If you read food labels, you will find cellulose gum in many foods. Foods that do have it are highly processed. Cellulose gum can be found in ice cream, beer, pie filling, jellies, cake icings, many “diet” foods, processed cheese, infant formula, cottage cheese, cream cheese, dressings, desserts, concentrated juice, and spice mixes. Wow, that is quite the list! But wait there are more: toothpaste, hair gel, shampoo, lotion, ointments, pharmaceuticals, and laundry detergent can also have cellulose.
Cellulose is a strong carbohydrate that comes from the cell walls of plants, wood pulp and cotton lint are the most common sources that cellulose is made from. It is made by reacting cellulose with acetic acid and salt. Acetic acid is a mild acid, the main component of vinegar.
What does cellulose gum do in our foods? It has the ability to make thicker, creamier consistency in foods, and it can thicken without the use of fat which is necessary for low-fat foods. It can also suppress appetite, some people will use it as a laxative.
- In beer, it is used to stabilize the foam.
- In icing, it prevents crystallization of sugar.
- For jellies and pie fillings, it helps suspend the fruit.
- In shredded cheese products and spice mixes, it keeps the ingredients from caking.
Possible concerns:
Cellulose is a food additive, not a whole-food ingredient with many chemical names which include carboxymethyl cellulose, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, CMC, modified cellulose, and cellulose gel.
A 2015 study found that cellulose can affect gut bacteria and can trigger inflammatory bowel systems and other changes in the gut. It may act like a detergent to disrupt the mucous layer that lines the gut.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined that cellulose is not dangerous or hazardous. It is very rare to have an allergic reaction to it. There is really no nutritional value to cellulose.
Of the additives used in processed foods, cellulose probably has very little risk associated with it, BUT the risk will more likely be from eating the highly processed foods it is found in! How many foods can you find in your kitchen with cellulose?
Be blessed and be a blessing,
Heather
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