It should come as no surprise that despite the FDA’s strict regulations of what additives can be used to preserve food and increase shelf life; that there are still disgusting additives in our food that we consume everyday.  What was a surprise is that many of these additives have been approved by the FDA for companies to utilize in the food industry because they are GRAS, meaning “generally recognized as safe.”

#1 – Beaver Anal Glands

Have you ever picked up the ice cream container and read all the ingredients?  Well if you like vanilla, strawberry, or raspberry chances are there might be some “natural flavoring” in the ingredients list.  While most of us never questioned what “natural flavoring” is, my bet is that after reading this you may question it more often.  Castoreum is an anal and urine secretion that comes from the castor sacs of male and female beavers.  This is the additive that is FDA approved and can be found on labels called “natural flavoring.”  After learning about this “natural flavoring” the ingredients list, especially for ice cream, has become a priority to read while grocery shopping.