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

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Natural Peanut Butter Pretzels with Evaporated Cane Juice: Junk Food

In Disguise?

 

 

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

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

Radio Program

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

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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