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Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated Intby Steve Ettlinger
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:A pop-science journey into the surprising ingredients found in dozens of common packaged foods, using the Twinkie label as a guide Like most Americans, Steve Ettlinger eats processed foods. And, like most consumers, he often reads the ingredients labelwithout a clue as to what most of it means. So when his young daughter asked, "Daddy, what's polysorbate 60?" he was at a lossand determined to find out. From the phosphate mines in Idaho to the corn fields in Iowa, from gypsum mines in Oklahoma to the vanilla harvest in Madagascar, Twinkie, Deconstructed is a fascinating, thoroughly researched romp of a narrative that demystifies some of the most common processed food ingredientswhere they come from, how they are made, how they are usedand why. Beginning at the source (hint: they're often more closely linked to rock and petroleum than any of the four food groups), we follow each Twinkie ingredient through the process of being crushed, baked, fermented, refined, and/or reacted into a totally unrecognizable goo or powder with a strange nameall for the sake of creating a simple snack cake. An insightful exploration into the food industry, if you've ever wondered what you're eating when you consume foods containing mono- and diglycerides or calcium sulfate (the latter, a food-grade equivalent) this book is for you. Review:"In this delightful romp through the food processing industry, Ettlinger, who writes on consumer products (The Complete Illustrated Guide to Everything Sold in Hardware Stores), says, 'Believers of urban legends take note.... Twinkies are not just made of chemicals,' nor will their ingredients allow them to last, 'even exposed on a roof, for 25 years.' But what exactly their ingredients are, and how they come from places like Minnesota and Madagascar to be made into what Ettlinger calls 'the uber-iconic food product, the archetype of all processed foods,' is the subject of his book. Each chapter looks at individual ingredients, in the same order as on a Twinkie package, so Ettlinger finds himself traveling to eastern Pennsylvania farms to study wheat, as well as to high-security plants that manufacture highly toxic chlorine used in minute amounts to make the bleached flour that is 'the only kind that works in sugar-heavy' Twinkies or birthday and wedding cakes. His exploration of the manufacturing processes of cellulose gum ('perfect for lending viscosity to the filling in snack cakes — or rocket fuel'), for example, cleverly reveals how Twinkie ingredients 'are produced by or dependent on nearly every basic industry we know.'" Publishers Weekly (Copyright Reed Business Information, Inc.) Review:"If you want to explore all the unpronounceable and highly suspect ingredients we consume daily, what better starting point could you choose than that classic golden creme-filled cake reputedly capable of withstanding a nuclear holocaust? In 'Twinkie, Deconstructed,' Steve Ettlinger sets out on just such an exploration, with mixed results. 'Where does pol-y-sor-bate six-tee come from,... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Book News Annotation:For consumers who have wondered about multisyllabic ingredients in
processed foods, a New York author who has appeared on the Food
Network and worked as a chef demystifies them. Drawing on interviews
with industry professionals, Ettlinger reveals that these snack cakes
and other popular products are concocted from byproducts of chlorine
bleaching, gypsum mining, petroleum processing, and other chemicals
also used in non-food products--which explains the Department of
Homeland Security's role in food supply protection.
Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) Synopsis:When Ettlinger's young daughter asked him, What's polysorbate 60? he was at a loss--and determined to find out. The result is a fascinating, thoroughly researched exploration into the food industry and some of the most commonly processed food ingredients. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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