As promised I’m finally blogging about the Chem Cuisine app from the folks at CSPI. I have to say that I love this app. If you’ve ever wondered what Calcium Propionate is and why it’s in your bread, this is the app for you. Not only do they tell you why these various additives are used, but also if they are regarded as safe, or if you should avoid or cut back on them. It is also easy to use – either type in the search field or scroll through the A-Z listing. Information is given in a very logical, easy to read format. You can also click on the icons (Safe, Cut Back, Avoid, Caution, Certain People Should Avoid) to see the items that fall in each of those categories. All that for $0.99!
I personally trust the information coming out of CSPI for several reasons. The first one being that they are interested in hard facts and scientific reasoning. The information presented is factual and based upon what data is currently available about each chemical listed. This is hard science, not anecdotal. Secondly, CSPI does not take funding from corporations. Why does this matter? Basically I feel pretty good that their judgement won’t be influenced by the promise of a big fat check from XYZ Corporation who might be worried about what they might say about the additives in their particular products.
So if you are concerned about the additives in your food, check out Chem Cuisine. You can also look into CSPI and their very good newsletter Nutrition Action. Enjoy!