Did you know that margarine has been exposed to solvents, bleach and synthetic colors? Yes, there was a time when margarine was a trend, but folks, there is a simple rule: instead of following trends, just eat REAL foods. MARGARINE IS NOT REAL. This is how margarine is made (courtesy of TheRealFoodGuide.com): Vegetable oils are extracted from corn, cottonseed, soybeans or safflower seeds. Hexane, an organic compound commonly used as a solvent, is used in the extraction process. The oil is steam cleaned to remove most impurities. Steaming also destroys vitamins and antioxidants. Hydrogen gas is bubbled through liquid oil in the presence of a catalyst (usually nickel). This forces unsaturated fatty acids to become saturated and solid. The more complete the hydrogenation process, the firmer the finished product. Margarine undergoes partial hydrogenation, to make it semi-solid. Partial hydrogenation produces a lumpy grey grease and results in the formation of trans-fats. Emulsifiers are added to remove lumps; bleach to remove the grey color. A second steam cleaning removes chemical odors; synthetic vitamins, artificial colors and a natural yellow color are added.
The lesson here is: eat real food.
