Aunt Jemima: There is nothing original about this artificial & unhealthy pancake syrup
Written by Ajay Chohan, Founder @ Small Batch Goodness
Aunt Jemima Original Syrup - Quaker Foods
Why Aunt Jemima’s branding is misleading: The inviting imagery and Aunt Jemima’s “Oh, how sweet it is!” tagline beguiles consumers away from the actual harmful and artificial ingredients present in this fake syrup that are tied to obesity and allergic skin reactions
Potentially Harmful Ingredients in the Aunt Jemima Syrup to Avoid: High Fructose Corn Syrup, Caramel Color, Sodium Hexametaphosphate
SIMILAR TO THE Log Cabin pancake syrup (which is a must read here), Aunt Jemima uses warm and inviting imagery to take attention away from the ingredients of this artificial syrup. The first two ingredients of this syrup are corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) – meaning these added sugars compose the majority of this concoction. HFCS is made by processing corn and separating out the glucose and fructose.
HFCS is highly concentrated fructose, as the name implies. Fructose is not easily digestible by our bodies and is processed differently than other sugars, and has thus been constantly linked with weight gain & obesity (1). Given Aunt Jemima has 0% actual maple syrup; it has to get its sweetness in this unnatural way.
The Aunt Jemima fake syrup contains Caramel Color and 4-Mel - a potentially cancer causing carcinogen.
The syrup gets its color from the artificial caramel color, which is made by reacting corn syrup with ammonia and sulfites under high pressure (2). Here is where it gets worse. Some types of caramel color contain 4-Mel, a potential human carcinogen shown to cause cancerous tumors in mice (2). The caramel color in Aunt Jemima Original syrup was shown to contain a high 30.1 micrograms of 4-Mel per ¼ cup of serving (2). So don’t be fooled by the thick brown color, Aunt Jemima pancake syrup is not rich in anything good.
Aunt Jemima also contains the synthetic thickener Sodium Hexametaphosphate, which is known to cause severe skin irritations and more.
Aunt Jemima syrup also contains sodium hexametaphosphate, a synthetic compound used as a thickener in foods, and linked to “swollen kidneys, loss of bone calcium, extreme skin irritations and other precursors to cancer” in tests on lab animals (3). Even though this substance in approved doses is “generally regarded as safe” by the FDA, it is best to avoid any food products with this potentially harmful ingredient.
Aunt Jemima’s syrup is almost entirely filled with unhealthy additives that our bodies do not need.
Aunt Jemima original syrup has 0% real maple syrup and has none of the nutrients that actual maple syrup provides. The next time you ask yourself if your favorite pancake syrup is gluten free, vegan or how many calories it has; dive deeper into the ingredients to make sure it is not toxic! A lot of brands will boldly state common nutritional facts on their packaging to hide harmful ingredients present, and give the impression that this is actually a healthy food product.
This liquid mixture is neither healthy nor wholesome. Quaker Foods has taken the right step in deciding to change the name of this syrup. Now it should go a step ahead and completely take this mesh of synthetic additives & colors off the shelves.
Is (or was) Aunt Jemima part of your breakfast routine? Share your thoughts below!
Sources - Research for Yourself!
1. https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/healthier-real-maple-syrup-fake-10612.html
2. https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/news/2014/03/caramel-coloring-in-pancake-syrup/index.htm
3. https://www.isitbadforyou.com/questions/is-sodium-hexametaphosphate-bad-for-you
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