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Toxic veggie burgers: MorningStar Farms exposed
by: Abby Campbell, (NaturalHealth365) Having pre-made food options can be very exciting for vegetarian lovers – especially when schedules are busy. It’s “just what the world ordered” according to MorningStar Farms®. While the brand pleads with America to take the “green” challenge by eating more veggies and less meat, MorningStar Farms® is hoping you won’t read this article and discover what’s really in their food products.
Thanks to powerful (suggestive) marketing techniques, vegetarian and vegan shoppers are led to believe that the brand’s “Veg of Allegiance” must mean that their products are safe to eat. But, reality reveals a very different story. (it’s not what you think)
Toxic chemicals found in MorningStar Farms® foods
MorningStar Farms® offers lower fat products for the health conscious consumers, but buyers may be risking the very thing they are trying to protect – their bodies from toxic chemicals. The following are some of the unwanted ingredients.
Hexane is a neurotoxin found in soy-based foods that poison the body.
According to a CBS News article, products such as MorningStar Farms® veggie burger patties contain hexane which is a neurotoxin that severely damages neurons within the body. Neurons are found throughout the brain and nervous system and are critical for various tasks.
According to a senior researcher at Cornucopia Institute, “If a non-organic product contains a soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, or textured vegetable protein, you can be pretty sure it was made using soy beans that were made with hexane.”
Unfortunately, the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not set a maximum residue level or require food manufacturers to test for hexane. Yet, the United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has made lengthy statements about hexane’s negative effects on human health such as neuropathy, muscular weakness, blurred vision, headache, and fatigue.
Note: Many of these genetically engineered soy products have been linked to sterility, infant mortality and can actually contribute to breast cancer.
Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is an excitotoxin that is extremely harmful to health.
The list of ingredients for MorningStar Farms® veggie burger products includes textured vegetable protein (TVP) which is made from soybeans. While some health conscious dieters believe soybeans are a healthy protein choice, the processing of them into TVP includes chemical alterations that are unhealthy. More than that, the processing adds artificial colors, emulsifiers, thickeners, and flavorings. (does this sound healthy to you?)
One of the additives used for flavoring TVP includes monosodium glutamate (MSG). Even though it is the world’s most extensively used food additive, it is extremely harmful to human health. The fact is that MSG is an excitotoxin that enters the brain through membranes in the mouth, thus entering the bloodstream as it is digested. MSG then overstimulates neuron receptors, damages and kills neuronal cells within the body, and causes a degenerative effect on the brain and nervous system.
The term “MSG” may be hidden on food labels as it has received a bad reputation over the last several years. Its disguise names may include hydrolyzed vegetable protein, soy protein isolate, calcium caseinate, and autolyzed yeast extract.
You can see that MorningStar Farms® includes all of these ‘hidden’ MSG names in their products. This label (below) is from their Grillers® Original:
Note: Choose your food products wisely by learning all you can about the hidden names for MSG.
Other unhealthy ingredients in MorningStar Farms® food products
Because MorningStar Farms® food products are non-organic, they are loaded with genetically altered food ingredients because their products include soy, corn, wheat, and gluten. These so-called “health foods” also include refined sugars, unhealthy oils, artificial colors and flavors, and many other unnatural ingredients. To make matters worse, they are “fortified” with vitamins – which means that the main ingredients added have been stripped of their natural nutrients.
Are you really interested in taking the “Veg of Allegiance?” (keep reading)
Though MorningStar Farms® boasts that their products are “the kinds of foods that do more than make you feel good,” you may go to their webpage to research the ingredients for each product yourself. All I can say is, beware of the lies.
However, in the end, you may still want to take their “Veg of Allegiance” to eat more fresh (organic) vegetables and fruit – during the day. Just be sure they are really natural and chemical-free. Because, we know that pesticides, GMOs and artificial ingredients will not keep us healthy.
Final note: Beware of soy sauce used as a flavor enhancer as it may contain human waste.
About the author: Abby Campbell is a medical, health, and nutrition research writer. She’s dedicated to helping people live a healthy lifestyle in all aspects – physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. Abby practices, writes, and coaches on natural preventive care, nutritional medicine, and complementary and alternative therapy.
References:
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/soy-burger-with-a-side-of-toxin
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp113.pdf
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21729072
http://www.ibimapublishing.com/journals/JMED/2013/608765/608765.pdf