Frightful Food Facts

[oliver1013]

15 Frightful Food Facts

1. I love wine – most people on here (or on my facebook page) know that. But this fact is gross enough to even make me reconsider it! When grapes are harvested by machine for wine making, the machine shakes the grapes off the vine. But this also means that insects, birds and basically anything else in the vine comes off too. Cheap wine makers don’t generally sort the grapes before pressing, so all of that extra stuff goes into the wine. Expensive makers (fortunately?) have sorting tables, and can remove up to 99% of the MOG (material other than grapes). That means that 1% or more of the juice in the wine is probably dead animals. The author of this story has even seen dead mice in the wine press.

2. Speaking of wine, when a vineyard wants to make its wine beautifully clear, they use a process called fining. To do this, certain finings are added to the wine. Typically this is isinglass (collagen from sturgeon’s bladders), gelatin (from animals hooves and bones), clay and ox blood.

3. According to the environmental working group, more than 90% of peaches, apples, nectarines and strawberries tested were found to contain pesticides – even after washing or peeling.

4. The popular sushi fish, bluefin tuna, contains high amounts of mercury. Consumption of mercury can lead to an increase in the risk of heart disease. You might want to think about that next time you eat sushi.

5. 70% of chickens raised for human consumption in the US are given the FDA approved food additive arsenic. The arsenic is used as an antibiotic. Unfortunately, it gets worse. Much of the arsenic ends up in the chicken poop, which is then generally used as fertilizer on fields for growing other foods. Don’t believe me? Check this out. Mind you, we probably shouldn’t be surprised, considering the FDA also approve beaver ass juice, borax, poop, and more.

6. Don’t you just love soft white fluffy bread? Actually, you might want to think again. Many commercial breads contain ammonium sulfate (fertilizer, fire retardant and bomb ingredient) which is used to give more rise to yeast, resulting in a consistent rise. Subway uses it extensively in its breads, as can be seen on their official website here. Oh – and incidentally, Wendy’s Chili contains sand (silicon dioxide). I guess it is time to switch completely to organics…

7. Just kidding – only around 16% of organics are grown by small producers – the rest are produced by the same giant name companies that produce all of the other food products we eat – companies like Kellogg’s and Kraft. Also, in blind studies, organic foods taste no better and contain as much animal waste as the cheap stuff. The real solution? Buy from local farmer’s markets or grow your own.

8. In 2008, a police officer and his family won $40,000 in their lawsuit against a KFC/Taco Bell that served them food tainted by an employee’s spit and urine. It’s true – it’s in the news. The son who ate it vomited for hours afterwards, and ended up in hospital. Believe it or not, the employee who added these extra ingredients kept his job (but was later fired for missing work).

9. One quarter of Americans eat McDonald’s every single day, while most nutritionists recommend you do so only once per month. When was the last time you ate McDonald’s? The last time I ate fast food was in March 2010, and I feel much better for it (and lighter!). Incidentally, the image above is a real advert created by McDonald’s in India to advertise a new “restaurant” opening.

10. Low fat almost never means low-calorie. When fat is removed from a product, it is usually replaced with worse ingredients to try to get the flavor back. Applebee’s “low-fat chicken quesadillas” contain 742 calories (a Big Mac has 540).

11. Milt is the name of the seminal fluid (sperm) of water dwelling creatures that procreate by spraying their sperm onto fish eggs. Fish sperm is eaten in Russia pickled (it is called Moloka), in Japan, cod, pufferfish and anglerfish sperm are eaten. In Sicily, tuna sperm (called lattume) is used as a pizza topping. Pictured above is shirako – a Japanese milt dish.

12. Would you put a teaspoon of powdered, burnt cow bone into your morning coffee? I think most people here would say no. But, if you use pure white sugar (the most common type), you probably are putting bone char in your drink. Bone char has been used to whiten sugar since the process was first patented, in 1812.

13. Citrus Red 2 is a cancer causing dye that is banned in the US – except for orange growers. Orange growers are allowed, by law, to stain their oranges with Citrus Red 2 to make them look more appetizing. I think I will pass on the Florida oranges from now on.

14. Bosingtang is a Korean soup made with dog meat. The dogs used for the soup are a special breed (called Nureongi) which are almost never kept as pets. They are raised on special dog farms, just like cows and sheep. Officially, it was banned by the Korean government but only to appease international complaints – it is still easily found in many restaurants. You can see a butchered dog on sale in Seoul here.

15. rBGH is an artificially produced bovine growth hormone, originally developed by Monsanto (no surprises there). The United States is the only developed nation in the world to allow the sale and consumption of milk which comes from cows fed it. rBGH, which boosts growth rates and body mass of cows, increases in humans the risk of breast cancer and hormonal disorders.

[oliver1013]

Top 10 Disgusting*Foods



10. Kopi Luwak



There is no beating around the bush on this one – Kopi Luwak are coffee beans that come from Civet (a cat sized mamal) poo. The animals gorge on only the finest the ripe berries, and excrete the partially-digested beans, which are then harvested for sale. Kopi Luwak is the most expensive coffee in the world, selling for between $120 and $600 USD per pound, and is sold mainly in Japan and United States, but it is increasingly becoming available elsewhere. The beans are washed, and given only a light roast so as to not destroy the complex flavors that develop through the process.

9. Ox Penis



In Western countries, Ox Penis is usually dried and sold as dog treats, but in many Oriental nations, they are commonly eaten by humans. The penis is generally cooked by steaming or deep frying, and can also be eaten raw. Some westerners compare the tastes of some penises with overcooked squid.

8. Bird Spit



The nests in question here are produced by a variety of Swifts, specifically Cave Swifts who produce the nest by spitting a chemical compound that hardens in the air. The nests are considered a delicacy in China and are one of the most expensive animal products consumed by humans. It is generally served as a soup but can also be used as a sweet. When combined with water, the hard nests take on a gelatinous texture. This is one that I have eaten myself, on a trip to Hong Kong and I included it on the list of Top 10 Luxury Foods. My experience of the nest was that it tasted slightly musty and had the texture of snot. It is probably the only pudding in my life that I could not finish!

7. Caterpilla Fungus


Image from Weirdmeat.com

Caterpilla Fungus is a species of parasitic fungus that grows on insect larvae. The fungus invades the body of the Thitarodes caterpillars, eventually killing and mummifying it. The dark brown to black fruiting body (or mushroom) emerges from the ground in spring or early summer, always growing out of the forehead of the caterpillar. The fungus is commonly used as a Chinese or Tibetan medicine where it is used as an aphrodisiac and as a treatment for a variety of ailments, from fatigue to cancer. It is also served in soup (as you can see in the image above).

6. Rats



Rats are surprisingly common food in some parts of the world. In North Korea they are eaten because there is often little else to eat in the villages. They are generally field rats rather than the city rats that most of us are familiar with. They are described as being tough and stringly with a taste like chicken (surprise!) Recently Reuters had this to say:

Live rats are being trucked from central China, suffering a plague of a reported 2 billion rodents displaced by a flooded lake, to the south to end up in restaurant dishes, Chinese media reported.

You can read the full article here.






5. Monkeys Brains



This is disgusting primarily because of the very high risk of contracting fatal transmissible spongiform encephalopathies such as Variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and other similar brain diseases. In parts of China, the monkey’s brain is eaten raw. While it is most likely an urban legend1, some people claim that monkeys’ brains are, or were, eaten from the head of a live monkey. Here is a common description:

The monkey’s head was supported by its neck in a bracket, two pieces of wood with a semicircular hole on each side such that when you put them together, they form a complete circle around the animal’s neck, allowing the head to be exposed above the plank. The hair around the head is shaven with a shaving razor. A small chisel and a hammer is used to quickly chisel a circle around the crown, and the top part of the skull is removed. A teaspoon is used to scoop up the brain, which is immediately eaten. This has to be done before the monkey dies.

And here is an article from The Straight Dope talking about this alleged practice.

4. Spiders


Image from Weirdmeat.com

These spiders from Skuon in Cambodia are similar to North American Tarantulas. They are bred in holes in the ground especially for eating and are deep fried. The texture is described as crispy-chewy and some say it tastes similar to crab. Like Tarantulas, these spiders can bite. They were a regular survival food of the Khmer Rouge. The photograph above is an actual photo of one of the spiders ready to be eaten. Here is a rather unfortunate description by Michael on Weirdmeat:

The taste itself is not strong, it’s the cripsy-chewy texture that is most appealing. Make sure you have some paper napkins, as the black juice from these is greasy and it doesn’t look good on your goatee.

(I had to write this item with my eyes closed.)

3. Bee Larvae


Image from Weirdmeat.com

Bee Larvae is eaten in China and Japan (where it is called hachinoko). Hachinoko became popular years ago when country people, deprived of fish and meats, turned to other wildlife in search of protein. The larvae are cooked in soy sauce and sugar and taste mildly sweet with a crumbly texture. These days, it is mainly a nostalgia item at parties. It makes a grand entrance in the festivities, and the older folks grin with expectation. The actual task of eating hachinoko, however, is not nearly so exciting.

2. Balut – Duck Fetus



Balut is a fertilized duck egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell. They are considered delicacies of Asia and especially the Philippines, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Popularly believed to be an aphrodisiac and considered a high-protein, hearty snack, balut are mostly sold by street vendors at night in the regions where they are available. They are often served with beer. Michael, from WeirdMeat, describes the experience thus:

After you choose what kind you want, the vendor grabs them piping hot from the basket and passes you a little stool, salt, and a vinegar-onion sauce. You hold the hot egg and flick carefully but forcefully at the top of it with your middle finger. It cracks a bit and you gently remove a small hole from the top, so you can sip the savory broth before removing the whole shell. I agree that the 18-day one is better than the younger ones. You might come across some small chunkies but it’s usually just eaten all the way through, in about 3 mouthful bites. You can see feathers, head, wings, and skeleton forming, but it’s basically an extra-chewy easter egg.

Fertilized duck eggs are kept warm in the sun and stored in baskets to retain warmth. After nine days, the eggs are held to a light to reveal the embryo inside. Approximately eight days later the balut are ready to be cooked, sold, and eaten.

1. Snake Blood and Bile



This is less a food than a medicine, but it is so disgusting that it warrants a place on the list. In Central Jakarta, a man who calls himself the Cobra man specializes in preparing blood and bile for medicinal uses. Typically, he cuts off the head and drains the blood into a glass of arrack. He adds the bile and serves the drink as a treatment for respiratory ailments, skin problems, aches or indigestion. It is also said to improve a man’s stamina and *** life. Drinking the blood straight from a snake can also be done as an act of bravery or manliness. In defense of the blood eaters, I should remind everyone that pigs blood is very commonly eaten in most European nations in the form of black pudding or blood sausage.

[oliver1013]

10 More Utterly Disgusting Foods

Yep 10 more as if the first one aint enough

[onemph05]

-The FDA does allow a food to be a certain percentage of "foreign material," as stated above.

-To clarify one thing on the 1st post: chicken, pork, beef... etc. All animals are "sick," especially in the conditions they are raised in and some are "sicker," than others.

Fun fact:
Who of you has eaten a sundae or consumed a shake at Mc Donalds? Do you ever recall the product ever advertised, as "ice cream?" Mc Donald can't use the word "ice cream." Mc Donalds uses a "ice cream alternative" often found in Europe, that uses animal fat.

[CVT]

Yum.. yum...

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