Wednesday, March 1, 2017

Petroleum Products in Food

When asked why there is more cancer now than there was 50 to 100 years ago often people scratch their heads and point at things like the sun and car exhaust as factors for this increase. Would you believe that it is more likely to be what you put into your mouth? Specifically the foods you eat.

The fact is that Americans consume petroleum products at a rate of three-and-a-half gallons of oil and more than 250 cubic feet of natural gas per day each! But petroleum products are not used just for heating or driving. One 42-gallon barrel of oil creates 19.4 gallons of gasoline. The rest (over half) is used to make things like food preservatives, colour dies and food additives. Would you believe the following is the top 10 list of products that children consume that have petroleum products in them?


1. Kraft’s Macaroni and Cheese
2. Pop-Tarts
3. Fruit Roll-Ups
4. Keebler Club Crackers
5. M&M’s
6. Cheetos
7. Pringles
8. Fruit Loops
9. Teddy Grahams
10. CHEEZ-IT Crackers


Chewing gum, another favourite of almost everyone is made up of petroleum products.
Packaged baked goods often contain petroleum as a way of keeping them fresh and mould free.  Regular flour, water, egg, milk and sugar combinations go bad quickly, mineral oil keeps them at their prime for weeks.  Similarly oil is used to extend the shelf lives of canned products.

We consume products daily that contain the same material as the exhaust from our cars which kills plants and animal life as well as polluting the air we breathe. And we wonder why cancer rates are skyrocketing? Let’s start living healthier lives by eliminating petroleum products. Buy fresh and cook your own meals.  

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