More Reasons to Avoid Fast Food at All Costs (Opinion)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010 by: Richard Stossel
Tags: fast food, health, health news

(NewsTarget) Most people are aware of the many health issues associated with the regular consumption of fast food. It's now common knowledge that the meats at such restaurants are some of the poorest quality and are unfit for human consumption. This apparently applies not only to the meats but also to the so-called "cheeses" as well. According to an article at Sweetliberty.org, a very popular pizza franchise has been spraying the cheeses used on their pizza with Silicon, which is a toxic cancer causing chemical. Some of those pizzas have even been sold to local districts for use in their school lunch program.

A year ago the author wrote a Natural News article titled `Why You Should Avoid Fast Food at All Costs` which covered some of the major reasons why most of the food sold in fast food restaurants are of such poor quality and not fit for human consumption. But what has recently come to the author`s attention is even more disturbing.

Silicon on your Pizza from Sweetliberty.org

Polydimethylsiloxane is a substance that is primarily used in manufacturing as a de-foaming agent for commercial boilers. It is not approved for use as a food additive; yet, a major pizza restaurant chain is using this silicone-based chemical as a stabilizer for cheese on its patented pizza products.

In order to preserve their frozen pizzas, this major chain of pizza restaurants claims that their silicon emulsifier is a necessary preservative. Although the package does not list the formula in the ingredients list, it does list "other additives" under the guise of Patent # 4894245.

A review of the United States Patent Office website confirms this story, first reported on page 5 of the February, 2006 issue of Pete Hardin`s "Milkweed":

"A silicone emulsifier (Dow Corning FG-10) is mixed with water to form a 0.05% emulsifier solution. This solution is sprayed on the frozen cheese granules at a rate of 1.75 parts of solution per 100 parts by weight of cheese."

This is what some children may be eating when buying pizza for lunch from their school cafeteria. Silicon is not approved for use as a food additive and even if it were is this something that you want your kids to ingest on a regular basis? Silicon is the same chemical currently being used in breast implants.

When this silicon-based chemical (polydimethylsiloxane) is heated in excess of 150 degrees centigrade (302 degrees Fahrenheit) it breaks down into formaldehyde which is a known cancer causing carcinogen. Exposure to formaldehyde vapors have been known to damage the eyes, nose, and throat at levels as low as 1 part per million parts of air (1 "ppm"). Low-level exposure can cause teariness, redness, and burning of the eyes, as well as sneezing and coughing, and sore throat.

Repeated exposure to formaldehyde has been linked to asthma and may increase your chances of contracting pneumonia or bronchitis. Formaldehyde`s long-term effects on the lungs are not fully understood but may cause permanent damage.

The destructive and deadly chemicals that are being added to foods today and passed off as necessary ingredients are truly shocking. This is made even more shocking when they`re being served to children in schools without the slightest regard for both the short and long term health effects to their growing bodies and minds. If this does not convince people to avoid fast food at all costs, then the author does not know what will.

Sources
http://www.sweetliberty.org/issues/health/pi...
http://www.themilkweed.com/Feature_06_Jan.pd...
http://www.health-report.co.uk/formaldehyde....

About the author

Richard is a network engineer and longtime practitioner of Chinese martial arts, medicine and chi-gung for over twenty six years. Having learned many Chinese health and healing arts from old world gung-fu and healing masters and practitioners, he has helped many people to overcome their health issues and achieve their fitness goals. Through diligent study and experience he has taken this knowledge even further over the years including reading scores of books on Chinese medicine, health, chi theory, science, physics, nutrition, supplements, meditation, martial arts, and many other subjects. Utilizing the web, health and fitness videos, newsletters, articles, teachings and lectures, Rich is passionate about spreading the true knowledge of health, healing, fitness and spiritual truths. I'm proud to be writing articles for NaturalNews.com You can read many articles, hear audio interviews, and learn more about the highly praised Chinese Health and Fitness video by visiting Chinese Health and Fitness.com