Advertisement

Human hair and anti-freeze: Study reveals grim ingredients found in everyday foods

We all know how disgusting it is to discover a hair lurking in our food.

But it turns out we may already be chowing down on human hair without realising - in our BREAD.

A study carried out by Privilege insurance has found that some loaves contains L-Cysteine, an amino acid used to prolong shelf-life, which comes from human hair.

As if that wasn’t gross enough, it’s believed that much of the hair used to make this protein is sourced from the floors of Chinese hair salons.

The study also brought some unpleasant news for fans of vanilla ice-cream. It turns out that delicious vanilla taste can come from the castor sacs of beavers - the body part they use to mark their territory. What’s more, this icky addition counts as a ‘natural flavouring’.

Mmm, ice-cream: Castor sacs not pictured (Flickr/Ralph Arvesen)

Further revelations include the fact that bananas aren’t necessarily suitable for vegetarians, as they are sprayed with a pesticide made from shrimp and crab shells, and that the key ingredient in anti-freeze is used to stop ready-made cake mixes clumping together.

There’s bad news for chicken nuggets fans, too: some are only 50 per cent chicken - the other half includes a chemical found in breast implant filler.

Gelatine, made from boiling animal bones, is also used in some cereals to make the sugar stick.

Dan Simson, head of Privilege Insurance, said: “Privilege believes in straight talking and consumer confidence, so we commissioned this research to confirm or dispute once and for all, some of the every day consumer scenarios we are all faced with.

“Some of the findings are shocking and more should be done to encourage labelling that doesn’t insincerely disguise something as ‘natural’. It is paramount that the consumer has all the facts so they can make a logical and sensible choice about the products they are buying.”

Image: Flickr/M Dreibelbis