From hardtack to gingernuts
© Robert Anderson PhD
Originally published in Organic New Zealand, July/august 2005, Vol. 64 No. 4
One of the deeply ingrained social niceties that we enjoy is tea and biscuits. The very fact that it has sustained us for years testifies to the permanence of the habit. Think of the famous “Anzac” biscuit or the yearly call to support the “Girl Guide” biscuit. And who remembers a time when Gingernuts did not exist?
Biscuits, unlike the majority of our foods, have a very long history. Unfortunately, new labelling laws should make us wary of what they may now contain.
The history of the biscuit is as colourful as it is long. There has always been a need for nutritious, easy-to-store, easy-to-carry and long-lasting foods at sea. Egyptian sailors carried a flat brittle loaf of maize bread called dhourra cake. The Romans had a biscuit called buccellum. King Richard 1st (Lionheart) left for his Third Crusade (1189-92) with “biskit of muslin” – a mixed corn compound of barley, rye and bean flour. In the Royal Navy, fish fulfilled a limited role, but the introduction of cooking and baking of various cereals provided a more reliable source of food for travellers. At the time of the Armada in 1588, the daily allowance on board ship was 1lb of biscuit plus 1 gallon of beer. Lord Nelson’s crew would have been given these unappetising weevil infested biscuits.
The sweet biscuit as we know it today dates from at least 250 years ago. An advert for the famed “Pink Biscuits of Reims” runs: “In 1690, Reims’ bakers created a recipe to use the heat left over after bread making to bake and bake again a sweet thing; the 'bis-cuit' (baked twice) of Reims was born. In 1756, during the reign of Louis XV, a small and traditional biscuit company was formed. Monsieur Fossier took over in 1845 and the company has flourished ever since.”
Thus history has bequeathed this well-known treat down through the centuries. Today we do not need to dunk biscuits in our tea today to ensure the weevils float to the top as they did with ship’s biscuits, but caution of a different kind is warranted. The basic ingredients in a biscuit are flour, sugar and fat. However, in the name of innovation, what else might now be added?
GE ingredients?
US consumers have been heedlessly fed GE foods for some time, so the food industry would have few concerns over including them in biscuits or crackers. These may contain transgenic (GE) soy, corn, canola oil, cottonseed oil or their derivatives. Food Safety Australia New Zealand (FSANZ) admits that if soya or maize appear on the ingredients list, a (non-organic) biscuit contains GE ingredients. Although fresh GE foods are banned in NZ, using GE derived elements are not.[i] They should, however, be labelled, even though you may need a magnifying glass to read them. DuPont recently launched “Nutrium low lin” soybean oil, sourced from a pioneer seed variety (93M20) that comes from GE RoundupReady®seed. This is known in the trade as “Genetic enhancement of the antioxidant content of soybean oil for improved food processing.[ii]” They claim that the new soybean variety features oil with a low linolenic acid profile of less than three per cent and that it offers “better natural stability and increased shelf life and eliminates the need for partial hydrogenation.” Note here the increased shelf life mantra. Furthermore, soybean oil originating from the US may be contaminated with dieldrin and safflower oil with lindane. Both of these chemicals are carcinogenic.[iii]
Monsanto - also keen to be in on the low “trans act” - have teamed up with Cargill, the largest private firm in the US to bring the food industry an alternative source of soybean oil, used to reduce the artery-clogging trans fats in food products. Their concern for our health is touching, but they omit to mention that the soybeans will be from GE RoundupReady® varieties. In a statement, Cargill said it will contract Iowa growers for up to 50 000 acres of the Monsanto GE Vistive brand. The firm, based in Minneapolis, claimed they would “pay a premium to producers who grow Vistive soybeans under contract.” After crushing, they sell this “safer” processed soybean oil to food companies. Perhaps their altruistic drive is encouraged by the fact that they pulled in a cool $1.28 billion profit in 2004?
The fat content
Following a recent move by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), packets of biscuits must also state the presence of trans fats. The FDA rule[iv]on trans fatty acids (also called “trans fat”), requires that the amount of trans fat in a serving be listed on a separate line under saturated fat on the Nutrition Facts panel. However, trans fat does not have to be listed if the total fat in a food is less than 0.5 gram per serving and no claims are made about fat, fatty acids or cholesterol content. If it is not listed, a footnote will be added stating that the food is “not a significant source of trans fat.” The Institute of Medicine, National Academies of Science published a report that found that trans fatty acids increase low density lipoprotein (LDL or “bad”) cholesterol, thereby increasing the risk of coronary heart disease. The report recommended that, “trans fat consumption be as low as possible while consuming a nutritionally adequate diet.” All very sensible stuff. In the past, we have seen manufacturers maintain that hydrogenated fat helps biscuits store well. They did not mention that its low price was an added bonus.
Scientists have found that the trans fats in hydrogenated fat raise cholesterol, can reduce the nutritional value of breast milk, and are linked with heart disease. Other side effects include reducing our immune response, affecting fertility and raising blood insulin, a major factor in the development of diabetes.
So what should biscuits be made of? Let’s take a favourite of mine, shortbread. Shortbread should only to be made of butter, sugar and flour. Varying the ratio of these ingredients affects the texture: high butter content makes the biscuit crumbly and rich. It is, however, unusual to see butter listed in the ingredients on the packet. In its place will be dreaded hydrogenated fat and a wealth of other additives designed to colour, flavour and of course extend shelf life for “freshness.”
Kiddie appeal
New Zealand, like most Western countries, now has a childhood obesity and Type 2 diabetes problem. This is increasing at a frightening rate. So should we eat cheaper biscuits, or delight in the luxury of the odd biscuit, packed with butter? Biscuits often contain quite large amounts of sugar. Furthermore, it is ‘refined,’ meaning that it has ‘empty’' calories; in other words little or no nutritional value. If possible, bake your own cookies or try to buy biscuits made with unrefined cane sugar or, better still, xylitol. Also beware of high salt content, usually marked as “sodium.”
Be aware of weird “improvements” such as the various forms of children’s biscuits covered in icing sugar. Although very attractive, they may be a real cause for concern. The dyes used to colour these toppings, together with the increased sugar content, can cause hyperactivity in young children. My daughter’s childhood eczema would invariably flare up after attending a birthday party where these biscuits were on hand. These flavoured biscuits can also contain artificial additives such as the standard additives[v]we have mentioned in past
Subterfuges
Industry subterfuges include using aspartame as a sweetener, especially under the “low or no sugar” ruse (additive number 561). Another is additive 122, Carmoisine, a synthetic coal tar dye[vi]used to give an attractive red or purple colour to the coating of children’s party biscuits. This has been indicated in causing allergic and/or intolerance reactions. Other reactions have included a rash similar to nettle rash and water retention. This is one of the colours that the Hyperactive Children’s Support Group (HCSG) recommends be eliminated from the diets of children. Its use is banned in Norway, Sweden, Japan and the US.
Savoury biscuits may also be risky. Additives and a variety of other less appetising components may also be used. Just a few examples include 110 which translates to Sunset Yellow, another synthetic coal tar dye, indicated in causing gastric upset and vomiting. This is also one of the colours that the HCSG recommends eliminating from children’s diets. Its use is banned in Norway and Sweden. A common preservative is 216 translating to Propyl p-hydroxybenzoate or sometimes 280, Propionic Acid (possible allergic reaction). For antioxidant properties, Butylated Hydroxyanisole (BHA) 320 is used.
According to the latest findings, BHA is related to a more widely used food preservative, BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene). BHT is not known to be an endocrine disruptor[vii]and it is stated that “Studies have not linked BHT to cancer conclusively” not quite as reassuring as we would hope. Finally, we must not forget 170 or Calcium Carbonate (Chalk) which is added to white flour as a “calcium supplement” to replace that removed by the “refining” process.
Is butter healthier?
Evidence is beginning to surface that butter is more nutritious than hydrogenated fats. Although eating large quantities is not recommended, butter has a number of benefits. It contains '”true'” vitamins, which are fat soluble and therefore easily absorbed by our digestive systems. In addition, butter aids our digestion and the lauric acid[viii]in it helps prevent tooth decay. In fact, lauric acid[ix]is also found in vegetable oils such as cinnamon oil, coconut oil, and palm oil. The highest content of lauric acid is found in breast milk. It is used in foods such as vegetable shortenings and as a food additive. Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid, which forms monolaurin in the human body. This compound is an antiviral, antibacterial, and antiprotozoal monoglyceride that destroys lipid coated viruses such as HIV, herpes, cytomegalovirus, and influenza. This is an additive that we can say is beneficial.
Believe it or not butter may even help you lose weight. Its calories are more rapidly burned than those found in corn or olive oils. Butter from grass-fed animals also contains conjugated linoleic acid. This is a potent anti-cancer agent that aids weight loss and promotes lean muscle tissue. It also contains a fraction of the trans fat found in hydrogenated fats.
So what’s the solution? Well, I’m rather partial to home baked biscuits myself.
Robert Anderson BSc (Hons), PhD
(4 February 1942 to 5 December 2008)
Robert Anderson was a Trustee of Physicians and Scientists for Responsible Genetics (now Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility) www.psgr.org.nz. He authored The Final Pollution: Genetic Apocalypse, Exploding the Myth of Genetic Engineering and several other publications on environmental, health and social justice issues.
View Robert Anderson’s lectures on this site.
Address enquiries for Robert Anderson's publications to naturesstar@xtra.co.nz.
* The basic pest found in ships biscuit is incorrectly termed the 'weevil'. In fact it is not a true weevil, but a relative of woodworm called the 'Bread Beetle' - Stegobium paniceum.[x]
For further information on genetic engineering and related matters see:
GE Free New Zealand in food and environment www.gefree.org.nz/
GE Free Northland in food and environment http://web.gefreenorthland.org.nz/
Physicians and Scientists for Global Responsibility www.psgr.org.nz
Sustainability Council of New Zealand http://www.sustainabilitynz.org/
The Soil & Health Association / Organic New Zealand http://organicnz.org.nz/
References:
[i] http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/whatsinfood/gmfoods/
[ii] http://www.imba.missouri.edu/funded/2005_1.htm
[iii] Epstein S., The Safe Shopper’s Bible, Wiley NY pp357
[iv] http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/qatrans2.html#s3q1
[v] http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/whatsinfood/foodadditives.cfm
[vi] http://www.thestudentzone.com/articles/enumbers/e1-149.html
[vii] http://www.checnet.org/healthehouse/chemicals/chemicals-detail.asp?Main_ID=330
[viii] http://www.chemindustry.com/more_searches/L/lauric_acid.asp
[ix] Lauric acid was first discovered in lauraceae seeds by Marsson T in 1849.
[x] http://www.hms.org.uk/nelsonsnavymaggot.htm