Review: Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats

Twinkie, Deconstructed: My Journey to Discover How the Ingredients Found in Processed Foods Are Grown, Mined (Yes, Mined), and Manipulated into What America Eats by Steve Ettlinger
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In this detailed and often fascinating investigation, the author offers a chapter on each Twinkie ingredient from Polysorbate 60 to artificial coloring, etc. Finding no butter or eggs, he travels to where each item is made (tasting where he can), typically a factory and often a petrochemical facility. It is fascinating if discouraging how many of the ingredients here - and they are used in many processed foods - come from petroleum like benzene, etc. Also, many of the facilities could not be toured due to security concerns, including the risk of explosion. Also, I had no idea gypsum was such a common food additive.

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