Dorsogna 100% Natural Bacon Review

August 9, 2016 · 26 Comments

Dorsogna 100% Natural Bacon Review

This bacon product is fairly new to the market and caused a bit of interest on my social media amongst you all! I promised I would do you a review and tell you my thoughts and here it is.

First up, this review is not sponsored or endorsed by Dorsogna in any way. I actually emailed them to ask questions about the product months ago and I haven’t heard back!

Why is natural bacon of interest??

Well, it’s a long and complicated story! There still exists some debate about bacon and nitrates/nitrites but I found this article at Weston A Price to be quite good at explaining it all.

Personally, I try to eat full fat food with minimal processing and avoid synthetic additives.

The Product

This bacon is readily available in most of the big supermarkets with the 400g pack retailing for around $10.

Dorsogna make a number of claims on their bacon including:

100% natural ingredients

No artificial preservatives

No added nitrites

No artificial flavours

No artificial colours

Gluten free

No synthetic ingredients

97% fat free

Minimally processed

Of course, we all know that to truly assess a product, we should always read the ingredient list rather than relying on marketing claims, right!?

So, the ingredient list:
Pork (90%), water, salt, potato starch, cane sugar, vegetable extract, vegetable fibre, fruit extract, natural flavourings, naturally wood smoked.

I really wanted to know what exactly the vegetable and fruit extract and the natural flavourings are but as I didn’t get a reply from the company, it’s anyone’s guess!

So, the ingredient list doesn’t sound too bad, right? It’s definitely an improvement on some bacon you can buy from the supermarket. If you are specifically avoiding synthetic nitrates/nitrites you might be happy to buy it and not investigate further.

The Pork

So, my other questions to Dorsogna were, where is the meat sourced from? is the meat free range? what do the pigs eat? how is it processed? what chemicals are used in the processing? are there chemicals used in the packaging?

The package states that the meat is ‘made in Australia from local and imported ingredients.’

Having a friend that is a pig farmer has really opened my eyes to all of these concerns! I want to eat pork that is treated humanely, allowed to roam on pasture, reared and processed in Australia, that has eaten a nutritious, natural diet and is processed and packaged without added chemicals.

I will make an assumption here that the pork is not free range or exclusively from Australia. My conclusion is based on the fact that these claims are not on the packaging. As these are desirable attributes to a consumer, you would have to conclude that if it was free range, Aussie meat, they would be shouting it from the rooftops.

The Taste

Okay, so now we get to another important aspect – the taste!!!

Our family loves bacon….. like really loves it. But not this bacon. Everyone in the family hated it!

It’s really salty and tastes to me like Spam. The kids have no idea what Spam tastes like but they also said it was too salty and had a fake taste.

The texture is really mushy and has a strange, soft mouthfeel (again rather Spam like).

When cooking the bacon, I could not get it to crisp up at all, it just seems to stay the same colour and stick to the pan. You can see in the photo how it broke down into pieces after cooking. That happened every single time I cooked it.

So, when I compare this to the natural bacon I usually buy, it’s really, really different, both in taste and texture.

Final Verdict

I like the fact that the bacon is gluten-free and appears to have no added synthetic additives. It’s also easy to source and not too expensive.

Would I buy it again? Nope.

Aside from the fact that we didn’t like the taste and texture, I really don’t like supporting an industry where animals are treated inhumanely. Free range, high welfare meat is really important to our family.

I don’t mind paying extra for better quality.

Other Options

If you would prefer to eat natural, Aussie bacon with minimal processing the best advice I can give you is to see what you can source locally. Check out your farmers’ markets or your organic butcher and ask questions.

There are some amazing farmers out there producing beautiful pork products. Once you taste this type of bacon, trust me, you will love bacon even more.

I would love to know what you think! Have you tried it?

What’s so bad about 2 minute noodles and what to eat instead

August 25, 2015 · 42 Comments

What’s so bad about 2 minute noodles and what to eat instead

This article was prompted because my son was introduced to those 2 minute noodle bowls (in styrofoam) at a school camp a few months ago. He came home and bought one from the corner shop as a quick snack. He knows they are not that great (without me having to tell him), but convenience and taste were winning out. On this occasion I did stop him from pouring boiling water into the styrofoam, I made him put it into a bowl!

It’s a whole other article about my teenagers and how their independence has influenced their eating habits so I will tell you about that another time!! Once I started really looking at what was in these noodles though, I was shocked. I knew they were bad but this was particular food was something I really didn’t want to compromise on. We found some alternatives they were happy with and that I would provide with my money, not theirs and now everyone is happy!

So today, I thought I would share with you what I discovered about those 2 minute noodles and let you know about some better alternatives.

Okay so what is wrong with 2 minute noodles?

Well, here is an ingredient list for just one type of these noodles, Maggi 2 minute noodles as sold in Australia (you can find all the products and ingredients on their website).

Noodle Cake: Wheat flour, vegetable oil (antioxidant 319), salt, mineral salts (508, 451, 501, 500), vegetable gum (412).

Flavour Mix Sachet: Iodised Salt, Maltodextrin (Contains Sulphites), Flavour Enhancers (621, 635), Flavours (contains Wheat, Soy, Celery, and Sulphites), Mineral Salt (508), Onion Powder (contains Sulphites), Vegetable Fat (antioxidant (320)), Colours (Tumeric, Caramel III) (Contains Sulphites), Parsley Flakes, Spices.

What I am not loving:

♦ Vegetable oil – this could be anything from GMO canola to unsustainable palm oil and the noodle cake is deep fried in it, so it’s been heated to a toxic level.

♦ Antioxidant 319 – also known as butylhydroquinone. The Chemical Maze by Bill Statham (seriously, everyone needs this book) gives this a sad face. It’s recommended to be avoided because: carcinogenic in high doses, may be associated with birth defects, acute neuro-toxic effects in animals, prohibited in food for infants.

♦ Salt (this isn’t going to be a healthy salt, but a heavily processed white salt)

♦ The mineral salts and vegetable gum are not too bad, but they can cause abdominal cramps, vomiting and diarrhea if consumed in large amounts.

♦ Iodised salt is a refined salt with added iodine (probably synthetic)

♦ Maltodextrin may be GMO and contains sulphites. Sue Dengate, author of Fed Up says “Sulphites have been associated with the full range of food intolerance symptoms including headaches, irritable bowel symptoms, behaviour disturbance and skin rashes but are best known for their effects on asthmatics.”

♦ Flavour Enhancers. The number 621 is MSG. This gets a sad face from The Chemical Maze. The range of problems is extensive! Heart palpitations, pins and needles in the upper limbs, bronchospasm in asthmatics, restlessness, irritability, dizziness, migraine, depression, nausea, tingling and numbness. Prohibited in food for infants. Number 635 is also a sad face and should be avoided by people with asthma. Other problems include unbearably itchy rash, swelling of the lips and tongue, headache, allergic reactions, behavioural problems, heart palpitations, sleep disturbance. Prohibited in food for infants.

♦ Antioxidant 320 is also known as butylated hydroxyanisole – it is banned in some countries and is petroleum derived. The Chemical Maze has two sad faces on this one. It’s problems include suspected respiratory, endocrine, skin, liver, immuno and neuro-toxicity, headache, DNA damage, recognized carcinogen, wheezing, asthma, insomnia, fatigue, depression, chronic urticaria, wild life and enviro toxicity. Prohibited in foods for infants.

♦ Caramel 111 (or 150c) is also given a sad face by The Chemical Maze. It is also referred to as ‘ammonia caramel’ and may affect the liver, may cause gastrointestinal problems and is prohibited in food for infants.

Wow, are you shocked? That’s a chemical cocktail right there in a noodle packet!

The other issues to consider are the interactions of consuming all these toxins together and also the cumulative effect in the body. The Maggi brand is also owned by Nestle, a company I try to avoid supporting due to their unethical practices. A few months ago, Maggi noodles in India were also found to have excess quantities of lead and msg.

Okay, so what are the alternatives?

I know that 2 minute noodles are a quick and easy option, very cheap and kids generally love them. However, in light of the above information and depending on how often your family eat 2 minute noodles, you may want to start swapping over to something better.

Look out for plain rice noodles, brown rice noodles or soba noodles. Learn to read ingredient labels and look for ones with minimal ingredients and no additives. Try the Spiral Organic brand – these are usually great quality.

Flavourings:

Okay, so the flavouring sachet is arguably the biggest problem in terms of additives, so what can you use instead? My kids usually just use a knob of butter and a sprinkle of Herbamare (sea salt with veggies and herbs) or sometimes just fresh parmesan cheese.

You might want to provide a few options and see which ones the kids like best. Add in some cooked veges, meat or egg to make your noodles a complete meal!

You can also use:

♥ Dehydrated Bone Broth powder(yummo)

♥ Miso paste

♥ Nutritional yeast flakes

Do your kids like 2 minute noodles? Do you have alternatives to share with us?

The Chemical Maze Bookshelf Companion Review and Giveaway

November 11, 2013 · 88 Comments

Bill Statham’s other book, The Chemical Maze Shopping Companion, was the first book I ever bought on my toxin-free journey. I was very excited to have a read of this second edition of The Chemical Maze Bookshelf Companion. It’s like the bumper version of the shopping companion. Although this book is designed as a home reference guide, it is still reasonably compact and will fit into a handbag if you want to take it shopping.

Without being too gushy, I really do love this book! It is quite simply a must have for all families trying to avoid chemicals in their lives. It’s the reference book I use to help me decide if a product is suitable for my family, based on the safety of its ingredients.

Bill and Lindy have ten years of research invested in this book and it shows. It is extremely comprehensive with over 1200 chemicals listed. Best of all, the information is unbiased and not attached to any big multinational company!

In the book, you will find listed by name and number:

* Food additives

* Cosmetic ingredients and

* Household products

Also included are some safer alternatives and recipes for homemade cleaners.

Sample page.

I love the way it’s so easy to read and quick to find what you are looking for. You don’t have to dissect lots of scientific information, Bill and Lindy have done all the hard work.

In the directory, you will find:

* The name and number of the chemical

* It’s functions (eg preservative, skin conditioning )

* A code ( a clever use of sad and happy faces on a scale from safe to use to potentially hazardous)

* Potential effects (eg suspected neurotoxicity, hyperactivity, asthma)

Bill and Lindy

Some quick tips from Bill and Lindy:

– Check the label. Remember, ‘no added’ doesn’t mean none at all.

– By simply choosing products with the least amount of ingredients on the label, you are making a choice for better health.

– Asthmatics can have adverse reactions to genetically modified ingredients, especially preservative 220 which can be found in everyday health foods like dried apricots.

– ‘E numbers’ represent preservatives and additives on ingredient lists.

– The notorious food additive 621 MSG is most obviously found listed on a label as 620-622. But MSG is often disguised as other ingredients. Look out for anything ‘hydrolysed’.

I highly recommend this book to any family who want to have a safe and toxin free household. It’s a great reference book for everyone but especially those starting out on this journey and are confused about what is safe and what is not. Bill has changed our lives for the better and I am grateful that he has written this resource for us all of us to use. A firm Natural New Age Mum favourite!

You can get the book on the Chemical Maze website. Check out the blog while you are there for some interesting articles. Keep up to date with Bill and the team on the Chemical Maze Facebook Page.

Giveaway:

**This giveaway has now closed. The lucky winners were Melissa and Monique!**

Would you like to win a copy of The Chemical Maze Bookshelf Companion? I have two copies to share!

How to enter:

* Be a blog subscriber (add your email to the top right box)

* Like The Chemical Maze Facebook page. Go here.

* Leave a comment on this blog post telling us why you would like to win one

Terms and conditions:

This giveaway runs from now until Sunday the 17th of November at midnight. The winner will be chosen using a random number generator from those meeting the entry requirements. The winner will be emailed and announced on the blog post. Sorry, only open to Australian residents. Good luck!

Special Offer:

Bill is giving away a FREE copy of The Shopping Companion (rrp $16.95) with every Bookshelf Companion purchased through the website before the end of November 2013. Just put NNAM in the ‘note to merchant’ area. Go shopping here.

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5 Foods That Have Sneaky Additives

June 22, 2013 · 50 Comments

5 Foods That Have Sneaky Additives

Don’t you hate it when you think you are eating something healthy and then someone tells you it’s not so healthy?

That’s exactly how I felt when I found out about these five foods.

You really have to read labels, ask questions and educate yourself about what is in your food.

This is even more important if your family is having health issues, allergies or reactions to additives.

Here are five foods that would seem healthy, but unfortunately, they can all contain sneaky additives!

1. Prawns

Prawns can contain 223 or sodium metabisulphite. Sue Dengate at her website, Fed Up says ” Prawns always contain sulphites to preserve colour. The maximum permitted level is 30 ppm, but how well is it monitored? One seafood worker explained how they use ‘metta’ (sodium metabisulphite, 223). It is a white powder sprinkled over sackfuls of fresh prawns by people wearing rubber gloves. Some prawns must have higher readings than others.”

What’s better? Buy prawns that are packaged and labelled without the 223 or get to know your fish monger and ask the questions!

2. Grated Cheese

Check on the back of your grated cheese. Quite often it will contain anti-caking agent 460. It is also called ‘cellulose microcrystalline and powdered’ – it’s essentially wood pulp! Although Additive Alert tells us it is ‘generally regarded as safe’ it has been banned in UK baby food. “Cellulose is non soluble, but can be fermented in the large intestine. Large concentrations can cause intestinal problems, such as bloating, constipation and diarrhoea.” mbm.net Not something I really want to eat, thanks all the same!

What’s better? Buy a block of cheese and grate it yourself. Use a food processor and freeze it if you want a quick option.

3. Vegemite

I can already hear you all saying, but it’s a health food! I found this one out many years ago and banished Vegemite from our house. Sue Dengate at Fed Up says that “yeast extracts contain free glutamates that are essentially the same as MSG”. Vegemite also contains natural colour (150d) which contains preservative 220. Remember I have talked about 220 before?

What’s better? You can buy alternative products like Everymite which are allergy friendly and preservative free.

4. Milk

Milk is milk is milk…..right? Not so! Read the label to make sure you are getting 100% milk! Choice Australia says “more than a third of branded “milk” products contain non-dairy additives, such as minerals, vitamins, or vegetable or fish oil. Under the Food Standards Code the manufacturers are not allowed to call these products “milk” on the label, yet they look like milk, are packaged like milk and are kept in the milk fridge in the supermarket.”

What’s better? Read labels, choose small independent milk brands, choose organic or raw milk.

5. Multi-Vitamins

Okay so not really a ‘food’, but still something we give to our kids to ingest.

The very things you buy to improve your health may actually be damaging it. Kid’s vitamins can contain artificial colours, flavours and additives. One brand for example, Flintstones, has a ridiculous amount of artificial additives and sugar in various forms.

What’s better? We love the superfood organic powders for that bit of extra nutrient insurance. Find them here.

Sooooo I don’t want to freak you all out! I just want you to know this information and be aware. It doesn’t mean you have to stop eating them. It means you now have the information to make a choice. You might like to change brands or grate your own cheese for example. Knowledge is power!

What foods have you found that contain sneaky additives?

The cupcake of death.

March 25, 2013 · 83 Comments

Okay, so ‘the cupcake of death’ may be a little sensationalist for a blog title, but that is what I have been calling these little suckers.

This is the story of ‘the cupcake of death’.

When I am not blogging, I also work in a kitchen store. I am the ‘window dresser’ – that’s the title I give myself. I love doing it. Often I use props like apples, lemons and ….. cupcakes.

We sourced these cupcakes from our local Coles supermarket, which is conveniently located near us. They were from the bakery section.

These cupcakes have been in our display window, under hot lights for 8 hours a day, unpackaged.

Guess how long they have been there now?

9 weeks, people, 9 whole weeks!

They are still perfect looking (apart from a little dust) and just a tiny bit hard.

Not one bit of mould to be seen. Not one bit of deterioration.

It scares me.

Now do you see why I call them evil? They are ‘the cupcake of death’.

I brought them home to photograph for you. I had used them for so long in the windows it was time for a change.

The kids thought I had gone bonkers when they saw store-bought cupcakes!

My gorgeous friend Wende actually makes cupcakes as her job running Design-A-Cupcake Party. She uses good old-fashioned butter, sugar, flour, baking powder, milk and eggs. I asked her how long her cupcakes would last without going mouldy.

She says “I once popped 6 cupcakes into a Tupperware container and a week and a half later remembered them. … they were hairy”.

I have had banana muffins, kept in the pantry, riddled with mould within three days.

Real food goes off.

I don’t have the original package anymore to tell you what the ingredients are, but I am betting there is a heck of a lot of preservatives and artifical stuff in there.

So, what’s the moral of my ‘cupcake of death’ story? I think it’s – ‘don’t eat fake food, eat real food.’

What do you think?

Let’s Party….. Additive Free!

March 8, 2013 · 39 Comments

Let’s Party… Additive Free!

I am welcoming the gorgeous Melanie Avery to the blog today. Melanie is a very special friend and it’s through her, that I learnt about the harmful effects of food additives. She is such a kind and generous natural, new age mum and is spreading her message far and wide with other mums. Let’s find out some more……

Tell us about yourself

Hello everyone. My name is Melanie and I am the mum to three special kiddies Connor aged 7, Bella aged 9 and Mackenzie nearly 11. Our family has lived in Singleton, NSW for 7 years.

Some of my favourite hobbies are scrapbooking family photos and Zumba classes. Reading, listening to music, yoga, meditation, inspirational quotes in various forms, collecting crystals, using essential oils daily and sharing my time with others who inspire me, are the special things I do to make me, me.

Tell us about your passion

I am the author to two self published books, Let’s Party! Additive Free and Let’s Celebrate Christmas! Additive Free as well as an e-Book Let’s Visit! Additive Free. Upon publishing my first title, I launched my website, Let’s Live Additive Free to offer continuing support and information to the many families that are travelling down the path of change.

So, what exactly are food additives?

Food additives are preservatives, flavours, colours, flavour enhancers, anti-caking agents, antioxidants, stabilizers and the like that product manufacturers add to food to alter it’s shelf life, appearance, consistency or taste. These are mostly artificial with those that are derived from natural sources often from questionable sources such as wood pulp or human hair.

What problems do food additives cause?

Food additives can cause a large range of health effects such as:

Migraines, behavioural problems, hypersensitivity, skin irritations, behaviour and learning problems, worsened asthma, nettle rash or hives, DNA damage, depression, fatigue, headache, insomnia, allergic and supersensitive reactions, gastrointestinal ailments, eczema, dermatitis, inattention, irritability, neurological problems, restlessness, sleep disturbance, aggressive behaviour, hyperactivity or head banging. These reactions vary between additives. Some additives have links to cancer, are prohibited in foods for infants and may damage DNS cells.

Does everyone have to avoid additives?

People choose to avoid food additives for various reasons. All of my three kiddies have different sensitivities to food additives which was how our journey began. As my knowledge and experience has grown, it is my belief that we can all benefit from removing food additives from our diet. Our nation’s health and well-being is on the decline and I believe that food additives are playing a major role in this. I live by a simple rule: if I cannot pronounce the name of the additives or buy the additive in a shop to use in my cooking then it is not for me.

Is it hard to avoid food additives?

Initially, avoiding food additives can take some extra time, especially when you do the grocery shopping ,but it isn’t difficult. Once you are armed with the tools and knowledge, there is no stopping you! Begin small, changing a few products at a time until your knowledge grows and before you know it, your whole diet will have changed.

My website and books provide information to help you live an additive free life. I present all of my information, research, ideas and recipes is an easy to understand format so you don’t feel bogged down or overloaded. Both of my books come with information on additives as well as recipes and shopping lists of products available to purchase when shopping that are additive free.

I offer a complimentary newsletter each month with up to date information, product reviews, recipes and more to help keep you on track.

What is your best party tip?

It occurred to me that children just love a fun, colourful party, so we should forget the focus on food and put it on having fun! I like to have old-fashioned games like apple bobbing, blind man’s buff and egg and spoon races. Take a look at the games section on the website.

What do you like to put into a healthy party bag?

Stickers, tattoos, balloons, small bubble containers, stamps, fairy wands or crowns and small cars are just some of the fun things you can include.

What’s one of your favourite additive free party recipes?

NUT FREE APRICOT AND COCONUT BALLS

INGREDIENTS:

500g organic (sulphur free) dried apricots, chopped and soaked

1 cup organic (sulphur free) coconut

1/3 cup chia seeds

2/3 cup rice flour

2/3 cup orange juice

1/3 cup organic tahini

Extra organic coconut for coating

METHOD:

1. Add all the ingredients and process until combined.

2. Roll spoonfuls of the mixture into balls and then roll in extra coconut.

3. Refrigerate until firm.

How can people get in touch with you?

Phone: 0439 874 481

Email: melanie@letsliveadditivefree.com

Facebook * Website * Blog

Giveaway

This giveaway has now closed. The winners were Jade and Rhianon.

Melanie is kindly giving away two copies of her fabulous book, Let’s Party, Additive Free!

To enter the draw:

* Be a Natural New Age Mum blog subscriber (add your email to the box on the top right).

* Be a Let’s Party Additive Free monthly newsletter subscriber (go here and click on the pink subscribe button).

* Comment on this post, telling Melanie what your favourite additive free party food is.

Terms and Conditions:

This giveaway is only open to Australian residents. It closes on the 16th of March at midnite. The winner will be chosen from those meeting the entry requirements using random.org. Best of luck!

Thanks for stopping by Melanie and sharing with us your additive-free passion!

click me to find out more

Is your dried fruit safe?

January 28, 2013 · 67 Comments

Have you ever wondered why some dried fruit looks weird?

Check out these organic apples – they are brown!

But, you know what? These are the best type to eat.

Most dried fruit contains the preservative sulphur dioxide (number 220) which gives dried fruit its bright colours. It is also used to stop the fruit from going mouldy.

Dried fruit seems like a harmless snack to feed our kids and a great natural sweetener in baking, but eating too much 220 can cause lots of problems.

“In Australia, dried fruit can contain extremely high amounts of sulphites – 3,000 parts per million (ppm) compared to 2,000 ppm in the UK, and far higher per serve than any other food consumed by children. To put that into perspective, the Acceptable Daily Intake of sulphite for a 10-year-old weighing 21kg is just 15mg of sulphite per day. That is ONE dried apricot.” The Food Intolerance Network.

The Chemical Maze Handbook (which I suggest everyone should get), puts a big 🙁 on 220. They say its potential effects are ‘asthma, destroys Vitamin B1 and is recommended to avoid.’

Tanya from the Additive Free Pantry says “220 is known to cause development delay, diarrhoea, nausea, swelling, destroys vitamin B1, anaphylaxis, bronchitis, stomach upset while also prohibited in foods for infants. Sulphur dioxide can be fatal to an asthmatic. This is the simple reason we do not consume 220. Not worth it!”

So how do you avoid sulphur dioxide?

Read labels, read labels, read labels!

Don’t buy anything that says sulphur dioxide, preservative 220 or 221,222, 223, 224, 225.

Choose organic where you can – it shouldn’t have additives and preservatives.

These organic dried apples pictured, have 100% organic apples and they look brown – so brightly coloured fruit should send warning signals to you! Sulphur dioxide-free apricots look brown, not orange! I think they taste much better, too!

Of course, drying your own dried fruit with a dehydrator is a great way to ensure you know exactly what’s in your dried fruit too.

And then there’s sunflower oil!

I only recently became wary of sunflower oil too. It is in a lot of dried fruit like sultanas, to keep them from sticking together.

So, is your dried fruit safe? Is this something that worries you?

Click here to shop at Bulk Whole Foods.