FYI - Commonly used terms on packaging

Some terms are used so frequently on packaging that we take them for granted.

Here we’ll explain a few of the more commonly found ones. Huckleberry
and Harvest stock only A2 milk and sell no products containing synthetic
aluminium, chemically decaffeinated coffee, irradiated foods or bleached
flours.

A2 (milk): The term A2 comes from the name of a milk protein called
casein. There are two types of casein; A1 and A2 which in fact differ only
by one amino acid. Most milk contains both types but Friesian cows produce
mainly A1 milk and Guernsey cows, sheep and goats produce mainly A2.
There seems to be some connection between A1 milk protein and heart
disease and diabetes. A2 milk is also more easily digested and may cause
no allergic reactions in some people who react to regular milk.

Aluminium (in deodorant): Essentially there are two forms of aluminium;
the naturally occurring alum and synthetically produced chlorhydrate and
zycarnium. The natural version such as found in crystal deodorants is a large
molecule which kills bacteria on the skin but is not absorbed. The synthetic
forms found in anti-perspirants, are smaller molecules designed to block
pores and inhibit perspiration and have been implicated in rising breastcancer
levels.

Cold-pressed (oils): Expeller-pressed oils which are extracted at temperatures under 50°C. Regular expeller-pressed oils are extracted by screw mechanism but without the cooling so can reach much higher temperatures. If the label doesn’t say cold or expeller pressed you can be pretty sure the oil is chemically extracted, the only exceptions being olive and sesame which contain so much oil they don’t require heat to expel. Hexane is the most commonly used to dissolve the oil out of the nut/seed. The oil is then heated to 150°C to evaporate the solvent. There will still be small traces of hexane (a neuro-toxin and irritant) in these oils. Extra virgin refers to the first pressing of oil, virgin is the second pressing.

Decaffeinated coffee: Coffee contains the alkaloid caffeine, a potent
stimulant which not everybody wants to ingest! The removal of this substance can be done without affecting the flavour of the beverage.
Two methods are commonly used; water-based and chemical based. The
most well-used water method is the Swiss water. Green (un-roasted) coffee beans are heated gently in water for ten hours during which time 99.9% of the water-soluble caffeine is extracted and removed. Chemicals used in decaffeination include methylene chloride (a carcinogen) or ethyl acetate (an irritant). The process is similar to water extraction only the beans are soaked in chemicals not water.

Homogenized (milk): Developed in the late 19th century, homogenization
is the forcing of milk at high pressure through very tiny holes, breaking up
the fat particles and distributing them evenly throughout the milk meaning
it won’t rise to the top and form a creamy layer. The process extends the shelflife by 11 days but allows a milk enzyme to enter the blood stream which may contribute to coronary artery disease.

Hydrogenation (oils): Vegetable oils are, with the exception of olive
oil which is mono-unsaturated and coconut which is saturated, generally
polyunsaturated meaning they have many carbon atoms without an attached hydrogen. This gives them many health benefits but makes them less stable to light, heat and oxygen. They go rancid easily and become trans-fatty acids when heated. They are also liquid at room temperature. In order to turn polyunsaturated oils into a spreadable substance like margarine, they must be saturated ie: a hydrogen ion attached to all the empty carbon atoms. Oils are put under pressure, using hydrogen gas at temperatures of 120-210°C, in the presence of a metal catalyst (nickel, platinum, or copper) for six to eight hours.

Irradiation (of food): Food irradiation is the process of passing food
through radiation to rid it of harmful microbes and pests. It is approved for
use in NZ on imported fruits- mango, lychee, papaya, rambutan and custard
apple and other commodities such as teas and dried herbs and spices. There
is currently no law insisting irradiated foods are labeled as such. Irradiation
damages food by breaking up molecules and creating free radicals. The free
radicals kill some bacteria, but they also bounce around in the food, damaging enzymes and destroying 5-80% of vitamins. These free radicals combine with existing chemicals (like pesticides) in the food to form new chemicals such as benzene and formaldehyde; both harmful. In addition to these unnerving facts, Cobalt-60, which is used for irradiation, must be manufactured in a nuclear reactor. So much for Nuclear-free NZ!

Organic (cotton): Why should you buy organically grown cotton? After
all we don’t eat it and it’s not absorbed into the skin. Here’s why! Cotton
farming uses more pesticides than any other crop. Cotton uses 25% of the
world’s insecticides! Because it is not primarily a food crop, the pesticides used are the most harmful variety eg: DDT. These pesticides drift into neighbouring communities, contaminate ground and surface water and kill beneficial insects and soil micro-organisms. Cotton seed is fed to livestock and cotton seed oil used in foodstuffs so the DDT ends up in the food chain that way too. In addition, cotton processing requires the use of chemicals to soften the fibres, reduce shrinkage and bleach the cotton.

Pasteurized: Heating milk, juice or other foods to kill off bacteria, moulds,
yeast etc. Milk is heated to 65°C for at least half an hour, then at. The process renders calcium insoluble, destroys some vitamins and the enzymes which help us digest milk and allow milk to sour naturally. Did you know if you leave unpasteurized (live!) milk to sit at room temp for a few days it will turn into fresh cream cheese, without any harmful effects. Try that with pasteurized and all you’ll get is rotten milk… It is currently illegal to sell raw milk commercially in NZ.

Raw (honey): Truly raw, completely unheated honey contains many
nutrients, enzymes and propolis. Commercial honey is rarely this raw, with
most “raw” honey heated to around 50°C during processing. If honey does
not state that it is raw or unheated is typically heated to 75 or 80°C to make it easier to strain. Most of the enzymes and many of the nutrients are destroyed at these temperatures.

Unbleached (paper, flour): The paper bleaching process uses the gas form
of chlorine and is very polluting. During the process, naturally occurring
chemicals called dioxins in the wood react with added chlorine, producing
a residue with dangerous and toxic dioxins. As this residue is then released
into rivers, lakes, or other water reservoirs, it has a tendency to accumulate in sediments where it stays until it gets picked up by fish or any other organisms.
Unbleached paper skips this step so is better for health and the environment.
The flour bleaching process uses toxic chlorine dioxide, an irritant to both
the skin which damages the pancreatic cells which produce insulin and benzoyl peroxide, also an irritant. As unbleached flour does not contain these toxins, its use is recommended.