Is Natural Peanut Butter Pretzels with Evaporated Cane Juice: Junk Food In Disguise?

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Natura. MedicalConspiracies@googlegrol Peanut Butter Pretzels with Evaporated

Cane Juice: Junk Food In Disguise?

 

 

http://www.willner.com/article.aspx?artid=99

Natural Peanut Butter Pretzels: . . .Junk Food In Disguise?

.. . . an editorial by Don Goldberg, presented on the Willner Window

Radio Program, January 4th, 2004

 

We are encouraged to believe that foods and food supplements found in

health food stores are healthier than those found in other types of

stores. We are surrounded by the words organic, and natural. Everything

is free of this and contains none of that.

 

More often than not, our questions to the store employees are answered

with affirmations and assurances couched, again, in terms like " natural "

and " free of. "

 

Usually, these products are indeed better than the mass market

equivalent. We devoted a previous article and radio segment on the

reasons why " health food store " vitamin supplements were better than

" drug store vitamins. "

 

But not always.

 

We have been adding various packaged food items to our product selection

at Willner Chemists. For the most part, it has been low carbohydrate

foods designed for those following the Atkins-type diet. But we have

also been adding various snack and convenience items. We recently

brought in a full line of healthy snack items that included nuts, dried

fruits, trail mix, ginger candy, etc. All, supposedly, are healthy,

nutritious and free of undesirable preservatives, pesticides, etc.

 

The labels of these products are overflowing with images of

goodness--warm colors, pictures of farms, and children. Messages on both

the front and rear labels make it clear that a noble and great purpose

is being served.

 

I picked up a package of " Natural Peanut Butter Pretzels with Evaporated

Cane Juice. " On the rear label, right above the Nutrition Facts

information, it says the following:

 

" . . . Farms was created to honor the inseparable relationship between

the vitality of the soil, the energy of plants, the taste of ripeness

and the viability of farming. Our farmers, their harvest and your well

being are the heart and soul of our commitment to you and to our place

on earth. "

 

Wow. Makes you feel a little inadequate, doesn’t it? But there’s more.

On the front panel of the label, they say the following:

 

" Biodiversity. Our environment is a thriving web of genetic and

biological families. It is up to us as agricultural stewards to make

sure the diversity of our plant and animal species, the very foundation

of our existence, is preserved for our daily lives, our communities, and

our future generations. "

 

Now, at this point, I was considering taking out my checkbook and

sending these people a contribution. Forget just buying the package of

peanut butter pretzels. But then I remembered why I took the time to

read all of this in the first place. It was the term " With Evaporated

Cane Juice. "

 

This term, and others like it (i.e. " Dehydrated Grape Juice " ) has always

bothered me. I consider it nothing more than an attempt to mislead

people. What is evaporated cane juice? Sugar. What is dehydrated grape

juice? Sugar.

 

So why not just call it sugar? The answer is obvious. Sugar conveys a

negative image, especially to those shopping in health food stores. Are

they putting regular sugar into these products, and calling it something

else, or is this actually a less refined form of sugar? I don’t really

know for sure, but it really doesn’t matter to me. It’s still sugar. It

has the same effect on my body, regardless of whether it is 99% pure or

97% pure.

 

And, perhaps just as important, I don’t like to be toyed with. I worry

that if they toy with me in one respect, they may be doing so elsewhere

as well. It’s a clue to the integrity of the company in general. And

that is why I took a closer look at the label.

 

Here is what I found. Looking past the large " Natural " on the front

panel, and the ennobling, philosophically uplifting messages, I turned

to the ingredient listing:

 

" Peanut Butter Pretzels Ingredients:

 

Coating: Evaporated Cane Juice, Palm Kernal Oil, Partially Defatted

Peanut Flour, Whey Powder, Salt and Soy Lecithin (Added as an

Emulsifier). Pretzels: Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Malted Barley Flour,

Niacin, Reduced Iron, Thiamine Mononitrate and Riboflavin and Folic

Acid), Salt, Malt, Yeast, Baking Soda.

 

May Contain a Trace of Peanuts "

 

Amazing, isn’t it? These " natural " Peanut Butter Pretzels " may contain a

trace of peanuts. "

 

These " agricultural stewards " of our species, who are committed to

preserving our well being, for some reason do not feel it is necessary

to put peanut butter into " natural peanut butter pretzels. " Well, maybe

I am missing something here. Perhaps peanut butter isn’t supposed to

contain peanuts?

 

So I looked at three jars of peanut butter: Jif, ShopRite brand, and

Peter Pan. The first ingredient in all three was roasted peanuts!

 

Going back to the ingredient listing, it gets even worse, if that can be

possible. Ingredients are supposed to be listed in decreasing order of

predominance by weight. So if we are to believe their label, the amount

of evaporated cane juice, or sugar, is greater than the only thing in

the entire product with any connection to peanuts, the partially

defatted peanut flour. In fact, the same is true for the palm kernel

oil. So the amount of peanut flour is very small–almost negligible.

 

So we don’t seem to have any actual peanuts in this natural peanut

butter pretzel product. I don’t know if this is legal or not. I doubt

it. But it certainly doesn’t sit well with me regardless.

 

In fact, there doesn’t seem to be much redeeming quality in this product

at all. Is it a healthy snack? Not really, as it seems to contain

nothing but camouflaged sugar, saturated fat, and white flour–remember,

the " pretzel " contains " enriched flour, " not whole wheat flour.

 

Now this may already sound pretty bad. But could it get even worse?

 

I’m looking at the non-peanut containing natural peanut butter pretzels.

There is nothing on the label that indicates the presence of any

coloring or flavoring agents. Yet the coating on the pretzels in brown,

and looks like peanut butter. In fact, it smells like peanut butter.

And, you know what, it even tastes like peanut butter! Not particularly

good peanut butter, but close.

 

How can that be? Nothing in that ingredient listing looks as if it would

impart so much color, odor and taste. Would a small amount of defatted

peanut flour do that? Maybe, but I doubt it. And can you blame me?

 

If this is supposed to be natural, why not use natural peanuts, or real,

natural peanut butter. Why take defatted peanut flour and add palm

kernel oil, sugar, and whey protein back into it? What is natural about

that?

 

So what’s the moral of this story? Don’t take things at face value. Use

a little common sense. Read the label of all products carefully–even

when they claim to be natural, organic, holistic or whatever.

 

And, perhaps, when you have questions, or want factual guidance about

supplements, go to people who will give you the straight facts rather

than parroting back the marketing hype from the companies they deal

with.