What's In A Pop-Tart? A Friendly Chat With Kellogg's
What exactly is in a Pop Tart? One crusading health-food advocate called Kellogg's and had an illuminating chat with one of their representatives:
All of our colors are approved by the FDA,” she said. “We wouldn’t put anything in our products that’s harmful to our consumers.”
Many, however, feel that the synthetic additives rampant in foodstuffs are responsible for a host of health problems.
To further defend the use of artificial colors, Veronica stated several times that they are used “to give the desired appearance to the food.”
“What’s ‘color added’?” I asked, referring to the ingredient “color added.” “Aren’t there enough colors added?”
“That’s referring to titanium dioxide, which is used in minimal amounts for whitening.”
I asked why “titanium dioxide” isn’t written instead of “color added.”
Kellogg’s, Veronica explained, isn’t required by the FDA to list titanium dioxide. I wonder if paint makers or sunscreen producers are required to list the titanium dioxide found in their products.
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23 Comments:
you know what's in pop-tarts?
magic. delicious, delicious magic. I'm going to have one right now.
unarata at 3:06PM on 02/02/09
Say what you will about Pop Tarts, I only wish that customer service at my phone company, health insurance, cable, and utility hotlines were as easy to access as Kellogg's
HeartofGlass at 3:18PM on 02/02/09
Its great that you bring this up solaris--people need to reco-nize!!!
But I suggest asking the FDA these questions; or at least suggest that they improve because it appears that the majority of consumers (ie-yourself) feel mislead by labelling regulations currently. They choose the regulations regarding this...Kelloggs just wants their "romance" marketing copy to fall within FDA's "must-do's". I dunno, that's how I would get an answer
hungrychristel at 3:33PM on 02/02/09
Since I tried Toaster Strudels, Pop Tarts just don't cut it.
Titanium dioxide doesn't sound tasty.
Carnal at 3:36PM on 02/02/09
Seems like someone just needed content for their blog. Is any of that information really a revelation to anyone? Yep pop tarts are full of stuff that's not good for you. It seems to me more of a rehashed stunt ala Supe-Size Me that's already been done to death on the internet.
bobbob at 4:01PM on 02/02/09
what heartofglass and bobbob said. i'm surprised the operator was that patient when the guy was clearly acting like a dbag ("wouldn't that melt the sundae?"). the responses were straightforward and accurate. seems to me that his problem is with the fda, not kelloggs.
sloppy at 4:10PM on 02/02/09
Pop Tarts are f*&%ing gross anyhow.
PumpkinBear at 4:33PM on 02/02/09
If anyone needs to be told that pop tarts aren't health food, they aren't going to be reading the fine print in food labels.
As for titanium dioxide, yes, it sounds like a nasty chemical, but it could be the chemical name for something completely benign.
If someone found out that ground glass was a common ingredient in pop tarts, it would be worth some uproar. Coloring? I mean, come on. What natural food substance have you eaten that's the same color as the interior of a pop tart?
dbcurrie at 7:23PM on 02/02/09
Yummy!!!!!!
dd 450 at 7:47PM on 02/02/09
@dbcurrie--what do you mean, unnatural? My Barbie's camper was EXACTLY that shade!
I always love how pink is the universal artificial coloring for 'strawberry flavor' and blue is for 'raspberry flavor' even though neither fruit is that color--but because cherry is the universal artificial shade of 'red' you can't have red 'fruits.'
HeartofGlass at 7:49PM on 02/02/09
Loved them as a kid. My fav was strawberry and raspberry.
@ carnal- Agreed, when the toaster struedel came along I switched to that instead.
pjracz10 at 8:46PM on 02/02/09
@heart, I guess the interior of a pop tart is no more unnatural than the plutonium-colored fruits in a fruitcake.
Although I will admit to a peculiar love for blue popsicles when I was a kid.
dbcurrie at 2:22AM on 02/03/09
I must add, in the interest of full disclosure that I too loved these as a child. Loved them--lots of the savory comfort food mentioned in the guilty pleasures threads here leave me cold, but I adored the crunch of the unfrosted corner, the crisp yield of the white frosting and the molten blueberry or strawberry center that burned my tongue. Oh yeah, and I still remember when the chocolate and S'mores flavors came out--good stuff. Plus eating them cold at slumber parties and study break session in college.
I haven't had them in ten years, but I still remember how p.o.-ed I was that although one serving is a single tart with a whopping 210 calories or so, they package them deceivingly by twos in a single envelope. Now that is worthy of criticizing--how many calories are crammed in a relatively tiny pastry.
HeartofGlass at 5:55AM on 02/03/09
You want natural colors?!.... might I suggest a carrot?
Pavlov at 6:39AM on 02/03/09
It was a kid thing - ate them all the time. My clan of kids and grand kids love them now. But I'm getting pretty discerning and cranky in my food ingestion these days. Leaning heavily back to scratch cooking and natural ingredients.
Ribster at 8:10AM on 02/03/09
It's mindless crap like this that gets in the way of actually learning anything useful about food. Not to mention the troll-like use of the Serious Eats platform to try to drive traffic to his own blog. Chef Rob (from his website) sounds like a self-important jackass who thinks he's clever.
ccbweb at 10:37AM on 02/03/09
LOL Pavlov! I agree. If you want health food, eat a carrot. If you're going to eat a Pop Tart, odds are you already know it's crap. Delicious crap, maybe, but crap nonetheless.
buffy at 10:50AM on 02/03/09
@Ribster- didn't AB do a show recently on making home made pop tarts?
pjracz10 at 12:00PM on 02/03/09
Have carrot. Make carrot cake. With cream cheese frosting.
dbcurrie at 5:30PM on 02/03/09
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Let's all be healthy and not EVER eat anything bad for us.
Mmmmmmmm...Pop Tarts...
carolrsfMISSESTEXAS at 12:29AM on 02/04/09
@pjracz- Yes, AB did do homemade "pop-tarts" on his pocket pie show. Also, turnovers, fried pies and pasties, I believe. I remember thinking the edges were too thick on the DIY toaster pastries, though.
Calichef at 3:02AM on 02/04/09
@pjracz - didn't catch the AB episode on home made pop tarts. But you got me thinking and I just googled it. Lot's of recipes and ideas out there. Will probably give it a try in a few weeks. Thanks
Ribster at 7:36AM on 02/04/09
i used to work for the soviet union and we used titanium dioxide in our production of chemical weapons.
I'm just wondering if this is why Americans are unable to compete as well as our Russian athletes. Good luck in 2012 even though we have already won.
poptarthater at 2:50PM on 03/06/09