The Most Bizarre Food Processing Practices

Published November 11, 2012
Updated May 3, 2016

With Western humanity’s increasing appetites and waistlines, the food industry has found ways of delivering familiar products on a massive scale. And because most of us never see how every day grocery list items get to the supermarket, advertisers can draw our attention from the reality of the processes and methods behind popular foods.

Orange Juice

Orange Juice

Non-concentrated orange juice brands would love you to believe that theirs is a far superior and much more natural product than their lesser competitors. However, the use of flavor packs, procedures such as deaeration and year-long aseptic storage tell a different story:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sn8fK-QpY8c

Meat Glue

Meat Glue

Transglutaminase is an enzyme that binds proteins together. It can be used to fuse together bits of raw meat into a seemingly bigger fillet. Not considered dangerous by itself, the use of Transglutaminase could contribute to contamination by food-borne illness when small pieces from different sources are brought together. Studies have also shown that it can make gluten even more allergenic.

author
All That's Interesting
author
Established in 2010, All That's Interesting brings together a dedicated staff of digital publishing veterans and subject-level experts in history, true crime, and science. From the lesser-known byways of human history to the uncharted corners of the world, we seek out stories that bring our past, present, and future to life. Privately-owned since its founding, All That's Interesting maintains a commitment to unbiased reporting while taking great care in fact-checking and research to ensure that we meet the highest standards of accuracy.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.