Bread is part of the staple diet of millions of people - what are they actually eating?
Bread has been made since the dawn of civilisation - in fact, it can be argued that bread is the foundation stone of civilisation as we know it, and it still forms part of the staple diet of millions of people around the world; every day thousands of children ask for their daily bread when reciting the Lord's prayer. But what is it exactly that they're actually praying for? If they knew then they may well have second thoughts.
The Key Ingredients for Bread
The basic ingredients for bread have remained unchanged for generations:
wheat flour
water
yeast
vegetable oil
salt
Many breads also contain a certain amount of soya flour, and that's because it:
add protein to the bread (thereby giving it a higher nutritional value)
improves the consistency of the bread
And finally, many breads contain flavouring - that may, for example, be malt, spices or extracts derived from the natural yeast fermentation
However, a quick read of the ingredient list for any top of the range, off the shelf bread will show that it contains more than just the basic ingredients.
The Lesser Known Ingredients for Bread
If any shoppers have a strong pair of glasses with them then they may find that there is more that just flour in their bread:
preservative calcium propionate
emulsifiers
E471
E481
flour treatment agents
Ascorbic acid (Vitamin C)
E920
The key question is, of course, what does all of that mean?
Calcium Propionate
Calcium Propionate is used to inhibit mould growth in bread - meaning that the bread has a much longer shelf life; however, as well as being toxic to mould, calcium propionate can also be toxic to humans with a few possible side effects:
migraine and headaches
stomach upsets
skin rashes and nasal congestion
depression, tiredness and irritability
restlessness and inattention
E471: Mono and Di-glycerides of Fatty Acids
There are no known side effects to using the emulsifier E471 (although it is a fat, and so will be absorbed into the body); however, it is the source of the substance that's of interest, not what it does. E471 has two primary sources:
hydrogenated vegetable oils
animal fats
The result is that although bread is labelled as suitable for vegetarians, it may actually contain animal products.
E481: Sodium Stearoyl Lactate
Like E471 there are no known side effects to using E481, but like E471 it is derived from hydrogenated vegetable oils and animal fats.
E920: L-Cysteine
E920 is perhaps the most surprising of the additives; again, not because of what it does, but because of where it comes from; the two main sources of E920 are:
animal fat (often pork)
human hair
Alternatives to Bread with Additives
It is, of course, possible to obtain bread without additives:
use local bakeries - the bread is usually of better quality and only a little more expensive than the off the shelf bread
invest in a bread maker - these are cheap to buy and easy to use and above all, provide low cost, but high quality, bread; and, if nothing else, make any house smell wonderful.
References:
Pesticide Action Network Pesticide Database
Food Intolerance Network Factsheets
Wageningen University Food-info.net
The copyright of the article Give Us Our Daily Bread in Food Facts is owned by Mark Alexander Bain. Permission to republish Give Us Our Daily Bread in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
The side Effects you gave for Calcium Proprionate, co-inside with large
amounts of Calcium Propionate, tested on animals in admornal ammounts, the
ammount in a loaf of bread is insignificant due to the process of the bread
making.. example 0.9g per 100kg of Bread Improver. Bread improver usage of
1% of flour weight e.g 250kg of Flour, equals 2.5kg of bread improver which
in turn equals, 0.0225g of CP. You would have to eat a lot of bread, to
accumulate enough CP in your system to reach the lebvle in you body that
would cause you to experience the side effects, you have listed above..
Please explain this to your readers as well..
Nov 27, 2008 2:55 PM
Guest :
hi mark found you and think i will use the bread machine from now on!
yuck!!!!
Dec 22, 2008 8:29 AM
Guest :
I always look for bread that doesn't contain calcium propionate. I have
identified it as causing migraines, stomach upsets, facial and neck
swelling. Facial swelling can be very marked and embarrassing - whilst neck
swelling does cause some breathing difficulties. I would therefore suggest
that small amounts of CP can have bad side effects. I understand that CP is
not only used as a preservative but also as a cleaning agent to clean down
machinery and food surfaces. So, perhaps, the concentrations being taken in
by unsuspecting members of the public are actuall much higher than
otherwise declared.
Jan 20, 2009 7:53 PM
Guest :
As a rebuttal against Calcium Propionate, don't believe everything you read
on it. Numerous support groups exist online to help people who have
reactions. My wife has very strong reactions to even a small dosage of
Calcium Propionate and it is frustrating that the US FDA, nor doctors, will
take the food preservative seriously. After looking through documentation
the last time CP has been reviewed was 1984. It is due time it be
reviewed, and this time there is a larger base of people claiming problems
from CP. People can currently submit petitions against CP to the FDA on
the official FDA website. <noah.danielle@gmail.com>
Jan 20, 2009 7:58 PM
Guest :
I'd like to add to the possible side effects of Calcium Propionate. My
reaction seems to be accumulative over a 2week span, and explodes in
violent vomiting and diarrhea, accompanied by extreme upper and lower
abdominal pain. I have since cut Calcium Propionate out of my diet, and
have not had any problems since. That is until 2 days ago, and now I am
concerned as to what i ate containing this chemical that i didn't know
about. I'd like to find someone who can tell me a test this allergic
reaction in people, or refer me to someone who might know more.
Feb 12, 2009 1:43 AM
Guest :
when you make a statement such as e920 -L cysteine is found in animal fat
and human hair are you suggesting that bread manufactures are purchasing
products to add to bread that are derived from human hair.logic tells me it
would be cheaper to use animal fat.
Mar 26, 2009 2:18 PM
Guest :
Hi
I would like to mention that I have been through the
"mill" of allergies in the '80s , living on healthy foods and
restricited diet, using alternatives in the '90s, avoiding the use of
antibiotics and all artificial substances in the form of food additives.
In 2006 I discovered the Solgar vegan enzymes and the Advanced
40+ Acidophilis Probiotics. I started using these daily and my allergies
and food intolerances disappered. Today I can eat all gluten grains again,
potatoes and peanuts and root vegetables. I choose not to use dairy because
of poor animal farming practices. My food is my medicine apart from these
two products.
One thing that escaped me, and that by law is not
required to be listed on commercial brands of flour sold in SA, is calcium
proprionate. After I had to close down my health shop, due to insufficient
cliental, and the stonemill closed down which supplied our wheat flour, I
was forced to buy "shop" flour. After 18 months I was starting to
despair from the ADD, depression, lack of concentration, memory loss,
inability to carry tasks through to completion (or even to start them) and
headaches that were plagueing me. I was taking all the measures I knew but
nothing seemed to help. Someone mentioned that calcium proprionate is added
to all flour in SA. I investigated it and found that this correlated with
my problem. I immediately stopped using shop flour, and in 3 days the
headaches stopped, in about 5 days the depression started lifting, and
after a week concentration and motivation were returning. If this in any
way helps others, I share my experience.
Apr 16, 2009 4:51 AM
Guest :
The 1st posing is so right! It's all about dosage.
