When my husband told one of his clients that we were visiting Canada, she asked if he would bring her a bottle of Heinz ketchup. Born and raised in Canada, she explained that Heinz ketchup in America is not Heinz ketchup in Canada.
So, en route to see the Wayne Gretzky Estates, my husband bought ketchup for the client and one for us as well. Here below, you can see the ingredient deck from the bottle in our refrigerator and the ingredients in the bottle from Canada.
American Heinz 8 ingredients: 1) Tomato concentrate from red ripe tomatoes 2) Distilled Vinegar 3) High fructose corn syrup 4) Corn Syrup 5) Salt 6) Spice 7) Onion Powder 8) Natural flavoring
Canadian Heinz 5 ingredients: 1) Tomato paste from fresh ripe tomatoes 2) Sugar 3) Vinegar 4) Salt 5) Spices
I’ve heard plenty about differing contents in similar products in the U.S. vs. other countries, but seeing this up close led me down a bunny trail exploring just how common it is for the FDA to permit glaringly unhealthy (and often harmful) products to line American shelves.
The FDA recently banned red dye #3 from food, supplements and ingested medicines. It’s extremely disturbing that 35 years ago they knew it was a cancer risk, removing it from cosmetics…35 years ago.
We all know the U.S. has food issues. Diabetes, obesity, etc., have been well documented. We also know there has been a steady rise in cancer among younger people. So, will the recent banning of red dye #3 make a difference? Perhaps for some, but for the manufacturers like Just Born Quality Confections, makers of the popular Peeps marshmallow candies, I wonder if the replacement product in their Peeps will be any less harmful. Maybe we’ll find out in another 35 years.
I have a friend who was born and raised in Italy, followed by many years in Dubai, United Arab Emirates while building an impressive career. She fell in love with an American and moved to North Carolina. After months of excusing her brutal stomach issues, fatigue and general blasĂ© as adjusting-to-moving, she finally went for comprehensive testing. The results confirmed that virtually three-quarters of her “very healthy foods diet” was being rejected by her body. She was experiencing severe allergic reactions without the hives and itching.
She spends considerable time buying and preparing foods for her consumption. Her husband and young children eat normal, American diets, more accustomed to the U.S. food system.
When my husband mentioned picking up the ketchup and why the client wanted it, I confess that I made a face. How different could it be? Turns out, Canadian ketchup isn’t the only item with shockingly different ingredients in the same products made outside of the U.S.
Europe has different ingredients in the same items available in the U.S., and they also cook their food differently-avoiding processed foods and deep frying. Americans plagued with everything from gluten issues to full-blown GI problems are posting articles about how they spent time in various European countries eating foods that would keep them attached to a toilet for days if they consumed said food in the U.S. Yet, in Europe, they felt great.
Further, genetically modified food is a staple in the American food supply.
According to the Institute for Responsible Technology (IRT) “Several animal studies (in 2009) indicate serious health risks associated with genetically modified (GM) food including infertility, immune problems, accelerated aging, faulty insulin regulation, and changes in major organs and the gastrointestinal system.” GMO’s are banned or labeled in 64 other countries,  but not in the US.
I’ll spare you the longer rabbit hole I toured, reading alarming, current, credibly sourced data regarding U.S. food containing contaminants. These impurities and toxins are accumulating in American bodies.
The Canadian ketchup lady has been on my mind since we traveled to Ontario. When I open my pantry and refrigerator, her small request has increased my awareness of what I’m mindlessly putting into my mouth.
Thank you for reading and I wish you a healthy week ahead!
Tales from a Mid-Lifer 
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