Condiment shopping

A little history lesson

The first video begins with the cold hard truth that’s difficult for a lot of people to swallow. Kraft foods, the largest food and beverage manufacturer in the United States, was actually owned by Phillip Morris beginning in 1989. Yes, that Phillip Morris. The second video expands upon that in further detail.

The same Phillip Morris which put an addictive chemicals (nicotine) in its product for years and lied about the impact and harm under oath during congressional testimony. Why in the world would you trust these people to make your food? Would you go to a restaurant if the cook was found guilty of spiking the food with addictive and harmful chemicals and then lying to a judge about it? Just prior to the creepy Phillip Morris-Kraft marriage (1989), Kraft created a parent company called “Atria” so the American people didn’t see “Phillip Morris purchases Kraft” they saw “Altria purchases Kraft.”

Kraft is huge and boasts the following brands (and more) in its portfolio: Post Cereals, Capri Sun, Jell-O, Nabisco, Planters Nuts, Miracle Whip, Oscar Meyer, Kool-Aid, Philadelphia/Velveeta/Kraft/Polly-o/Cracker Barrel Cheese’s, A-1 Steak Sauce, Stove Top stuffing.

Check condiments, for your protection

Unhealthy condiments can quickly turn a wholesome and healthy meal into an unhealthy one. If you see high fructose corn syrup on a condiments, like with the BBQ sauce in this video, I highly recommend avoiding it at all costs. Why? Because HFCS his addictive and can lead to over eating and obesity, which, of course, increase profits of food companies. If you’re skeptical that HFCS is addictive, simply avoid it for a week. If you start getting headaches or other withdrawal symptoms in the first 2-3 days without it, that’s your indicator that you’re hooked. The good news is these withdrawal symptoms rarely last more than four days.

Condiments that claim “Reduced Sugar” like the Heinz ketchup in the video are often worse and contain artificial sweeteners like Splenda. Consider buying condiments with no sweeteners in them, or better yet, make your own condiments with healthy ingredients in a food processor.

Sources: http://www.altria.com/…/Our_History/default.aspx; http://www.kraftfoodsgroup.com/Brands/index.aspx; http://online.wsj.com/article/PR-CO-20130606-904320.html; Addiction expert and Associate Professor of Neuroscience and Applied Cognitive Science at the University of Guelph.