Category: Meat

KRON 4 | “Meatless” Foods Made with Meat

You’ve gone meatless, but do you really know what’s in your breath mints and “heart healthy” peanuts? KRON 4 Morning News Weekend anchor, Marty Gonzalez, chats with me and I reveal twelve processed foods that may seem meatless but are derived from animals (cows, pigs, and/or fish) or may contain some animal by-products.

KRON 4_Not So Meatless Foods6

KRON 4_Not So Meatless Foods4

1. Jell-O® and Candy: Examples include gummy candies, Starburst chews, Altoids: Many foods contain gelatin which is a protein derived from the collagen of cow or pig bones, cartilage, tendons, and skin. Gelatins are used as thickening or stabilizing agents in a variety of candies and gelatin-containing desserts.

Planters peanuts2. Peanuts: Some brands of peanuts, such as Planters® Dry Roasted Peanuts, contain gelatin. The gelatin helps the salt, spices and flavorings adhere to the nuts.

At first glance, they all look the same! And by the end of the day, the different varieties are intermixed on the shelves.

Planters Peanuts
Planters® Dry Roasted Peanuts + Unsalted and Lightly Salted versions. The brands all have similar packaging including the “Heart Healthy” heart.

If you grab the wrong one, you can end up with just plain peanuts or peanuts with salt OR…

Ingredients in Planters® Dry Roasted Peanuts: PEANUTS, CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: SEA SALT, SPICES (CONTAINS CELERY), DRIED ONION, DRIED GARLIC, PAPRIKA, NATURAL FLAVOR, SUGAR, GELATIN, TORULA YEAST, CORNSTARCH, DRIED CORN SYRUP, MALTODEXTRIN. CONTAINS: PEANUT.

Continue reading “KRON 4 | “Meatless” Foods Made with Meat” →

KRON 4 | Why Meat is Linked to Colon Cancer

Numerous studies have linked a high intake of red meat or processed meats to colon cancer. KRON 4 Morning News Weekend anchor, Marty Gonzalez, has me explain why eating animal protein and fat are to blame.

Bile is to Blame

  • Bile assists with digestion by breaking down fats. Think of bile as “Mother Nature’s degreaser”. This greenish yellow secretion is made and released by the liver, then concentrated and stored in the gallbladder until fat enters your small intestine.
  • Bile acids stimulate the growth of bacteria, which convert the primary bile acids into secondary bile acids.
  • Bile acids, particularly secondary bile acids, have long been suspected as being cancer-causing.
  • Eating more fat means more fat and bile acids in the colon.

High Saturated Fats in the Diet

  • A high intake of saturated fat is associated with high levels of bile, which is usually evident in colon cancer patients.
  • High saturated fats + high levels of bile are factors that produce colorectal cancer tumors.

Meat Sources High in Saturated Fat

  • Meat – e.g., fatty cuts of beef, pork, lamb
  • Processed / deli meats – salami, sausages, chicken skin
  • Lard – pig fat

Bile Circulates from Colon to Breast    

Continue reading “KRON 4 | Why Meat is Linked to Colon Cancer” →

Tailgating 101: How to Party and Picnic Safely

Summer is synonymous with baseball, tailgate parties and picnics but that means careful attention to menu planning and coordination. Since you’re without a refrigerator and running water, keeping your food safe all day requires safe food handling practices.

What to Pack

  • Picnic_iStock_000016712596XSmallLots of clean utensils for preparing and serving safely cooked food.
  • Insulated coolers to keep food protected and cold.
  • A food thermometer to be sure meat and poultry are cooked at high enough temperatures to destroy harmful bacteria and foods are reheated to safe-to-eat temperatures.
  • An appliance thermometer for coolers.
  • Clean, wet, disposable cloths and paper towels for cleaning hands and surfaces.
  • Water for cleaning.   Continue reading “Tailgating 101: How to Party and Picnic Safely” →

How to Prevent Cancer (Soap and Animal Fats)

Q: What’s the difference between the more expensive soap made with vegetable oils and the cheaper commercial brands of soap? ~ D.W., Los Angeles, CA

A: Soap is the resultant compound made by reacting fat (either from vegetables or animals) with sodium hydroxide.  The less expensive, commercially-manufactured soaps use tallow (animal fat).

Tallow – Is It Fit To Be Fat?

Tallow is a low-cost waste product of the meat industry.  It is basically fat stripped from slaughtered cattle, but it may also include fat rendered from slaughtered sheep and pigs.

Ivory is made from tallow
Ivory is made from tallow

Soap manufactured from animal fat is called sodium tallowate.  50% of a slaughtered steer is tallow and bones – the main ingredient of commercial mass-produced soap.  Ivory® states that their tallow comes from meat processing scraps and consists of beef and/or pork hide and bones.

The Skinny on Animal Fat

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, from the time cattle hides are removed from the animal, rapidly-growing bacteria populates the fresh hide.  In order to control bacterial growth, bactericides and detergent or large amounts of salt need to be used as a preservative.  Further, cattle hide is one of the primary sources of E.coli contamination on carcasses.   Continue reading “How to Prevent Cancer (Soap and Animal Fats)” →