my Petition to get carrageenan removed from foods

At least some to start out with.  It’s heavily used and a long road, but the journey has to start somewhere.  Like the old Chinese proverb, a journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.  This is so true.  You can sign the petition here.

.

Take carrageenan out of ice creams,

soymilk, coffee creamer

Sponsored by: Amy S., Concerned Consumers for Health

Target Companies: Starbuck’s, Purity, Mayfield, Nestle, Morningstar Foods, VitaSoy, Silk, WestSoy

Such a warm family scene.  Kids gathered around the table, laughing… it’s hot outside! Nothing like yummy ice cream to cool things off.  You dip out a cone-full for each of the kids… and what the heck, some for yourself too.  You relish the creamy flavor.

Imagine the shock when you later discover that all these years, among the uber-long list of ingredients… is one that has been linked to stomach lesions, colon cancer, breast cancer and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.  It has been lurking in your soy milk… your coffee creamers… your ice cream.  It has been documented that this ingredient has been used to *promote* cancer in lab animals for research.  Would you still want to ingest this ingredient?

The name of it is carrageenan (MSG related, incidentally).  My research and reading into this has shown the above statements are found consistently and continually in relation to this food additive.  It is found in the above products’ ice creams, many soy milks, and coffee creamers.  It’s derived from seaweed and I have been told that since it comes from a “natural ingredient” then it’s OK.  My research shows otherwise.  For one thing, it is not in its natural state.  It is a *derivation*… chemically processed.  For another… you know, I can think of a lot of “natural” stuff that is not good for us, or should not be ingested.  I bet you can too.  I can also think of many “FDA-approved” items that later got pulled off the shelves when it was found people were getting sick or dying from them.

Research for yourself. I have included some links below to get you started.  Then, if you are as angry as I was to find this out… please sign this petition, twitter it, get the word out.  Blog about it.  People need to know, and the companies need to know that we are not going to sit idly by and let them feed us things that they know are dangerous.  Once we are aware, it is up to us to avoid these foods, and look out for those who are still consuming them and just don’t know any better.

To the above stated companies:  Please take carrageenan out of your food products and find healthy, wholesome substitutes.  Many companies like Haagen Dazs, Breyer’s, and even Great Value Naturals (Wal Mart brand) do not use carrageenan in their products. In addition, we feel that soy milk, as a healthy beverage, should not have this additive in its list of ingredients.

We are Concerned Consumers for Health and we take our buying power seriously.  Please take this harmful food additive out of our coffee creamers, soy milks, and ice creams.  Otherwise, we will take our dollars elsewhere.

http://www.vitalearth.org/MSG.htm (scroll down halfway)

harmful effects of carrageenan from pubmed.gov

http://www.annieappleseedproject.org/carandcolcan.html

Ice Cream – ingredient documented to GROW CANCER CELLS

Folks, is it any wonder we have the health problems we do today?

No matter where you turn,  it seems our food supply is being poisoned in one form or another.  Organic eating is the only fairly safe way and even some of those claims have to be checked out!

Apparently there is yet another DANGEROUS FOOD ADDITIVE, MSG-related, and guess what?  It’s documented to GROW CANCER CELLS.  And this is in OUR FOOD!!!  (Now ask me if I’m surprised… because I’m not.  Unfortunately.)  The name?  Carageenan. Remember that word.

“Carageenan, a widely used MSG related food additive  found in ice cream, dairy products, baked goods, yogurt, and some margarines, is used by researchers when they want to promote cancer growth in their experiments.  Carageenan is documented to actually grow cancer cells, and manufacturers are putting it in our food!”  http://www.vitalearth.org/MSG.html

FDA… what is it you actually do behind those desks all day?  Because it certainly can’t be safeguarding our food!!!!!

Organic Chocolate by Terra Nostra

I came across this organic chocolate at a little store in our area, and I was so impressed with (1… the taste!  Dreamy, silky chocolate that melts in your mouth!!  And (2… the company’s life goals —  that  I had to share it with all of you.  The company is Terra Nostra Organic, and their website is http://www.terranostrachocolate.com.  They believe in giving back to the community, using an ideal called  “Equi Trade,” which is a form of social giving, as I have read from their site.

This is truly chocolate with heart.

The following is from their website FAQ’s, and below that, from their profile (both are linked, just click to go there):

What does Terra Nostra mean?

Terra Nostra means “Our Earth” in Latin. We named the company Terra Nostra because it encompasses our overall company belief – to nurture and preserve our earth as best we can.

I love that!

This from their profile:

Terra Nostra chocolates currently outsell all other organic chocolate in the United States. Karlo is a no-nonsense entrepreneur and dedicated chocolatier. He is also an active member of the global chocolate community through a unique form of social giving called Equi-Trade (now called Equal Trade Alliance). Equal Trade was developed and nurtured to help those growers in countries where fairness is sometimes forgotten. With the increased exposure to child labor paired with the birth of Karlo’s children, is what inspired the Equal Trade initiative. The parent company provides funding for Equal Trade. This funding will be through economic growth projects throughout the world. These projects are in areas where Terra Nostra’s raw materials are sourced and in the regions where Terra Nostra’s chocolate creations are consumed and enjoyed.

You can shop their yummy selections here.