The Label Detective

The Hidden Harm of BHA and BHT: What You’re Not Being Told You know that feeling when you think you’re making a decent food choice—grabbing a granola bar, some cereal for the kids, —and then you flip over the label and see ingredients you’ve never heard of? Let’s talk about two of those: BHA and BHT. They’re in more foods than you think. And they’ve been quietly allowed into our food supply for decades, despite red flags that just keep piling up. What Are BHA and BHT? BHA (butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are synthetic preservatives. Their main job? Keep fats from going rancid so food lasts longer on store shelves. They’re found in: Chips and crackers Packaged cookies and baked goods Processed meats Some cereals and snack bars Chewing gum Shortening, margarine, and oils Even cosmetics and pet food If something’s processed and has a long shelf life, there’s a good chance one or both of these is hiding in the ingredient list. Why Should You Be Conc...

 Suspect #009🔎 Sodium Benzoate:The quiet troublemaker hiding in your fridge We’re flipping labels again this week, and whew—this one’s in everything from fruit juice to mouthwash. Meet Sodium Benzoate, the preservative you’ve probably been eating (and drinking) without even realizing it.Let’s break it down. What is Sodium Benzoate? Sodium benzoate is a synthetic preservative made by combining benzoic acid (naturally found in some fruits) with sodium hydroxide. The end result? A chemical used to prevent bacteria, mold, and yeast from growing in foods—especially those that are acidic. It’s basically the shelf-life extender of the food world. But just because it keeps mold away doesn’t mean it’s safe for you.  Why It’s Used Sodium benzoate works best in acidic environments, so it’s a favorite in products with vinegar, citrus, or other low-pH ingredients. It’s used to: Prevent spoilage Extend shelf life Preserve taste and texture For food manufacturers, it’s cheap, ef...

Bioengineered Ingredients: What They Are and Why You Need to Know Walk through the grocery store today, and you’ll pass thousands of products that look normal — even healthy. But a growing number of them now carry a quiet little label: “Contains bioengineered food ingredients.” Most people don’t notice it. And even more don’t really know what it means. But this isn’t just another food trend or diet buzzword. Bioengineered ingredients represent one of the biggest shifts in our food supply — and they’re showing up in more places than we realize. What Does “Bioengineered” Actually Mean? “Bioengineered” is a softer way of saying genetically modified. These are foods that have been altered at the DNA level in a lab — often to withstand heavy pesticide use, grow faster, or resist insects. It’s not about traditional farming or hybrid crops. These are lab-designed, patented organisms that didn’t exist in nature before scientists created them. They were engineered for convenience, c...

From Burnout to Breakthrough:How I took my health( and life) back  This week,I'd like to get personal and tell you a little about my story and why I came to be so passionate about being a label detective. Let's rewind to about seven years ago. I was newly single, 40 years old, and responsible for two kids still at home. Life had just handed me a reset button—and I had no idea how I was going to push it. I knew I couldn’t make ends meet working retail, so I made a bold move and took a job at a factory. I remember telling my girls, “Mommy's 40. I don’t know if I can do this kind of work.” But I did it anyway. Ten-hour shifts, five,sometimes six days a week, on my feet all day, doing physical labor that would wear anyone out. From the outside, I looked great—toned arms, strong legs, fit frame. But inside? I was a mess. I was sore. I was tired. My muscles screamed every night. I had carpal tunnel. I lived off energy drinks and stimulants. I’d take a stacker, then wash it down w...

Case #007 Seed Oils: The Dirty Truth (And what to use instead)  Have you ever flipped over a label and seen “canola oil,” “soybean oil,” or “cottonseed oil” and thought… “meh, it’s just oil”? I used to think the same thing. But once I started digging into what seed oils really are—and what they do to our bodies—I was shocked. Because these oils are in everything… and most of us have no idea what we’re actually consuming.  What Are Seed Oils, Really? Seed oils are industrially processed oils extracted from the seeds of plants like: Soybeans Corn Cottonseed Sunflower Safflower Grapeseed Rice bran Canola (rapeseed) They sound natural though,right? But the process to make them is anything but natural. Most of these seeds are not oily by nature, so they have to be chemically treated, heated, and doused with solvents like hexane just to extract the oil. Then they're bleached, deodorized, and bottled up nice and neat masquerading as some kind of health food.  Why Are Seed Oils S...

Suspect #006  “ Artifical Dyes: Hiding in Plain Sight”  Hey there fellow label detectives! This week we're cracking open case file 006,and it's a big one! Let's put artificial dyes in the hot seat!  It wasn’t a piece of candy. It wasn’t even cereal. It was a women’s multivitamin — something I was taking to support my health. One morning, I glanced down at the pill in my hand and thought, Wait a minute,why is this pink? I flipped the bottle over and scanned the ingredients list… and there it was: Red Dye 40. A synthetic dye made from petroleum, sitting right there in my so-called health supplement. I was actually angry. Because if even our vitamins aren’t safe — what else are we blindly trusting? 🚨 What Are Artificial Dyes? Artificial dyes are synthetic chemicals added to food and supplements to make them look more appealing — as if “pink” equals “healthy.” The truth? These colors are all show, no substance. The main culprits include: Red 40 Yellow 5 Yellow 6 Blue 1 Blue ...