smoke bombs and pyrotechnics.
Rennet
Rennet is an enzyme that is extracted from the fourth stomach of a young calf. It is used to make a lot of cheeses.
BHT
Butylated Hydroxytoluene is something that can be found in most breakfast cereals. It is also commonly found in jet fuel and electrical transformer oil.
Carmine
Thousands upon thousands of insects are gathered up, thrown in a pot, boiled in ammonia, and filtered then crushed in order to make something called Carmine, which is used to create beautiful red colours in things like sprinkles.
Lanolin
This secretion, commonly found in the wool of sheep, is typically found in chewing gum. It keeps it together.
Cysteine
This weird looking substance is commonly created via the hydrolysis of human hair and duck feathers. It’s commonly used as a dough conditioner.
