The researcher Miguel Herrero, of the Food Sciences Research Institute (CIAL), has denied that bread crumbs are more fattening than crust, among other food myths and beliefs, in ‘Nutrition hoaxes’, the new book in the collection ‘What do we know about?’ of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC).
“Having less water, the components of the flour, basically carbohydrates, are more concentrated in the crust, so, with equal weight between the crust and the crumb, there will be a higher concentration of calories in the crust“explained the researcher.
Another myth about antioxidant foods
Another myth that Herrero wanted to dispel was the one referring to the repeated benefit of consuming antioxidant foods. Along these lines, he has pointed out that “there is not enough scientific evidence to reveal the true role of dietary antioxidants in terms of their preventive effect against the development of diseases.”
However, “there are some indirect clues which suggest that they may have a positive effect, although it is not known to what extent, and more and more research is appearing that studies how antioxidants from food are absorbed and metabolized in humans, which will help shed more light on this issue. “, he added in this regard.
In any case, he has pointed out that antioxidant foods are not harmful. “What is not very justified is that these salads or juices that carry the antiox sign are more expensive, because the antioxidants are already in their composition naturally,” he clarified.
Other compounds not exempt from controversy are the additives that are used to ensure the preservation of food or to modify its flavor, color and aroma. The author has explained that, despite being so maligned, they play a fundamental role in food and are safe for consumption. “There are food groups like honey, oils, butter or pasta for which the use of additives is prohibited or limited, but there are others such as wine or legumes already cooked in a jar in which they are necessary,” he stated.
How to correctly interpret the labeling?
As consumers, it is sometimes difficult to locate the relevant information that appears on a food label, or even interpret the messages it contains. In this sense, Herrero has explained that Nutrition information is an essential part of labels and its inclusion has been mandatory since 2016.
In addition, he has pointed out that the ingredients of a food must be presented from greatest to least weight on the labeling. “This means that, if in a soluble cocoa The first ingredient on the list is sugar, this will be the ingredient found in the greatest proportion in the product, and not cocoa,” the author indicated.
In turn, some nutritional statements may be misleading, such as ‘high in fibre’ or ‘low in calories’, which are some of the marketing tools most used by the food industry. Herrero has specified that they are voluntary messages and that their main problem is that they usually refer to a specific component, which does not always imply that the food can be considered healthy.
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