The 25 Craziest Ingredients In Your Food

As official sounding as it is, this chemical is nothing more than a beaver secretion. But it’s not just any beaver secretion. It comes straight from the anal gland. Although it is commonly used to enhance the flavor of raspberry candies it’s also used in perfumes, medicine, and as an aphrodisiac.

photo – Steve

Typically used to improve flavor and strengthen dough this category 2B carcinogen is what makes your sandwich taste so good. You might have trouble finding it outside of the United States though as it has been banned in the EU, Canada, Nigeria, Brazil, Peru, and even China.

photo – Ondrej Mangl

Coming in at number 199 on the United Nations list of most dangerous goods, coal tar was once the most common source of the food coloring agent Allura Red AC. Thankfully today most of our Allura comes from petroleum instead.

photo – asia.ru

Coming to us straight from secretions of a female lac beetle, this substance is commonly used to coat things, primarily wood and skittles.

photo – rostwoodworks.com

Although this could conceivably be a normal albeit stomach churning ingredient, it is actually commonly used in twinkies to make them taste better. Sorry vegans.

photo – Evan-Amos

Everyone knows this is one of the most dangerous substances in your lunchbox…or is it? For years there has been a lot of fear concerning MSG due to several cases of food poisoning a while back, but honestly there are a lot of substances on this list that are much more dangerous and nauseating.

photo – medok.us

A food coloring agent that has been banned in several countries including Austria and Norway, this coal tar derivative is what makes your food yellow. Although the exact effects on your health are a bit murky, its has been known to alter the behavior of young mice in several toxicity studies.

photo – coppergifts.com

Commonly used as a flour bleaching agent in the food industry, this substance is also used to manufacture plastics and synthetic leather. It has been known to cause respiratory distress and in the UK warning labels are required on food.

photo – hkelite.en

Having become the primary sweetener in the American diet HFCS has all but replaced table sugar in many foods. This is mostly thanks to the fact that it is a lot cheaper to use than regular sucrose. America runs on corn.

photo – Andrew Butko

Also known as Propylene Glycol Alginate this additive doesn’t just thicken your food, it is also used in automotive antifreezes and runway de-icers.

photo – shamrockchicago.com

Extracted from seaweed and sometimes used as a vegetarian alternative to gelatin, the long term health effects are still unknown.

photo – velela

Used to give your soda that sour tangy taste, this acidifier is commonly  used due to its low cost. Unfortunately for us though, it has been known to reduce the calcium density in bones and has been linked to kidney problems.

photo – phosphoric acid

While there has been some controversy over the health effects on humans, if you live in the United States then your country is the only developed nation in the world that lets you drink milk from cows given recombinant bovine growth hormone.

photo – Dept. of Agriculture

Derived from the collagen of animal’s skin and bones, gelatin is commonly used as a gelling agent in photography, cosmetics, and food, particularly marshmallows, gellies, and yogurts.

photo – ifood.tv

While it would be understandable for small amounts of fertilizer to end up in our fruits and produce, ammonium sulfate is used extensively to make your sandwiches.  Why? It provides nitrogen to make the yeast more consistent. It’s also a flame retardant.

photo – ChemicalInterest

A popular food preservative, this compound is also used in smoke bombs and pyrotechnics.

photo – upstatenyer

Although you will never find Bisphenol A in your food (hopefully), it is often used to make the plastics your food is stored in. The jury is still out on this compound, as its effects on humans are not yet fully understood. There has been concern, however, over the effects it may have on infants via baby food and milk bottles.

photo – diainginginterbang.blogspot.com

Short for polyoxyethylene-(20)-sorbitan monostearate, this emulsifier is used as a substitute for dairy products in baked goods because it doesn’t spoil. That’s right, not even bacteria want to touch this stuff.

photo – makingcosmetics.com

Commonly used to produce cheeses, this enzyme is extracted from the inner mucosa of a young calve’s fourth stomach which is why in some countries, like the UK, cheeses are labeled as suitable or not suitable for vegetarians.

photo – Jim Champion

Butylated Hydroxytoluene is an organic compound that is used as an antioxidant additive in jet fuels, electrical transformer oil, and breakfast cereal.

photo – glogger

How do your cupcake sprinkles get that beautiful red color? I’m glad you asked. We take thousands of insects and boil them in ammonia. Then we filter out whatever is left over and add alum. The finished product: Carmine.

photo – sodahead

Also called “wool grease” this substance is harvested from secretions found in the wool of domestic sheep and is commonly used to hold your chewing gum together.

photo – Dept. of Agriculture

Sometimes used by restaurants as an anti-caking agent in chili, those of you who took chemistry in college may remember this substance’s more common name: sand.

photo – David Shankbone

A common dough conditioner, this substance was at one time obtained by the hydrolysis of human hair. Recently, however, about 80% of it has come from duck feathers instead.

photo – chameleon

Your lunch meat is not he only place you will find this chemical. It is also one of the main constituents of gunpowder and it has been used extensively in rocket propellants and fireworks.

photo – US Navy