http://www.care2.com/greenliving/whats-inside-your-veggie-burger.html
What’s Inside Your Veggie Burger?
By Rachael Jackson, Eating Well magazine
Ever wondered what all those ingredients listed on the package of your soy-based veggie burger really are? Rest assured, they’re not as scary as they sound. We explain the purpose of some mysterious ingredients commonly spotted on the labels of meat-free burgers.
PROTEIN PACKERS
Textured vegetable protein, soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate (listed in order from least to most processed).
A source of high-quality protein, the soybean is the foundation for many vegetarian burgers. Manufacturers often blend less-processed (and more nutritious) forms of soy with more highly processed soy that contributes an appealingly chewy, meat-like texture.
BINDERS & STABILIZERS
Vegetable gum, maltodextrin, methylcellulose.
These ingredients help hold everything together in a neat, firm patty. Generally, they are starches or fibers derived from natural plants (including bushes, trees, seaweed) and bacteria. You’ll find them in nearly any processed food. Since they are added in such small amounts, their nutritional impact is negligible.
FLAVOR INFUSERS
Natural flavor, yeast extract, disodium guanylate, disodium inosinate, succinic acid, sodium phosphate.
Somewhat like the sugar and cheese, onion and garlic powders also listed on labels, these less familiar ingredients contribute to, or enhance, the flavor of your burger.
Natural flavor: This term refers to one or more ingredients derived from a plant or animal (i.e., not created in a lab) and added for flavor, not nutrition. Usually it reflects multiple ingredients whose proportions may vary between batches. For example, mint ice cream’s “natural flavor” may come from several mint types (peppermint, spearmint, etc.). “Natural flavor” may conceal proprietary formulas: One company that makes soy burgers confessed that using the term keeps its herb-and-spice blend “secret.” bottom line: Food makers don’t use this vague term to trick consumers (to puzzle rivals, maybe); in fact, the FDA requires that ingredients associated with food sensitivities (e.g., monosodium glutamate) be identified specifically.
Yeast extract: Compounds, including amino acids–which stimulate taste receptors–that are isolated from yeast and added to enhance flavors.
Disodium guanylate/disodium inosinate/succinic acid: Natural acids (found in living cells) that enhance food flavors, helping to reduce the amount of salt needed.
SODIUM PHOSPHATE
Like table salt (sodium chloride), it adds flavor–and sodium–to your burger.
MEAT IMITATORS
Sunflower oil, soybean oil, corn oil, niacinamide, iron, ferrous sulfate, B1, B6, B2, B12.
Vegetable oils are added to contribute the moisture and rich “mouthfeel” that, in traditional hamburgers, (less healthful) beef fat provides. Also, some brands are fortified with nutrients one might miss by not eating meat.
Visit EatingWell.com for free quick and easy healthy recipe collections!
More from Mel, selected from Eating Well magazine (78 articles available)
related stories
-
(31 comments)
-
-
(6 comments)
Robyn
Melissa
Deepak
Eric
Dave
Dr. Brent
Isha
Susan
Delia
Michelle
Wendy
Megan
Hilary
Ann
Judi
Ronnie
Kelly
Lily
Terri
Betsy
Cait
Andrew
Jana
Annie B.
Veronica
26 comments
add your comment »Aneglia- I am incredibly educated. If yeast contains "MSG" then it is there as a matural thing. MSG is the amino acid glutamate. The M means mono the S means sodium and the G means glutamate. BTW, most people have no problem with MSG though some do. Yeasy is a natural source of vitamen and amino acids. Perhpas you have trouble with MSG and have to aovid it. If you, you probably do need to avoid yeast as well. So sorry that those natural vitamens don't work for you. As for me, I chose to make credible food decisions based on real knoweldge of real molecules.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
To Nancy M: The yeast extract found in the food you buy contains MSG. This is how manufacturers are able to pass it off without having to list it. Do a google search of MSG in yeast extract and you will see. Please do your homework and become educated. It's time we stop allowing them to treat us like stupid sheep.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I agree w/Leigh-Anne Yacovelli re "natural flavor" so if it doesn't specify 'vegetarian' or 'vegan' I avoid anything w/natural flavor. You'd be surprised what they put chicken fat in BTW - I found it on the label when I was half-way through a bag of Baked Lays potato chips!!!!Yecch!
As to avoiding commercial - I'm glad to find out that the ''mystery" ingredients are harmless - I'm a chronic pain sufferer so making my own is just too much sitting and/or standing!!! Trader Joe's Wildwood tofu burger is great & for a "I can't believe this is a veggie burger!" treat Morningstar's Griller's Prime makes me feel like I'm at a July 4th cookout! These are all kind of pricey but are a quick way to keep up my protein intake.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
I have been a veg for a long time, but not starting out with any type of sense with cooking as it was ALL packaged as a kid, I did rely a lot on processed "veg" foods for a lot of years. Then I found out I have Celiac Disease and by the nature of the beast am eating vastly different. I cannot even tell you how much better I feel! It is amazing. I am still at a loss sometimes on what to eat and what to make, especially since I have the "childhood" foods in my mind! Now I am experimenting with greens.
As far as Veggie burgers? Well the only one I found that is gluten free and tasty is by Amy's, but on my budget that isn't going to happen either!
Happy day to all!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Natural flavor, derrived from an animal. Doesn't that defeat the point of eating a veggie burger?
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Right on Krystina! Good on you Rhobert for showing that vegetarians can actually avoid soy and be healthy! And, who wants MSG anyway? Pat O's comments are right on the money. And, don't forget the bad things that soy does to a person's health with all the phytoestrogens.
You can actually make your own veggie burgers with very little effort, if you can plan ahead. I have a recipe book called Fabulous Beans by Barb Bloomfield. It has a few veggie burger recipes in it that use the healthy ingredients that vegetarians long for. She has a few questionable recipes with soy ingredients, but the ones for veggie burgers are not questionable. One really only needs to plan ahead of time in order to ensure that one has plenty of cooked beans for the recipe. She does give options for canned beans as well, but she encourages people to plan ahead and cook their own beans. With a little forethought and planning and a good crockpot, one can make all these recipes without too much effort. Lentil burgers are actually really good. I believe she has a version using chick peas, too. Now, these are veggie burgers that one can feel confident in, because when you make things yourself, you know exactly what's in them.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Veggie burgers may not be all that healthy but it's an acceptable alternative for those who don't want to eat animals. I am also against genetically modified food as well as cloning farm animals for human consumption. I think these are just despicable. Who are we to play God??!! Just because we can, doesn't mean we should. www.KindnessNotCruelty.org
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
To the person who thinks that disodium guanlyate is bat poo. I think you have guanylate and guano confused. guanylate is also known as guanosine monophosphate (GMP) and is found in very living cell. It is used to make DNA and RNA (hereditary material) and also in cell signalling and protein metabolism.
In fact glutamate is an amino acid that is found in every living cell too. Some people are quite sensitive to it when taken in orally and should avoid it. But not everyone is sensitive to it. In fact more recently, it has been acknowledge as the fifth taste- umami. It does enhance flavors for those not sensitive to it.
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
To the person who mentioned that yeast extract is bad, No it is not. It is very natural yeast broken down a bit to release the vitamins and amino acids. In fact, it used to be the major componenet of many vitamin tablets. IT is incredibly rich in nutrients and very good for you.
UNLESS, you are allergic to yeast. Some people are. Or have a sensitivity to MSG as there could be traces of that.
In fact, products like vegemite and marmite, found in natural health food stores and markets actually ARE yeast extract.
I LOVE vegemite sandwiches!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
So glad to read so many well-informed posts here from folks who know that ANY kind of packaged food is poisen, and that you can eat healthy food for a lot less money and with a lot less packaging waste by eating whole grains and vegetables!
send green star | flag as inappropriate
why is this inappropriate?
Facebook account: