From the benefits of nature to vitamins 'on the run' in juice: 10 food hoaxes that we keep swallowing

• CRISTINA G. LUCIO

  Madrid

• ILLUSTRATION: EVA C. SANCHO

Updated Saturday,16December2023-02:35

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If you're old enough, you probably remember those pages, photocopied hundreds of times, that supposedly warned of a long list of dangerous food additives. Some of those sheets that were passed from hand to hand even included the products of common consumption that should be avoided because they contained those substances classified as at least "carcinogenic". It was a hoax, a hoax that did not have an iota of veracity even though it claimed to be endorsed by the hospital on duty. However, it spread like wildfire in the Spain that left the 80s and started the early 90s.

Miguel Ángel Lurueña, PhD in Food Science and Technology and renowned communicator, remembers it well. Since the beginning of his career, he has worked to dismantle the myths and false beliefs that, like this hoax, have flourished around food: "I remember perfectly well that I saw for the first time that page stuck in the fridge at a friend's house. The most dangerous additive that was pointed out was supposed to be E-330, which was associated with all sorts of problems. But in reality, E-330 is citric acid, like what we can find in a lemon. It has not been possible to find the origin of the hoax very well, but everything points to the fact that it was a boycott organized by workers of a French soft drink factory."

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There was no truth to that, Lurueña stresses. But many swallowed it and versions of that hoax can still be found on the Internet.

The explosion of social networks has contributed on many occasions to giving wings to those myths about food that have confused us for decades, as well as promoting new ones. That is why, in his latest work, From the Grocers to the Supermarket (Destino), Lurueña dismantles false beliefs about food that are still installed in many minds, as well as going through the memories, flavors and customs of an entire generation.

Juice and vitamins

"My mother, like many mothers in the 80s – Lurueña was born in 1978 – made me drink the freshly squeezed juice because 'the vitamins were gone.'" But, although this belief is still widespread, the truth is that it is a myth, explains the specialist. In reality, vitamin C is much more stable than the collective imagination estimates, and even if we wait 12 hours to drink orange juice, the content of this nutrient will remain practically intact. Of course, after that time it is very likely that the juice will be less fresh, more bitter and with a more stiff taste, because a large part of the volatile compounds responsible for the aroma and flavor will have been transformed or lost.

Is natural healthier?

That bucolic Arcadia where everything was healthy and safe has never existed. And that farmer with spotless dungarees only exists in advertising

The aforementioned page that warned about the supposed dangers of additives is a paradigmatic example of another very popular false belief, the one that rejects all industrial development applied to food and advocates returning to "the origins", to a supposed idyllic and natural past. "That bucolic Arcadia where everything was healthy and safe has never existed," Lurueña concludes. "The concept of nature, in fact, doesn't make any sense in this case. Because substances like snake venom are natural, which doesn't make them safe, precisely. The distance from the rural world and nature explains to a large extent the predominance of this romantic vision of food and its production, which is also enhanced by advertising. But that farmer in spotless cowboy overalls and a straw hat exists only in advertisements, just like what is usually understood as natural."

What about alcohol in stews?

Many people are convinced that the alcohol that many recipes incorporate to provide aroma and flavor evaporates completely with cooking. However, this is not the case. "For example, if we add a glass of wine to a stew and boil for five minutes, at the end of the process only 0.9% of the alcohol will have evaporated and the stew will have almost eight grams left. It is not a very high amount, especially if it is going to be distributed among many diners, but it is important to take it into account, especially in the case of vulnerable people who must strictly avoid its consumption, such as pregnant women or children," says the expert.

Gummies, made from petroleum

This myth, which Lurueña used to baptize her blog and her name on social media, "was said a lot". "A lot of people believed it because of the rubbery look and texture of these sweets," explains the specialist. But it has absolutely no basis: These products are usually formulated from pectin, which is obtained from fruits; agar-agar, which comes from algae; and mainly, gelatin. "It's a substance made up of collagen, a protein found in the connective tissue of animals," he says.

Does gum stick to guts?

This false belief, very popular in the 90s, is still heard. Chewing gum, as Lurueña explains in the book, is made by adding flavourings, colourings and sweeteners to a base gum, which can be of natural or synthetic origin. "Our body is not able to metabolize these gums, so if we swallow a piece of gum, it will leave our body just as it entered." The only reality that the myth clings to, Lurueña explains, is that "if we swallow a considerable amount of chewing gum in a short space of time, it can accumulate in our intestinal tract, forming a solid mass called bezoar that could cause an intestinal obstruction." But it would have to be a large number of chewing gums in a short time, and in no case are the gums we swallow going to stick to the guts.

Seeds and appendicitis

Another myth that continues to circulate is that swallowing cherry pits or watermelon seeds can cause appendicitis. However, Lurueña clarifies that according to the research that has been carried out on the subject, it is unlikely that this practice has any relationship with appendicitis. "To give us an idea, a study analysed the appendix of almost 2,000 people who underwent surgery and found only undigested plant remains in one of them, that is, in 0.05% of cases. Moreover, these remains were not cherry or watermelon, but other vegetables, such as oranges, melons, figs, barley, oats, cumin or walnuts." In short, there is no proof that appendicitis can be caused by swallowing fruit pits or seeds.

The Reality of Sugar-Free Soda

They do not provide nutrients of interest and their consumption displaces that of more nutritionally interesting beverages, such as water

Numerous studies have shown in recent years the harms and risks associated with the regular consumption of sugary soft drinks. This has caused many people to switch to the zero or light versions, which manage to provide a sweet taste to the drink through sweeteners. "With this, it might seem that the problem has been solved, but the regular consumption of sugar-free soft drinks is not recommended either," Lurueña recalls.

"To begin with, these are beverages that do not provide nutrients of interest and their consumption can displace that of other beverages that are much more nutritionally interesting, such as water. In addition, they can make it difficult for us to follow a healthy diet, because we usually associate their consumption with that of other unhealthy products," says the specialist, who also recalls that "we must not forget that the regular consumption of soft drinks could damage tooth enamel, because they are relatively acidic drinks."

On the other hand, he also adds that although sweeteners are safe substances, that does not mean that they are harmless. "There are studies that suggest that they could cause certain adverse effects, for example, on the gut microbiota," says Lurueña, who also stresses that they alter our taste for sweet taste, making it difficult to prioritize healthy foods.

Watch out for corn appetizers

These worm-like snacks are commonly offered to young children because they are easy to eat and tend to like them. Also, compared to other knick-knacks, their ingredient list is usually short and with recognizable ingredients: corn, sunflower oil, and salt. "The problem with this custom is above all educational," Lurueña says. There are no risks in eating these types of snacks, but it should be made clear that they are not healthy, as many people believe.

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They are basically made up of refined flours, fat and salt, they do not provide nutrients of interest and they can also displace the consumption of foods that are healthy." If instead of a fruit, we give children this type of product on a regular basis, we will be accustoming them to those intense flavors instead of teaching them to appreciate the flavors and textures of healthier foods. "A lot of times we focus solely on the composition of the products," he says. "But you also have to take into account these other aspects that can also influence the acquisition of healthy habits."

No dairy will boost your defenses

As much as advertising has been suggesting it for years, it's not real. These products rely on a legal trick to claim that they "contribute to the normal functioning of the immune system." The reason is not in any special bacteria, but in the addition of vitamin D and vitamin B9, which are naturally present in other common foods, such as milk or fish.

Eating insects, a cultural issue

In 2018, the European Union endorsed the consideration of insects as "novel foods", which caused a significant stir. In this sense, it should be remembered that this consumption is common in some cultures and that, in addition, although we are not aware of it, "insects are already common in our diet", Lurueña points out in the text. This is the case, for example, of something as traditional as honey – "it is formed from the regurgitation of nectar that bees take from flowers" – but also of some dyes, such as carminic acid, which is isolated from the cochineal Dactylopius coccus and "are used in sausages and jams or in lipsticks".

Another example Lurueña cites is shellac, also known by the code E904, a resinous substance secreted by the cochineal Kerria lacca and used as a glazing agent in different foods. "For example, in fruits it improves appearance and reduces perspiration, thus increasing its shelf life, while in confectionery products it prevents them from melting and becoming sticky." Other examples of this contribution of insects are the German milbenkäse cheese or the French mimolette, which are made with the help of mites.

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