The recent much-touted discovery of a potentially toxic chemical in Subway’s bread has led to other disturbing revelations. According to information from the Environmental Working Group, the dread compound azodicarbonamide can be found in hundreds of food products, not just loaves of bread.
As the report describes it, the suspect compound could be in everything from tortillas to croutons to chicken sandwiches, including in several common brands that can be found in national supermarkets. Calling it a “Yoga Mat Sandwich,” writers Dr. David Andrews and Elaine Shannon put forth the case that this is seriously damaging.
“One thing is clear: ADA is not food, as food has been defined for most of human history,” they write. “It is an industrial chemical added to bread for the convenience of industrial bakers.”
But the situation might be more complicated than that, and food labels that claim a product to be free of this dangerous ingredient might not be the only answer. NPR’s coverage of the story featured a link to a post on Professor John Coupland of Penn State’s blog, in which he examined the reasons this chemical is employed. According to him the chemical is, in small quantities, not necessarily dangerous.
Making labels that identify the possible dangers of certain additives without causing alarm or seeming like a cover-up can be a daunting task. Having the right tools at your disposal to make this a simple procedure can help soften the blow and give you more peace of mind. A color label printer might allow you to see new ways to use the precious amount of space on your adhesive labels to get the point across.
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