How human hair and beaver ‘scent’ end up in our food
HUMAN hair swept up from the floors of Chinese barber shops and a secretion from glands beneath beavers’ tails are making their way into some of our favourite foods.
A study claims some supermarket bread contains the amino acid l-cysteine, derived from hair – primarily sourced in China – and used to prolong the shelf-life of commercial loaves.
It also says some vanilla ice cream may be flavoured with castoreum, which is produced in beavers’ castor sacs, located near their backsides.
used by the creatures to scent their territory, it has featured in food and
‘Some of the findings are shocking’
fragrances for 80 years, but has largely been replaced by chemical alternatives or castor oil produced from plants.
However, the researchers claim some companies may still use castoreum as a vanilla substitute without declaring it.
The research lifts the lid on some of the bizarre ingredients used by the food industry and other firms including those making cosmetics.
In a finding that might disturb vegetarians, it says bananas are not necessarily animal-free because the pesticide they are sprayed with may be made from shrimp and crab shells.
It also claims a key ingredient in antifreeze is used to stop ready-made cake mixes clumping together.
And it seems some chicken nuggets are only 50 per cent chicken and include a chemical found in breast implants.
Gelatine, meanwhile, which is made from boiling animal bones, is also found in some breakfast cereals to make sugar stick. looking at other sectors, researchers found products labelled ‘leather’ in shops do not actually have to be 100 per cent leather.
And sheets labelled ‘Egyptian cotton’ only have to contain 5 per cent of the luxury fibre, while ‘British wool’ only has to have 50 per cent of its content from UK sheep.
It was also revealed that some red cosmetics, including lipsticks, get their colouring from crushed beetles boiled with ammonia. Dan Simson, of Privilege Insurance, which commissioned the study from the research firm Opinium, said it was designed ‘to confirm or dispute, once and for all, some of the everyday consumer scenarios we are all faced with’.
He added: ‘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.’