Facts that’ll Change the Way You Live

Drinks & Foods

#1 Bottled drinking water has been marketed as being cleaner and more pure than ordinary tap water, but, in a recent study, a third of bottled water showed significant chemical or bacterial contamination, including arsenic, nitrates, carcinogenic compounds, and coliform bacteria. Probably the bottom third; that kind of stuff tends to sink.

#2 According to government and industry estimates, almost 40 percent of bottled water is ordinary tap water, often with no additional treatment. “Additional treatment” = changing out the lawn hose before filling a new batch.

#3 One in five office coffee mugs contains fecal bacteria and E. coli, which can cause diarrhea, food poisoning, and infections. Not surprising, since most office coffee tastes like shit. Related fact: Three of five officecoffee mugs feature sayings that are meant to be funnybut aren’t, like “Bean me up, Scotty” and “No coffee, noworkee.”

#4 Vegetarians beware: many low-fat and nonfat yogurts and sweets contain gelatin, which is made from animal tendons, ligaments, and bones. You’d think the crunching would give it away. It must be drowned out by the sound of all those vegetarians patting themselves on the back for being vegetarians.

#5 Fining is a process used by most wineries to remove particles and impurities from wine. Typical fining agents include isinglass (a collagen from sturgeon bladders), gelatin, and ox blood. Whatever impurities are removed by fining, are they worse than fish urine, animal bones and ox blood?

#6 Molds are tiny organisms with thread-like roots that burrow deep into the foods where they grow. While some molds are safe, like those used to make certain kinds of cheeses—Roquefort, Gorgonzola, Brie—most molds are unsafe for consumption, as they can contain listeria, brucella, salmonella a nd E. coli. Mold is also used to make Frumunda, a briny, piquant cheese from the Nether regions of Crackoslovokia.

#7 Bacteria multiply between temperatures of 40° and 140°F, so be careful when reheating food in slow-cookers or chafing dishes. This is good news for those who like fast-food drive-thrus—the French fried there are usually around 34°F.

#8 Peaches, apples, nectarines, and strawberries are among the top six “dirtiest” foods, according to investigations by the Environmental Working Group. More than 90 percent of samples of these fruits tested positive for detectable pesticides, even after being rinsed or peeled. What, that two-second splash of cold water didn’twash off all the chemicals?

#8 Red-colored grocery items like fruit punch and strawberry yogurt are often dyed with carmine, which is made from ground-up cochineal beetles. For some, carmine can cause severe allergic reactions and can even lead to anaphylactic shock.

#9 A diet high in processed meats like sausage, hot dogs, and luncheon meats increases the risk of pancreatic cancer. Chemical reactions that occur during the preparation of these meats yield carcinogens, which could be responsible for the association.

#10 Potatoes contain toxic compounds called glycoalkaloids that cannot be reduced in cooking. Consumption of high doses of glycoalkaloids can cause diarrhea, vomiting, and, in severe cases, death.