Propyl Gallate is a man made antioxidant that has been added to food products since 1948. These products include soup mixes, some frozen meals, some vegetable oils, mayonnaise, dried milk, spices, candy, snack goods & meat products. Because it has antioxidant properties it is used in many personal care products like perfume, soaps, lotions, lipstick & other make-up, hair care products, sunscreen, toothpaste & some vitamins. In the commercial industry, it is added to adhesives, lubricants & pesticides & is commonly added to pet foods. People tend to believe that this additive it harmless since it is an antioxidant, however studies show otherwise.
The National Toxicology Program, an agency in the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services has had reported case studies that show that propyl gallate can cause prostate inflammation, tumors of the thyroid, brain & pancreas. Other side effects may include stomach & skin irritability, allergic reactions that impact breathing & mimic asthmatic attacks, liver & kidney damage. A 2009 study by Italian researchers that was published as “Chemical Research in Toxicology” showed that propyl gallate acts as an estrogen antagonist or a xenoestrogen. Xenoestrogens are a group of hormone-like compounds that mimic the negative effects of estrogen. They have the potential to affect reproductive health, decrease the sperm count in men, affect developing fetuses & turn normal breast cells into cancer cells. After this study was published, many groups asked the FDA to start testing food additives for estrogenic effects. To date there are more than 3,000 food additive used in the US & none are tested for this by the FDA.
A 2005 study by the EPA on propyl gallate use in pesticides showed that although the chemical biodegrades quickly, when it first hits water sources it is “moderately toxic” to aquatic life.
Well, that’s some pretty profound side effects from a seemingly “harmless” antioxidant. Let’s take a trip to the grocery store & see where propyl gallate is hiding…
Stove Top Stuffing®; not only does Stove Top® have propyl gallate, but it also has BHT, BHA & MSG. There are other brands available on regular grocery shelves that don't have propyl gallate, but read the ingredients as most have high fructose corn syrup, msg & a host of other dubious ingredients. Instead, try Arrow Head Mills® stuffing mix or Google a recipe for homemade. I home make my stuffing & I find that it’s super easy & tastes better.
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| source: http://www.arrowheadmills.com/ |
Most varieties of Johnsonville Sausage® Links have propyl gallate, but they do offer their own all natural ground sausage that does not.
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| source: http://www.johnsonville.com/ |
You can also try Al Fresco® chicken sausage or Applegate Farms® chicken & turkey sausage. We don’t eat pork in our house, so we’ve tried both brands of chicken sausage. Our favorite flavor is Applegate Farms® spinach & feta, yum!!
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| source: http://www.applegatefarms.com/ |
Any DiGiorgno® frozen pizza that has a sausage product on it has propyl gallate. California Pizza Kitchen® & Freschetta® don’t, but I can’t recommend them as an alternative because they have BHT, BHA & some have TBHQ. Instead try Newman’s Own® frozen pizzas, or Target’s Market Pantry® which are fairly tasty.
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| source: http://www.newmansown.com/ |
Or an even better idea is to make your own. You can buy readymade crust like Mama Mary’s®, or try your hand at making your own dough with this great recipe;
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| source: http://www.mamamarys.com/ |
And the last item I’ll mention is Peanut butter M&M’s®. No other version of M&M’s® have propyl gallate except this one, so if you want something peanuttie, grab a bag of Peanut M&M’s® instead or Reese’s Pieces® (but they do have artificial color).
Well, as always, I hope this blog post was helpful & informative for you. I know it can be hard to read the ingredients on every label. As an example, the DiGiorgno® Supreme pizza has over 40 ingredients listed on the box & it took some time to come across propyl gallate, but in the long run, the health of your family will benefit from the extra time it takes…
Until the next post…