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Read MoreOne of our most significant missions at PrimaFoodie is to educate people about ingredients. We love to parse labels and learn the history and reasons behind why so much—literally, so much!—stuff gets added to food. The additives in the states are as nebulous as they are ubiquitous. Their names are often impossible to pronounce, offer little to no nutritional value, and are often hazardous to our well-being. So, when we pick up a box, we're left with more questions than answers. Is this thickener necessary? What's the point of methylene chloride? And just how bad is this food coloring?
So we investigate common food additives and reveal their origin and (so-called) purpose —all in the quest to help consumers make better decisions. Because the truth is, just because something is edible doesn't mean it's healthy—or even necessary.
This week, we're looking at maltodextrin—a processed powdery substance made from vegetable sources. If you're like us, you've seen the word for years but are unclear what it does. Let us break it down.
Maltodextrin is an intensely processed white powder carbohydrate primarily made from corn, potato starch, rice, wheat, barley, sorghum, or tapioca. We say "intensely" processed because it takes several steps to make it. First, manufacturers extract the starch from whatever vegetable source they're using, then break it down through hydrolysis, a process that cooks the starches to change their structure and turn them into a gel-like paste. From there, the paste is mixed with acids and other enzymes to break down the properties further. The result is an odorless, tasteless, powdery substance.
You may be thinking that maltodextrin doesn't sound appetizing. We're with you. However, the reality is that this additive is woven into so many foods that most of us in the United States consume it.
Food manufacturers use maltodextrin to improve the texture, thickness, and consistency of foods and amplify their flavor. Think: a chewier granola bar or creamier yogurt. The powder amps up the taste and feel, making foods craveable and preventing caking in certain baked goods. Maltodextrin is also incorporated to extend the shelf-life of many packaged foods, including crackers and protein bars.
Because it's a tasteless and odorless additive, the powder weaves into processed foods stealthily. Meaning you don't really know it's there. That's why manufacturers use it. It bulks up the flavor and texture, leaving no trace of its own.
You'll find maltodextrin in:
conventional yogurt
nutrition and energy bars
cereal
cookies, crackers, and chips
nutrient supplements and protein powders
salad dressings
condiments
"low-fat" products, such as light cream cheese and yogurt
spices
processed meats and meat products
This is the key question regarding additives: what are the risks? The Food and Drug Administration deems maltodextrin as a GRAS—generally recognized as safe—ingredient. The worrisome fact, however, is the cumulative impact of eating maltodextrin repeatedly—which is a common occurrence, given how it's in countless food products.
Research shows that maltodextrin may negatively affect the balance of bacteria in the gut when eaten consistently. One study claims it "leads to the promotion of intestinal inflammation," and it "could be a risk factor for chronic inflammatory diseases," including inflammatory bowel disease.
Anotherstudy shows that maltodextrin may increase Escherichia coli (e-coli) bacteria. At the same time,additional research suggests maltodextrin plays a role in helping salmonella bacteria to survive in the gut, which could lead to a host of bowel problems, including inflammation.
Also, the glycemic index in maltodextrin is 95 and higher than that of table sugar, which is 65. The powder's high GI means it has the potential to cause a blood sugar spike.
At PrimaFoodie, we advocate for adding as few ingredients to a food as possible. So, when we see something like maltodextrin pop up, we shake our heads: Is it necessary? The studies linking it to potential gut issues make us even more concerned.
We aim to avoid maltodextrin whenever we can. Instead of relying on processed, pre-packaged foods, we opt for whole, natural ingredients whenever possible.
For more than 10 years, researchers have warned about the health dangers linked to popular hair straightening products. These products, primarily marketed and used by Black women, have been popular because of their promise of relaxed, glossy, straighter hair. But accounts over the last decade have told of women getting headaches and rashes, feeling nauseous, and losing hair after using the treatments.
That's horrible. And it's not the worst of it. A 2022 study identified the association between these hair-straightening products and uterine cancer risk. Researchers with the NIH's National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences studied the hair care habits of more than 33,000 women. They found those who used the chemical hair straightening products four times a year or more were more than twice as likely to develop uterine cancer.
Health inspectors have gotten involved and found formaldehyde to be the main culprit causing the health issues. (Some of these products have claimed to be free of formaldehyde gas while they still contain methylene glycol, a chemical that scientists have deemed "chemically equivalent" to formaldehyde.)
So, the awareness has been spreading, with scientists, health advocates, including those at Environmental Working Group, and concerned governmental officials pushing for an end to formaldehyde in hair care—and they've made headway. In late 2023, the Food and Drug Administration proposed banning hair-straightening products containing or emitting formaldehyde, scheduling the change to be implemented in mid-2024.
But it never happened—and now, the wait will be even longer. The Food and Drug Administration has (again) missed its own deadline and, therefore, delayed its proposed ban on formaldehyde, pushing it out to March 2025. (And this isn't the first time the agency has fallen behind on harmful ingredients: It missed deadlines to propose required methods for detecting asbestos in talc-containing make-up.)
"Despite years of evidence, including EWG's 2021 petition to ban formaldehyde in hair-straightening products, the FDA has failed to act," Melanie Benesh, vice president of government affairs at the Environmental Working Group, told us. "This delay has left salon workers and consumers exposed to formaldehyde's known health risks, including cancer and respiratory issues."
Benesh continued to tell us that the FDA has long been aware of the dangers of these products. Formaldehyde and formaldehyde-emitting chemicals are horrible for those who use the products and those exposed to them, such as hairstylists.
This delayed ban says so much. For one, it speaks miles in terms of the government's priorities. Why is there a delay when people's health is directly and explicitly on the line and lawmakers and activists have pressed the FDA? Benesh told us the delay is likely due to industry pushback and limited resources.
"Enforcing a formaldehyde ban would require substantial effort and could face legal challenges, which the FDA may be trying to avoid,” she said.
"This delay also is symptomatic of broader systemic issues, including the FDA's limited authority to act swiftly on harmful chemicals," Benesh added. "Congress should provide the FDA with clearer authority to ban hazardous ingredients without unnecessary delays."
It’s situations like that which illuminate our need for systemic reform. Ingredients like formaldehyde and other potentially harmful chemicals have no place in solutions or on our bodies. We have to fight loudly. And the first place is by educating ourselves.
As Benesh told us, "Consumers play a vital role in advocating for stronger cosmetics safety enforcement." She urges consumers to contact congressional representatives to demand the FDA ban formaldehyde in hair straightening treatments. We can also equip ourselves with all the information by reading product labels, educating ourselves on ingredients, and supporting organizations that push for safer cosmetics legislation.
"By making informed choices and voicing their concerns,” said Benesh, “consumers can push for safer products and stronger regulations to ensure their health and safety."
Melanie Benesh is Vice President, Government Affairs at the Environmental Working Group.
To learn more about the dangers of formaldehyde, visit the EWG.
New research shows that taxing certain foods may positively impact our well-being.
In late 2024, University of Washington researchers revealed that taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages—commonly called "the soda tax"—are successful in discouraging people from purchasing sugar-laden drinks, such as soft drinks, sports beverages, and fruit juices.
For the last decade, eight cities across the United States have implemented taxes on drinks that contain added sugar. The reason was to help thwart rising cases of type 2 diabetes and obesity and spread awareness of sugar consumption. These governmental efforts are part of a growing policy response to encourage better health choices nationwide. Berkeley, California was the first city to launch the sugar-sweetened beverage tax in 2014, and other cities quickly followed.
The University of Washington's recent research shows that imposing these types of taxes may have a good outcome. Researchers tracked the purchasing behavior of 400 households in San Francisco, Seattle, Oakland, and Philadelphia for one year before and after the soda tax went into effect in each of the households' home cities. The study revealed that the households in the taxed cities reduced "their purchases of those beverages, with no evidence of cross-border shopping."
Melissa Knox, one of the lead researchers in the study, shed light on how the tax seems to impact lower-income households, as those in lower-income brackets tend to purchase and consume sugary beverages at a higher rate than average. "They're using some of their money to go buy a different beverage, rather than buying a candy bar instead of buying a Coke," said Knox. Study co-author Jessica Jones-Smith added that the research suggests the tax has "the intended health benefits."
What this suggests is compelling: People need reminders that so many foods readily available on the shelves can harm our health. It's fascinating, given how the United States is a frustrating case study when it comes to caring for our well-being. Our country heavily regulates, from enforcement in our workplaces to our schools and beyond, but laws around what can go into our foods and personal care products are lax—and very lax when compared to other countries.
(Take Brominated Vegetable Oil. The EU banned this gross additive in 2008, yet it still finds a place in foods here in the US.)
So, in a world where it feels like the bigger forces are against our well-being, implementations like the soda tax give us hope.
We'd love to know your thoughts on the sugary beverage taxes. Are you for or against them?
These are devastating times for Southern Californians and their loved ones. The impact of the fires continues to be grave and wide-reaching. We built PrimaFoodie in Los Angeles. Our team member, Adrienne, lives there, as do some of our family members, dearest friends, and community members. We are holding everyone there in our hearts.
It’s been incredible to see how people have shown up for each other. If you're seeking to help, knowing where to start can be overwhelming. Simply reaching out to someone with a text or call goes miles. If you're looking to donate, we’ve listed some organizations to consider, starting with one dedicated to providing warm meals to those displaced and on the front lines.
World Central Kitchen
Founded in 2010 by Chef José Andrés, this global organization has been on the ground providing meals to people in Los Angeles and beyond impacted by the fires. Chef Andrés started WCK years ago by saying “when people are hungry, send in cooks. Not tomorrow, today.” He and his team have delivered on this statement for more than 14 years.
Los Angeles Fire Department Foundation
This foundation provides the vital equipment that LAFD needs to fight fires. The work here transcends political parties and divides and all funds go directly to the people actively working to save lives in the LA community.
Canine Rescue Club
Thousands upon thousands of people have lost their homes, which means that countless animals have been displaced. This team provides displaced dogs with temporary housing, links to fosters, transport, medical care, and food.
American Red Cross Los Angeles Region
With emergency centers around Southern California for evacuees, the Red Cross seeks donations to help them continue to provide food, health services, clothing, and shelter to those who have been displaced.
Baby2Baby
In 2023, Baby2Baby raised more than $12 million to help fund efforts to assist families living in poverty and forced between buying food or diapers for their children. Their efforts are incredible and they’ve extended across LA this past week, bringing families of children diapers, food, personal care products, and formula for kids and families who've lost homes.
Wellness is at the top of all our minds—and this time of year illuminates this truth so brightly. Research shows that nearly 80 percent of the resolutions made by Americans focus on health, exercise, and eating. We want to feel better, get stronger, and live longer. Of course we do. But as exciting as they are, resolutions come with a tough side. They can be hard to keep because of the demands on our lives, waning interest, or other factors. We can get down on ourselves when we don't follow them to the letter. This isn't a great way to start anything, much less a new year.
For these reasons, we tend not to focus as much on resolutions at PrimaFoodie. None of us need to add more to our to-do lists. But even more so, we've found that the good shifts in our lives have always come from small, simple, tangible promises and intentions. The small wins day after day that add up to the changes and results we want to see: Waking up 10 minutes earlier. Taking a 15-minute walk at lunch. Filling most of our plates with vegetables. Removing one grain from our diets. Psychologist Karl E. Weick put it succinctly in his research on small wins. He stated that regrouping "larger problems into smaller, less arousing problems" helps us see "opportunities of modest size that produce visible results." Yes!
When we put our energy toward the things that directly inspire us and build toward something more significant, magic happens. It also allows us to focus on what we truly want and let go of what we don't. After all, the word "resolve" hails from the Latin word resolutionem, which means "process of reducing things into simpler forms."
So, let's start thinking this way. Let's weave in a kinder and tenable approach this year by freeing ourselves from resolutions and leaning into the tangible shifts we want to make—for our health, hearts, families, and planet.
If you're seeing inspiration on where to start, we've laid out our 15 favorite ideas to help you shift your thinking and embrace more vitality. Each of these are small wins that—with consistency—always lead to bigger gains.
Start reading the labels on every packaged food you purchase.
Get up five minutes—just five!—earlier.
Drink one additional glass of water a day.
If you work at a desk, get up to stretch every hour. (Be sure to set your timer!)
Introduce yourself to a new farmer at the farmers' market. (Aim to do this everytime you go.)
Cook with a vegetable or spice that is foreign to you.
Clear out your pantry and restock all your essentials.
Bake something and hand deliver it to your neighbor.
Swap one conventional everyday personal care item (e.g., toothpaste, deodorant, face wash, hand cream) for one made without endocrine disruptors.
Cook your way through a new cookbook.
Subscribe to a health-focused newsletter.
Volunteer at a local food pantry.
Dedicate five minutes a day to balancing stress.
Try one new breathing exercise each morning, whether it’s box breathing, alternate nostril breathing, or simply taking five deep breaths.
Learn the origin story of one ingredient you use regularly.
Learn about cooking fats and swap out seed oils for healthier options like ghee, coconut oil, or avocado oil.
RAW Farm USA, a family-owned company that produces non-GMO, humanely unpasteurized milk, knows what it's like to face a bully.
The team, including founder and CEO Mark McAfee, his daughter Kaleigh Stanziani, son Aaron McAfee, and son-in-law Josh Stanziani, has faced its share of adversity since its inception in 1998. Hits have come mainly from conspiracy theories and accusations from many people, including those who believe pasteurization is crucial for health safety.
These last two weeks have sent another storm of adversity the company's way.
On December 3, officials with the California Department of Public Health declared and secured a recall of all RAW Farm products, claiming that the products are contaminated with multiple detections of bird flu, specifically the H5N1 avian influenza viruses. "Raw Farm milk products have tested positive for bird flu at both retail and dairy storage and bottling sites in recent days," the department declared in a statement.
The state officials placed the farm under quarantine and suspended any new distribution of its raw milk, cream, kefir, butter, and cheese products produced on or after November 27. Furthermore, they stated that "customers should immediately return any remaining product to the retail point of purchase" and "pasteurized milk remains safe to drink."
RAW Farm disputed the claims. On the same day of the California announcement, the team posted its stance on social media, stating "there are no illnesses associated with H5NI" in any of their products and "there are no food safety issues" or consumer safety concerns.
The team's critical rebuttal included another remark: the recall is a political issue. "Our family has faced many political challenges before and we are resilient," RAW Farm continued.
The recall caused a flurry. Customers loyal to the RAW Farm’s products swarmed social media, posting images of empty milk shelves and asking the brand to bring back the milk and followers not to be fooled by the headlines.
The state of California did not actually find any contaminated products, despite its recall actions.
More than a week after the state recall, Kaleigh Stanziani, who heads RAW Farm's marketing and branding, posted on the company's Instagram stories that the ordeal was a game of "political tug of war" and that RAW Farm has complied with the state's demands. "Nobody wanted this; we didn't want this," said Stanziani. "Why it happened to begin with is definitely timing. It's definitely because they were trying to defame and diminish and discredit."
She added that the company has passed many hurdles and is working tirelessly to get its milk back on shelves and ultimately to its customers—a feat she says is looking "extremely optimistic."
Raw milk has long been a target.
Centuries ago, all dairy was raw. But after the Industrial Revolution, a steady rise in city living came with increased infestations of germs, mold, viruses, and bacteria—much of which was contaminating foods, including milk. French scientists were the first to find that heating milk could kill much of the germs, and in the early 19th century, New York City officials mandated that all milk be heat-treated to keep it safe. (This mandate followed the harrowing swill milk incident, where people in New York fed their babies milk from dairy cows that were fed mucous and germ-laden mash leftover from alcohol distilleries.)
So, pasteurizing was seen as gold because it kept contamination contained. However, as the decades passed, this came at the expense of raw milk and impacted small farmers who were responsibly producing healthy, untainted raw milk. All the while, the giant corporate dairy industry, known as 'Big Dairy,' gained more and more power, and it spewed out propaganda stating the so-called benefits of pasteurized milk. (Meanwhile, large swaths of milk produced by big dairy come from animals abused and given copious amounts of antibiotics and growth hormones, not to mention pesticide-laden feed.)
Today, there's both a staunch stance for and against raw milk. And as Stanziani said, it is political. The CDC believes raw milk can lead to health consequences and heat treating it is crucial for killing germs and keeping milk "safe." Those in favor of raw milk—(which includes all of us at PrimaFoodie, in full transparency) see its myriad benefits, including the live digestive enzymes, rich essential fats, and bioavailable vitamins and minerals, all of which pasteurization commonly reduces or kills. As Mark McAfee told us previously, when milk is pasteurized, its natural nutrients "are destroyed, inactivated, or denatured," he says. Some raw milk enthusiasts simply love its taste, which is richer and creamier than pasteurized milk.
But there's more. Some see raw milk as a way to break with convention. It's a means to opt for something truly natural in our overly processed, corporatized world, and push against the politically charged machine of the USDA, FDA, CDC, and others. So yes, it's political. Raw milk is legal in just over a dozen states, with some additional states allowing for its sale on-farm only.
It is critical to point out that raw milk can contain germs, but that is if it comes from a farm and facility that does not actively take measures to prevent this. This is true for any food, be it dairy, salmon, vegetables, eggs, or something else. Copious other foods have held places on do-not-eat lists created by the CDC, including rare steak, runny eggs, and raw cookie dough. And yes, for reasons linked to illness, including salmonella poisoning, a real issue, these foods come with warnings. Still, how many people use their judgment and order a medium-rare steak or a sunny-side-up egg at brunch? And are eggs and steaks getting walloped? No. When we interviewed McAfee earlier this year, he told us that RAW Farm tests every vat of their milk for E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and other bacteria and contamination.
RAW Farm’s recent challenge is a cautionary tale to all of us consumers to always look between the lines. If a fully transparent, family-owned farm creates a pure product, why is it targeted? What are the motives behind this recall?
Perhaps the big corporate food industry dislikes people genuinely wanting to buck the profit-focused processed food world. Maybe it’s a threat to their bottom line when people want to consume real foods from farmers and producers who put health, humans, and the planet first.
Stanziani was cautious in her Instagram statements not to explicitly say too much, but the underlying message was clear: the big corporate food world does not have our backs. "There are still a whole lot of threats all around," she said.
Still, she stressed that the entire RAW Farm team is hustling to get their products back, even in the face of all the adversity.
"When you are a pioneer, every hurdle can be overcome,” she said.
Atrazine has been on our radar for years. This lab-made herbicide is one of the most widely used in the United States. Many people have pushed against it over the last several decades—a good thing, given how studies have shown that atrazine poses numerous threats to our health. When a substance holds even a remote chance of a risk to our well-being, we feel it's critical to flag it. Especially one of which more than 70 million pounds are applied to American crops yearly.
But there's even more to atrazine's story: proof of how far behemoth pesticide manufacturers will go to gaslight the public and the scientists looking out for our best interest.
Swiss scientists introduced atrazine into the marketplace in the late 1950s. Created in a laboratory via a series of chemical reactions between cyanuric chloride, isopropylamine, and others, atrazine quickly gained the love of farmers, industrial planners, and people in the lawn care industry. They all began using the chemical to kill broadleaf weeds and small grasses that tend to interfere with crops, domestic gardens, city mediums, and green spaces. (On a biochemical level, the atrazine inhibits the targeted plants' photosynthesis capabilities.) Atrazine also has the power to kill bacteria in swimming pools, which is why it was used as a main ingredient in chlorinating swimming pools.
The Switzerland-based pesticide company Syngenta is the leading manufacturer of atrazine and, of course, a massive promoter of its alleged pro-agricultural properties. Like many lab-made chemicals, manufacturers and scientists initially deemed atrazine "safe." It has no scent or color, and scientists back then didn't detect that it caused any harm to people or animals. (We must wonder, though: Did they even study its potential for harm back then?) Of course, Syngenta marketed the heck out of it to farmers seeking to grow their crop yields and yearly capital gain.
But as its use widened worldwide, mainly to increase the yields of corn, sugarcane, and sorghum, so did its presence in tap water, it leached into waterways, ponds, and other natural areas. As concentrations in water bodies grew, so did concerns—and fiery debates.
Scientists, environmentalists, and activists began taking note of atrazine's consistent presence as it was washing into local ponds and water supplies. The chemical quickly became among the most common contaminants in drinking water sources, particularly in the US and various European countries.
The widespread presence of atrazine led to concern and curiosity, which thankfully resulted in testing, although this took more than a decade after atrazine's emergence. Findings about atrazine's potential harm to animal health began to catch people's attention. Researchers at the University of Sassari in Italy found atrazine to be potentially toxic to the nervous system. Another study found atrazine to disrupt normal immune system function in frogs. Meanwhile, other researchers deemed atrazine an "endocrine disruptor that demasculinizes and feminizes the gonads of male vertebrates."
The growing research findings caused people to take note and speak out. In 1994, the Environmental Protection Agency began expressing concerns about atrazine's effects and thus announced there would be scientific reviews of the chemical. Around the same time, the European Union dug deep and found its contaminated waterways to be a serious threat to the lives of humans, and thus officially banned the use of atrazine in 2003. The United States continued to take notice and implement exposure limits for the chemical, but atrazine remained both legal and in use.
The proof that atrazine is downright bad for health is upsetting enough. But there's one story that adds to the impact: that of biologist Tyronne Hayes.
As more studies on atrazine’s potential harm were revealed, Syngenta, the leading manufacturer of atrazine, began fielding pressure to look closer at its product. To appear to be doing its due diligence, Syngenta hired Hayes to research the chemical and its impact on animal and human health. Hayes rolled up his sleeves and got to work, and he soon discovered something disturbing: atrazine appeared to be interfering with the sexual development of frogs. He researched this again. And again. His lines of evidence continued to show that atrazine disrupts the reproductive development of the frogs—and that it poses potential great risk to people. He brought this to Syngenta's and others in the field's attention—but Syngenta refused to acknowledge Hayes’s finding. In November of 2000, Hayes and Syngenta went their separate ways.
Here’s where it gets really weird. Later reports revealed that the behemoth company went to great lengths to harass Hayes, discredit his science, and tarnish his reputation as a lauded researcher. In a 2014 investigative article for The New Yorker, journalist Rachel Aviv outlines many of the attempts made by Syngenta, including how it claimed Hayes's studies could not be replicated, his work lacked statistical details, and his works weren't a clear relationship between the concentration of atrazine and the effect on the frog." Hayes also went on record to say that Syngenta followed him. A feature story in Mother Jones stated that the company paid for Google ads to divert any search results of Dr. Tyrone Hayes to "AgSense, an agribusiness coalition that leads its critique of Hayes by quoting his 'propriety and professionalism' outburst."
Through this wild, weird, and rather scary feud, Hayes stood by his research on the harms of atrazine, and many other scientists continue to today.
There is no denying that atrazine is scary and harmful. More than 40 countries see this and have officially banned its use. So why is it still allowed in the US? Regulators and those on the side of Syngenta argue that companies are allowed to only use the chemical under specific concentrations, which they posit are "safe." However, these concentrations still lead to runoff in the waterways. Plus, growing research continues to show that it's not only harmful to animals but to humans. Vanderbilt University Medical Center linked atrazine to a birth defect called gastroschisis. (In fact, a group of women in Kent, England, who all had children born with the same birth defect, believed atrazine to be the culprit.)
Thankfully, copious people are fighting back. In 2012, Syngenta settled for $105 million a lawsuit filed by more than 1,000 water providers in the Midwest who argued about the cost of removing atrazine from drinking water. Advocates in Hawaii have pushed to get the herbicide banned at the state level and have made promising strides. Companies continue to perfect filtering capabilities, including reverse osmosis and activated carbon, that rid the chemical from drinking water.
But still, atrazine is everywhere— in public water reserves, ponds, lakes, and more. It's critical to get informed on your city's levels. Contact your local municipal office to request a water report, stay educated, and take measures to filter your water and protect your health.
The hope behind our annual PrimaFoodie Gift Guide is to make shopping for those you care for more intentional. We forgo the fast fashion that will linger in closets and kitschy items bound for regifting. Each item, service, and organization promises a sustained impact—be it a workhorse in your kitchen, a class that will open your home chef skills, or a donation in a loved one's name to promote a more caring world. Our list is compact, but its vast reach offers something for everyone. Happy Holidays!
Bloodroot Custom Knife
Nichole loves this artisan and custom kitchen knives and other tools. Luke Snyder and David van Wyk create the most gorgeous and durable bespoke knives with the highest quality metals and wood. The team starts with a conversation with you to tailor the design to what you're seeking; then the duo gets to building the knife. It's so personal and unique.
Cloud Brushed Fleece Cozy Set
For the one who likes to be cozy: This matching sweatsuit is made of 100 percent organic cotton. Pair this with a cup of hot chocolate and you’re set for the winter.
Wood And Paper Gratitude Tree Activity Kit
A wonderful way to include the whole family in making a mindset shift towards gratitude and positivity. The tree comes with leaf papers but you can easily make your own to continue adding to the tree.
Frigidaire Portable Ice Making Machine
For all the folks in your life who are still stuffing their freezer with half-used ice trays, this ice maker comes to the rescue. It's compact and sleek and takes up little counter space.
What Goes with What by Julia Turshen
We love Julia Turshen's work. Her no-fuss, super warm, unapologetic approach to cooking at home continues to inspire us, as do her books. Her latest, What Goes With What, is the book version of having her right next to you, nourishing your instincts for making a satisfying meal.
Donation to the Rainforest Alliance
This global organization partners with communities and farmers across continents to help transform agricultural and living methods that deplete our forest ecosystems. Over the last two decades, they've invested north of $360 million in regenerative farming.
Shokz OpenRun Headphones
Powered by bone conduction, the open-ear design technology helps you have sensory awareness of your surroundings while you're walking or running. Plus, the bud-free design is more comfortable than conventional earphone models.
A Stay and Cooking Class at La Peetch in France
Gift a friend a little essence of Julia Child. "La Pitchoune," which roughly translates to "little one," is the quaint cottage in France that Child summered in with her husband. Now, it's the home of chef and cooking instructor Makenna Held, where she and her team offer intensive and fun cooking classes tucked in the French countryside.
Casa Zuma Handcrafted Wood Salad Bowls
Handmade in the US, these heirloom-quality handcrafted wood bowls elevate anything that lands in them—from fruit to salad to bread. They're made from solid beechwood, so they'll last years and years with some good care.
Ooni Koda 12 Gas Powered Pizza Oven
Adrienne says this oven takes pizza night to a new level—and we all agree. She loves making her gluten-free dough and offering fresh toppings for everyone to customize their pie. It might be the ultimate gift that keeps on giving.
Kroma Powdered Bone Broth
These powdered broths, available in chicken and beef, make it so easy to bring your nutrients on the go. Rich in grass-fed bovine collagen and anti-inflammatory turmeric, these broths are free of GMOs or additives. Perfect for your loved one with gut issues or who loves to travel.
Takeya Water Bottle
One of the chicest water bottles around, this intelligent design proves how far the little details go. Made of food-grade stainless steel with a BPA-free plastic twist on the lid, it easily fits into any cup holder. The silicone rubber grip allows it to stay dent-free if you drop it and always keeps it level.
Flavedo & Albedo Dew Tint
For the makeup lover who values sustainability: This multipurpose cream blush and lip tint is housed in 100% recyclable, plastic-free packaging. With a dewy finish and plant-based extracts for hydration, it layers beautifully for a sheer glow or bold drama. Available in three universally flattering shades, it’s a simple way to add a touch of color while staying kind to the planet.
"You don't need seven lipsticks, but the beauty industry will tell you that you should buy seven lipsticks," says Melodie Reynolds.
There's a charge behind Reynold's voice. Still, the founder of ELATE Beauty, a sustainable cosmetics company, admits she too was once duped by "the shame-based marketing" fueled by large beauty companies. She was even inadvertently part of it earlier in her career, as she worked in beauty marketing and sales for large companies. She began to see the unethical pressure behind these companies and a drive to push people to buy more. The businesses were creating more products housed in packages that ended up in landfills—an estimated 120 billion pieces worth each year.
The tipping point for Reynolds came during a meeting. When she and colleagues were discussing ways to create storytelling around potential green initiatives, a senior employee casually said, "just put it in a green bottle." It was a hard lesson on the realness of greenwashing, says Reynolds. "It was never more apparent to me than in that moment that I was in the wrong place."
Reynolds put herself in the right place. Fueled with a drive to create beauty products that were kind to people and the planet, she founded Elate Beauty, a B-Corp-certified ethical cosmetics line focused on refillable packaging. Since its conception in 2024, ELATE has diverted 1.3 million packages from going to landfills—a feat for a single company. As Reynolds says, the journey has been about "how we can take a product from idea, from conception all the way to end of life, and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, for the person buying it, and for the planet."
Reynolds walks us through more of her journey, starting a conscious brand. As she shares with us, our self-care rituals should never be harmful and filled with shame; they should be only practices that lift us.
#1: Environmental Citizenship at Its Core
"The thing that always attracted me the most to the beauty industry was the ability to help people feel good about themselves and use marketing as a tool for storytelling, to allow individuals to determine how the things they purchased made their lives better, and all without costing the planet. The very first salon I ever worked in was an environmentally friendly salon where we refilled all our shampoos. This was back in 1999! So being a good environmental citizen has always been important to me."
#2: The Shame-Based Marketing of Beauty
"As I worked in the beauty industry, I started to see that the values I held strongly were only very surface values [in the companies]. This all started to accumulate for me around 2008 when I was in a big marketing meeting at the company I worked for because a new demographic was identified: the LOHAS— a lifestyle of health and sustainability—demographic. It was a demographic that transcended socioeconomic status and included all genders and ages. These were individuals who wanted to choose products about living a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.
#3: The Unsustainable Issue of Products
"The beauty industry gets people to buy tons of products, and all of that product ends up in the landfill. Then they feel bad about themselves, so then they buy more products. It's just a vicious cycle, contributing to the statistic of 120 billion plastic packages being made every year for the beauty industry. All of those end up in the landfill. We now have new recycling programs that are helping to try to curb some of that waste, but the biggest problem is that all of those packages still get made. That's enough for everyone on the planet to have a bag full of plastic stuff that they're going to dispose of every year. Those things inspired me to look at how we could do things differently."
#4: Bringing the Kindness and Joy Back to Beauty
"I started to feel like it was a burden putting on my makeup or trying to choose a new skin cream. It felt like it was something I was being forced to participate in. When all those things came together and converged for me, I thought beauty was supposed to be about joy. It's supposed to be about using the tools of adornment to perform your beauty ritual every morning and put your best face forward, whether it's makeup or brushing your teeth. The fact that we all have some type of beauty ritual in the morning means that we all have products that we are required to use, so all of those products should be better for the planet. And they should be reusable and refillable. They should be made with materials that are not polluting the environment. They should be made by individuals that aren't forced into slave labor. The beauty industry is fraught with just as many issues. So, for me, it was about how we can take a product from idea, from conception, all the way to end of life and make every single moment of that product's life cycle better—for the people making it, better for the person buying it, and for the planet. It is about having more time and space for joy, and the big part of that joy is not having a bunch of stuff you are ultimately responsible for throwing away.”
#5: Looking Ahead, One Refill at a Time
“Part of the problem is that we get that little delicious dopamine hit when we buy something— that's why retail therapy is real. So what we're trying to do is shift that little dopamine hit to when you refill something. When speaking in public, I have stood up many times and said, 'Who can honestly say they've ever actually finished a full tube of lipstick?' We're trying to create those opportunities.
We're a B Corp-certified company that was important to me from the start. We have a global beauty coalition of all beauty companies that are B Corps, where I sit on that board. One of the things we talk about is how we can use business as a force for good and use the beauty industry as a force for good rather than a tool of oppression. This has all led me from loving lipstick and wanting to help people feel good about themselves to global legislation to ensure that corporations are held accountable for the waste they produce.”
#6: Changing Our Language and Actions
“At ELATE, we've shied away as an organization from using the word ‘consumer’ because when you're trying to create a movement that is completely different from what everyone is used to, you need to change your language. We say 'environmental citizen,' because that is someone thoughtful about resources that they consume. And our beauty consumers are not beauty consumers; they're beauty citizens. That is where ELATE shines. Elate means joyful or prideful, and that's really what it is about. It's also an anagram for ‘everyone who loves a thoughtful experience’ because we felt that so many products are made without the thought and the intention behind them. So it was important to us to make sure that we always hold that in our hearts that everything we make is thoughtful.”
To learn more about ELATE Beauty, visit elatebeauty.com
Interview and words by Stacey Lindsay for PrimaFoodie.
You may have heard of PFAS—a group of human-made chemicals found in countless products, from cookware to furniture. You also may have heard that PFAS can be bad for our health. Indeed, very bad for our health. But whether you've listened to this, the reasons why these substances get a well-deserved negative reputation are murky. That's because there are so many of them, and their uses are as vast as their reach.
Perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, widely known as PFAS, are human-made fluorinated compounds. Manufacturers began incorporating PFAS in the 1940s after discovering the chemistry that created them in the 1930s. By the 1950s, their use had become ubiquitous.
Two main processes create PFAS: electrochemical fluorination, called ECF, and fluorotelomerization, which are chemical processes that produce side-chain fluorinated polymers, perfluoroalkyl acids, and polyfluoroalkyl surfactants. Scientists state that "more than 600 intermediate processes have also been used" further to make certain PFAS and the associated final products, as indicated by the Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council.
The group of PFAS is enormous and includes thousands—more than 4,700—of chemicals, including Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), commonly found in drinking water.
When manufacturers discovered PFAS midcentury, they quickly began incorporating them into products. Why? PFAS can bolster materials, elongating their shelf-life, durability, and resistance to grease, oils, fire, and other substances. They have been used to make nonstick cookware, water- and stain-repellent materials, clothing, cosmetics, firefighting foams, furniture, and more.
One of the most significant and well-known uses of PFAS has been in nonstick cookware. American chemist Roy J. Plunkett discovered the chemistry of PFAS by accident when he worked at DuPont Company's Jackson Laboratory in the late 1930s. Plunket was working on aiming to create new refrigerants for Duponte. According to the American Physical Society, in April of 1938, Plunkett and his research assistant, Jack Rebok, discovered a new substance in the tetrafluoroethylene cylinders they'd been using. The gas substance had polymerized—something they had not predicted—into something called polytetrafluoroethylene. "The PTFE proved to have some remarkable properties," APS states. "It was corrosion- and high-heat-resistant, for instance, and had very low surface friction."
Plunkett and other chemists at the Duponte company ultimately saw the potential for these chemicals. Its first use was in the Manhattan Project, a nuclear research program undertaken during World War II, where it was added as a coating on valves and seals to prevent corrosion. Eventually, the company and scientists branded it as Teflon, which then French engineer Marc Gregoire used to make nonstick cookware in 1954. Since then, Teflon and PFAS have been created, multiplied, and used in countless ways.
A few years later, Scotchguard was born when PFOS spilled on a tennis shoe—another accident—and left its coating repellant to dirt, oil, and water.
So PFAS are everywhere, but what you may be wondering: What is their threat? The truth is that scientists have found these chemicals to be some of the most concerning modern substances for human, animal, and environmental health. Deemed "forever chemicals," these chemicals "build up in our bodies and never break down in the environment," reports the Environmental Working Group. Studies have linked various PFAS to cancer, weakened immunity, thyroid issues, developmental defects, and other health issues.
This is all ironic, given that Roy. J Plunkett was awarded the John Scott Award, which honors people who have contributed to the "comfort, welfare, and happiness of humankind." Yes, these substances may have made it easier for fried eggs to slide off pans and onto toast, but Teflon and PFAS have wreaked havoc on our systems and health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that every American tested has been found to have PFAS chemicals in their blood.
Drinking water is one of the most common sources of exposure to PFAS chemicals. They could contaminate the drinking water of as many as 110 million Americans nationwide. The reason is that these forever chemicals easily leak out of products, migrate into the soil, water, and air, and never break down. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry says that because of PFAS's widespread use and persistence in the environment, they are "found in the blood of people and animals all over the world and are present at low levels in various food products and the environment. Some PFAS can build up in people and animals with repeated exposure over time."
A 2022 study identified 57,000 sites contaminated by these chemicals in the United States. Current estimates from the Environmental Working Group show that about 200 million people may be drinking water contaminated with PFAS. The EPA shows that about 60 million people get their water from a system containing PFOA or PFOS, two of the most well-studied PFAS, at maximum levels above the new proposed limits.
We've talked about PFAS before, notably in our e-book The Ultimate Guide to a Nontoxic Home, and we will never stop—at least, not until they're eradicated from our homes and lives. Now, this is a tall order, given how PFAS are everywhere. They are small, scary, and lasting. But we can take active measures to reduce them from our lives.
Firstly, some municipal efforts, such as those of Yorba Linda, California, give us hope. In February 2020, the Orange County city took its groundwater wells offline due to new California regulations of PFAS. When officials found PFAS, they partnered with the Orange County Water District to construct a new Ion Exchange treatment plant to remove them.
Now, in our immediate personal lives, here are some steps to take to reduce PFAS exposure:
Divest from using brands like Scotchgard, Stainmaster, Teflon, and other companies that tout resistance to oil, water, grease, and sticking.
Steer clear of furniture, carpets, and upholstery with added stain-repellent substances.
Invest in glass food containers. Many plastic wraps and containers are coated in anti-stick and anti-grease PFAS with zero warning.
Invest in a water filter that can reduce PFAS chemicals from your tap water. The EWG has an excellent water filter guide that offers tips, products, and steps to remove PFAS from your tap H2O.
Cook as much as you can at home. Whether eating in our carrying out, restaurants often cook on nonstick pans. Those chemicals can leak into your food.
Be discerning when purchasing makeup. Only buy from beauty brands that use clean ingredients you can pronounce.
Purchase our The Ultimate Guide to a Nontoxic Home for more ideas on removing PFAS from your life. If you already have it, gift it to a friend.
Raw milk, sometimes referred to as unpasteurized milk, is milk from an animal’s mammary glands that has not been heated through a process called pasteurization. There is a schism between two general theories of whether raw milk is safe and beneficial: Some believe raw milk can lead to health consequences and that the heat treatment of pasteurization is "crucial," as the CDC puts it, for killing germs and keeping milk "safe." Others believe raw milk is highly beneficial because it contains essential fats, anti-inflammatory and digestive enzymes, proteins, and bioavailable vitamins and minerals that pasteurization commonly kills. Mike McAfee, founder of the Raw Milk Institute and owner of RAW Farm, is in the latter camp. When milk is pasteurized, its natural nutrients "are destroyed, inactivated, or denatured," he says.
At PrimaFoodie, we’re like McAfee and on team raw milk. But we still find this general topic and the pros and cons people toss around it fascinating. Interestingly, when we looked carefully at the evidence for both sides of the conversation (as we always aim to do in our food reporting), we saw growing support for raw milk and a swelling interest in its pure, bioavailable nutrients.
To dig in deeper, we contacted McAfee for his take on why he believes raw milk offers us immense nutritional benefits. As vocal and passionate about raw milk as he is, McAfee understands that so many people are operating under the long-held rhetoric (and bias) that pasteurization is key. But, like us, his agenda is to give the facts, as choosing to drink raw milk is personal, as is all eating. "I have a saying that I created many years ago," he says, "and that is: We never sell raw milk; we teach it."
4 Things to Know about Raw Milk—from Mike McAfee, Founder of the Raw Milk Institute
#1: Raw Milk Helps to Support Immunity
Raw milk is rich in bioactive nutrients that research points to building a healthy immune system. McAfee says the lynchpin is that raw dairy is much like human breast milk: both are fresh, natural, and unprocessed. He points out the widespread medical support for breastfeeding, including from large organizations such as the World Health Organization and the American Medical Association that tout breastfeeding's benefits for children, which include higher test scores and lower asthma. "That mammalian milk is a mirror of raw milk from cows, goats, and sheep," he adds. "I have been in front of crowds of people and spoken all over the world on this subject. I always start by saying, 'Let's not talk about raw milk. Let's talk about breast milk. Let's talk about breastfeeding. Let's talk about our gut immune system.'"
#2: Studies Link Raw Milk to Better Health
The science supporting raw milk is growing. McAfee and his advocates at the Raw Milk Institute corral the latest studies showing that raw milk consumption is associated with lower rates of allergies and other common ailments, including asthma, respiratory infections, and eczema.
#3: Pasteurization Kills Beneficial Enzymes
The FDA claims that pasteurization does not reduce the nutritional value of milk, but McAfee and the studies he references say otherwise. "What they're saying nutrition is, and what I'm saying nutrition is are two different languages." The FDA focuses on sugar, fat, and protein quantities, which remain similar after pasteurizing milk. McAfee says what's critical is that raw milk has more bioactives than pasteurized milk. That's because the high temperatures that heat the milk destroy and damage many delicate nutrients and gut-healthy bacteria in natural raw milk, such as raw whey protein, alkaline phosphatase, lactoferrin, and more. For these reasons, conventional pasteurized milk is often harder for people to digest and can lead to digestive issues.
#4: To Drink Safe Raw Milk, Ask Questions!
This is loaded and very important, says McAfee. Raw milk is beneficial, but not all raw milk is safe. That’s why it’s critical to know your farmer. At the Raw Milk Institute, he and his peers have created a set of "Common Standards" to guide raw dairy producers and support them in following the strictest safety measures in cultivating milk for human consumption. He and his team at RAW Farms regularly test for E. coli, Listeria, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and other bacteria.
For us consumers, McAfree says to find a local dairy producer on realmilk.com that specializes in raw milk for human consumption, reach out to them, and ask about their practices. "Go get to know them," he says. "Talk to their customers. Find out how long they've been doing this. Ask them some pointed questions from the Raw Milk Institute Common Standards, like how often they do testing, how they prepare their udders, what their maintenance program is, and how fast they chill." If the raw milk producer has integrity and produces a clean and safe product, they will readily answer your questions. It's not to pressure them, McAfee adds, but to get to know them better so you can become their customer and safely drink their raw milk.
To learn more about Mike McAfee and raw milk, visit rawmilkinstitude.org and rawfarmusa.com.
Interview and words by Stacey Lindsay for PrimaFoodie.
Every city, large and small, boasts its fair share of sustainably-minded, local goods these days. But San Francisco takes its conscious brands to the next level. Abounding with creativity, this northern California city has long been a beacon of inspiration for makers who don’t put energy toward the cheap and quick but instead dedicate themselves to all that's slow, deliberate, and meaningful.
Speaking of slow, San Francisco and the surrounding Bay Area is, after all, the home of slow food activist and chef Alice Waters. The revered chef and restaurateur has influenced countless eco-minded food entrepreneurs with her farm-to-table approach and deep respect for regenerative farming. (In the early 1970s, Waters opened her famed restaurant Chez Panisse, with the steadfast mission of incorporating only organic and local produce into every meal it served.)
So this region, graced by Waters and countless other slow-food pioneers, is rich in innovation and curiosity. It's a place that champions local small companies that put the well-being of stakeholders first. Naturally, we were thrilled to dig deeper into the many conscious small brands that San Francisco has to offer.
Truly a one-of-a-kind salad dressing company that uses only a handful of local organic ingredients in their mixes. The Berry Olive and Sunny Avocado are local favorites at SF farmers’ markets.
This small-batch flower and plant beverage company prides itself on using plants that are naturally cross-pollinated by local bees. Located in Sebastopol, the owners frequent many of the SF farmers’ markets. Their ferments and cold-pressed juices are unparalleled.
Floral designers Aubriana Kasper and Gena Winter founded Marigold, a stunning organic floral and gift shop, in San Francisco's Mission District in June 2018, and it has since become a household name around the city. The team is known for their whimsical, organic styles and dedication to locally grown, seasonal flowers. They also host a gift and coffee shop in their workspace, where you can sip local coffee and peruse gifts from Flamingo Estate and more.
It’s all in the name: This SF company started off making their simple one-note product, a clean date syrup, with a minimal team. Now you can find the syrup on natural grocery story shelves across the US.
Head to the Fort Mason Farmers’ Market on a Sunday and you’ll find an impressive array of local nuts, dates, and other dried fruits at this bustling tent.
San Francisco Honey & Pollen Co.
A small company offering the local liquid gold of the region. In tandem with offering local honey and bee pollen, husband-and-wife team John and Christina McDonald also give workshops on the critical importance of ethical, kind beekeeping.
There’s a reason why we included Lady Falcon in our holiday gift guide: The coffee, which is sustainably grown and founded by female farmers, is pure, clean, and simply incredible. Plus, we love the unique vibe of the brand’s aesthetic that pays homage to the salty, foggy air of San Francisco.
Low to no intervention natural Syrahs, Sauvignon Blancs, and Cabernets made with organic local grapes and no added fillers or toxins.
SF residents flock to this stall at the farmers’ markets to source their peak fruits and vegetables, fresh eggs, handmade nut butters, and more. Family-run for several generations, Winter’s Fruit Tree owners follow sustainable and organic farming methods.
The Sciabica Family is legendary in the Northern California food scene: Since the early 1960s, they have been growing organic olives to cold-press them into the purest olive oil—making them the oldest producer of the product in the US. While their oils and balsamic glazes are famous, this company also offers freshly made pastas, tomato sauces, olive oil almonds, and handmade skincare.
Women-owned and run, Saba Jam produces small-batch handmade jams that are dense with organic Northern California fruits picked at peak season.
If you’re in town and seeking a novel experience, head to the Mission District to check out this local and wildly popular chocolate company. The Dandelion team offers friendly tours and tastings to get a deeper experience of its organic, single-origin small-batch artisan chocolate. They pride themselves on building honest and fair relationships with their cocoa bean farmers, a rarity in the chocolate industry.
It took two friends, the vibes of San Francisco, and a desire for a soap that doesn’t strip or negatively impact the earth to create this popular line of body and face oils and sustainable bath products. Free of anything toxic or artificial, these products do what they’re meant to do: gently clean, moisturize, and uplift.
Oakland resident Karina Vlastnik is the energy behind this vibrantly packaged company that offers ethically sourced tea and chai. Inspired by the “evolving vibrations and diverse terrain of Northern California,” the tea is blended by-hand in small batches.
Unlike novels or memoirs, cookbooks usually offer little literary mystery. When you pick one up, you know you're in for recipes and instructions, generally well worth it from a sage cook. But on occasion, a cookbook comes along that surprises. Within its pages are deep stories from in and out of the kitchen, history lessons that expand generations and cultures, and admissions of hope found in the symphony of chopping vegetables and peeling fruits. These are the cookbooks we devour at PrimaFoodie. Thankfully, this fall, there's a bounty of these gems just out or on the horizon. These are the new culinary titles that are exciting and inspiring us the most right now.
By My Nguyen
My Nguyen has millions of followers for a good reason: Her accessible, nourishing take on cooking is based on her honest journey of needing to better care of herself so she could take better care of her two toddlers. So, she chose to get rid of the calorie counting and lean into her intuition, and she takes us along on the journey in her new book My Healthy Dish. Nguyen shares her approachable, intuitive, playful take on home cooking, offering recipes for protein-packed breakfasts and snacks and easy weeknight meals, much of which are inspired by her Southeast Asian heritage. What we love most, though, is how she's helped her kids reach for the veggies. "Once picky eaters who longed for McDonald's, my girls now prefer my cooking to what we get at restaurants," writes Nguyen. "I'm making sure that they get plenty of time to play in the kitchen, too, starting them off on a path to lifelong good health a lot sooner than I did!”
By Steve Sando
We've been fans of Steve Sando and his heirloom bean company, Rancho Gordo, for a long time (did you catch his conversation with Nichole on the podcast?), so we jumped when we learned he was coming out with a cookbook. The Bean Book showcases what Sando knows best: growing, sourcing, and cooking with beans—but not just beans; the best heirloom beans. This book is fun, just like Sando. It offers over 100 recipes that incorporate beans in conventional and unexpected ways. (One of our favorites is the Clay-Baked Pacific Cod Gratin with Onions and White Beans.) The best part is that Sando offers a history lesson about each bean variety he cooks, making this book rich in ideas and lessons.
By Julia Turshen
We consistently turn to Julia Turshen for her kitchen wisdom by picking up one of her cookbooks (Small Victories is a PrimaFoodie favorite), reading her beloved cooking newsletter, or taking one of her online cooking classes. Her way of making cooking feel creative, adventurous, and empowering is unparalleled. And her dishes are always so satisfying. Her new book, just out this month, Turshen, focuses on the foundations of a meal, offering us readers with charts and recipes to help us build a dish while allowing room for personal iterations. She also weaves in personal essays, making this book both a literary gift and a culinary guide.
By Palek Patel
Roasted Butternut Squash with Makani Sauce. Roasted Vindaloo Mushroom Wraps. Braised Vegetable Dal. These are just a few of the warming, nourishing dishes chef Palak Patel includes in her new book, Food Is Love. Seeing food as the ultimate act of love, Patel includes stories and recipes from her upbringing in West India and global travels that put love and care as the star ingredients. As she writes, she wants readers to view this book as an "opportunity to create memories with food and be more intentional, present, and open while cooking." She also includes deep dives into spices (a topic we love).
Ingredients in our food are as ubiquitous as they are nebulous. In our PrimaFoodie Ingredient Spotlights, we investigate common food additives to discover their origin, use, and purpose— because even if something is edible, it doesn't mean it's healthy or necessary.
Diacetyl is a chemical compound with a buttery flavor and odor. It is both an organic chemical naturally found in certain fruits, vegetables, and dairy products and a synthetically manufactured flavoring agent used to give foods a butteriness. Diacetyl is also a natural byproduct of fermentation, which is why it is present in some beer and wine. For years, it was a common additive in microwave popcorn, lending that distinctively rich, buttery flavor that many people associate with movie nights.
In the food industry, diacetyl’s primary purpose is to replicate the flavor of butter. The compound has been used in a wide range of products beyond microwave popcorn, including caramel, baked goods, and dairy items. It’s also used as a flavoring in certain beverages, giving them a slightly creamy, buttery finish.
In processed foods, diacetyl not only enhances flavor but sometimes also acts as a preservative, making it a valuable tool for manufacturers looking to extend the shelf life of their products. This chemical is particularly prevalent in “buttery” food products because it makes foods creamier and more indulgent.
Diacetyl isn’t just limited to popcorn and dairy products. It occurs naturally in small amounts in various foods, but is more commonly used as an artificial additive in processed items, such as:
Microwave popcorn
Crackers, potato chips, and corn chips
Baked goods and pastries
Flavored gelatin and puddings
Caramel, chocolate, and other candy
Ice cream
Certain types of beer and wine
Sour cream and butter
E-cigarettes (as part of dessert-like vapor flavors)
Diacetyl is naturally found in:
Cocoa
Honey
Beer, wine, and other alcoholic drinks
Milk, cheese, butter, and yogurt
Interestingly, food labels don’t always list diacetyl explicitly. It can sometimes be hidden under terms like “natural and artificial flavorings” or “DATEM,” making it difficult for consumers to avoid it altogether.
Despite its seemingly innocuous nature, diacetyl has been the subject of health concerns.
In 2000, a serious health crisis within the microwave popcorn industry came to light. Factory workers exposed to diacetyl developed a debilitating lung condition known as "popcorn lung,” where the workers fell ill after breathing in diacetyl. The American Lung Association states that “while this flavoring may be tasty, it was linked to deaths and hundreds of cases of bronchiolitis obliterans, a serious and irreversible lung disease.”
Major popcorn manufacturers have since removed diacetyl from their products, but the risk is still out there, notably today in e-cigarettes, in which some manufacturers incorporate diacetyl as a vape flavoring.
At PrimaFoodie, we advocate for a mindful approach to food choices, especially when it comes to ingredients like diacetyl, which can carry risks. While diacetyl may no longer be a staple in microwave popcorn, its presence in other products means that it’s still worth paying attention to. Instead of relying on processed, pre-packaged foods, we suggest opting for whole, natural ingredients whenever possible.
Popcorn, for example, can be easily made on the stovetop with organic kernels and fresh, high-quality butter from your local farmer’s market or health food store. Not only does this eliminate the need for potentially harmful additives, but it also reduces waste from plastic and other unsustainable packaging.
In a world where quick, convenient foods often come with health compromises, we believe in empowering consumers to make informed choices. Knowing what’s in your food—and understanding the potential risks—can make a world of difference in maintaining a healthy, sustainable lifestyle.
So, our take? We at PrimaFoodie avoid diacetyl.
Catch a glimpse of Makenna Held in the kitchen, and it becomes evident quickly: The writer, entrepreneur, and cooking teacher likes to have fun while she's whipping together ingredients—and she wants all of us to experience the same. Of course, it helps that Makenna teaches in Julia Child's former summer home La Pitchoune, which she and her husband purchased and now live with their kids and run their recipe-free cooking school aptly named the same. (La Pitchoune is also the name of their TV series about their cooking school.) Still, wherever Makenna is—in her native America or across the pond—she aims for a more inclusive, kinder approach to nourishing ourselves. "Food shouldn't be about stress," she says.
We caught up with Makenna over the summer to ask more about her approach to cooking and the most significant differences between our food system in the States and where she lives in France. Makenna, who is generous and kind, offers her insights, most of which are refreshingly outside of any boxes—or, as she would say, free of structured recipes. "A lot of the work that I do comes from the fact that I didn't have a choice," she says, "because I was never going to fit an ideal of what society had for me."
How did moving to the South of France change your life in terms of how you cook and approach your day-to-day living?
Oh, that's a really good question! A lot of people talk about my move as being this massive change. I would say that our focus on cultural differences when it comes to Europe and America is almost an obsession. I think we have a lot more in common than we realize. A lot of Americans are European immigrants and are a few generations removed. So, Europe is more alike to the United States than we often admit. I would say my move didn't change much of my daily life. I still run an American business. I still have an American family. A lot of it is utterly familiar, in that there are grocery stores, farmers markets, and other things. The fact that it comes in a different language is hugely different, of course, and the products might be different, but there's so much that's the same.
Also, so much of this depends on where you're from in the United States. I spend my summers in Door County, Wisconsin, and I would say that the food system here is better than that in France. That being the local food system. What I get in the restaurants isn't necessarily the local ingredients where they're serving supper club grub, and where it may be delicious food, but it's made of, say, mass-produced chickens. So much of how you live your life has to do with personal choices and not your location. So, in answering this question, I chose to make the changes; the place didn't change it for me.
Education is a massive part of what you do in your TV show and your cooking classes, as is personal exploration and being creative in the kitchen. When it comes to cooking and nourishing ourselves, do you feel there's something people miss out on or overlook?
I would say that a lot of the ways that the system encourages us to feed ourselves in the United States is what causes a lot of the dysfunction. Having to find six exact ingredients and going to six grocery stores to find those ingredients and then facing the time wasted when one is sold out, well, that time could be spent being creative in the kitchen. One of the huge differences between how the average American and the average European cooks is that most European cooks don't follow recipes to a T. They have a few techniques they know how to utilize, and they have then figured out what's available at the market today. A huge difference between the European food system and the American system in general is that many year-round things, even in the large grocery stores, aren't present. Sure, you still may get cherry tomatoes in the winter in France, but you're not going to get mealy, hot-house-grown, no-flavor tomatoes in France. A lot of these things that we have become accustomed to in the United States year-round aren't year-round in Europe. So you're forced to think differently about food, intrinsically differently. That's a huge point of what makes the two systems so different, and it's probably what's changed me the most regarding my approach. But I had already made those decisions while living in the States. I made the decision to buy locally and check where it was coming from and how it was grown. Doing that in Europe is easier because there isn't that temptation. Even when I'm in the United States at Christmas and I see that hothouse tomato that looks red on the outside, I want to grab it. I think, maybe this one will be good. And they never are!
Much of this has to do with deciding to shop locally and mastering some techniques. If you master a dry roast and come up with a few sauces, those can become staples that make it much faster and easier to feed oneself. It is so much more fun to go into a market and buy things because they're actually beautiful and in season rather than because you need this amount of this on your list.
"Fun" is the operative word here because you look like you have lots of it in your kitchen. There's the sense that we don't have to do it all perfectly.
A lot of this is cultural, right? The obsession with Instagram-worthy dishes is because that's what you see the food stylist has styled. That pull to do that is natural. Or if you make it look pretty, your fussy toddler will eat it. Maybe that works one day but not the other. And there's the pressure to ensure your kids get the nutrition they need, because maybe what they're getting at school or at their friend's houses is not what you want.
In American culture, I've noticed that there's just a lot of pressure and stress around food. I don't feel any pressure, stress, or worry around food with anyone in my world. I have I know people who have made choices because they're celiac or face other health issues. But in my world, there isn't the stress you see so much of in other places. This also has to do with how everything is set up. In America, you have aisle upon aisle of fast chips. In Europe, generally, your chip aisle is much smaller and your cookie aisle is much smaller. The shelf lives are much shorter. The way that Ritz crackers are made in Europe is different from how they're made in the United States because of how the ingredients have been approved or not approved. It's those sorts of things that create stress. Food shouldn't be about stress, but it often becomes stressful, especially when it's made of things your body rejects.
You support the idea of recipe-free cooking. How has this approach expanded your life, in and out of the kitchen, and that of your cooking students?
When we look through one aspect of our life through a new lens and change the focus, we start to see new things. Many people make fun of me for what I do because they think it's so flippant. But it's actually not flippant. The number of people I've had in my kitchen crying because they were browbeaten by their mother, emotionally, about how they were terrible cooks growing up! Or maybe they grew up with trauma and sadness and hurt around food, whether that's eating disorders or family issues or all of those things. When you realize that you actually can be in control of the outcome, and you don't have to rely on an expert to be in control of the outcome, that can be so freeing. I am not anti-recipe. I just believe there are other ways to teach cooking than just using recipes. If you're teaching a gymnast, you may start with a recipe of a somersault, and eventually the gymnast will figure out how to do their own tricks. With cooking, we can start to figure out our own things. And that opens other places in people's lives.
Makenna Held is an author, entrepreneur, recipe-free cooking instructor, and host of La Pitchoune: Cooking in France, on the Magnolia Network. You can learn more at makennaheld.com.
Interview and story by @staceylindsay.
Lately, we have snacks on our minds here at PrimaFoodie. One reason is that school is here, so we're thinking of nutrient-packed ways to keep the kiddos satiated and healthy throughout the day. (Stay tuned for our PrimaFoodie-approved Snack Guide, which is coming soon!) Another reason is one that haunts us: Snacking in the US has become an issue that is hurting our health.
One of the significant issues with snacking today is how it has slowly replaced quality, nutritious meals for many Americans. In late 2023, the nonprofit PLOS Global Health published a study stating that American adults averaged 400 to 500-worth of calories in snacks per day. That is a meal's worth of calories consumed just in snacks alone—and so many of these snacks are eaten on-the-go, in the car, or at a desk or in front of the TV.
What's most alarming about this fact is the nutritional value of what people are snacking on. A snack is generally considered to be a food eaten between main meals. Research shows that snacking can positively impact a person's metabolic health—that is, if the snacks are healthy and unprocessed, like an apple. But these days, most Americans are choosing snacks that are anything but healthy. In fact, they’re potentially harmful. As the PLOS study and other research shows, the chewy, salty, crunchy snacks Americans are grabbing are ultra-processed and nutritionally lacking. Market research generally shows the most common snacks to be cookies, chips, ice cream, candy, cheese and yogurt, nuts, and chocolate. Not all of these foods are bad when they’re made of whole ingredients. However, this fact changes when they contain conventional additives, such as food coloring, sugars, seed oils, and other highly processed additives.
Unhealthy snacking can have grave impacts. The CDC states that more than 100 million and nearly 15 million child have obesity. There's concern that these numbers will continue to rise, with a giant culprit being unhealthy snacking. Studies show there are various reasons behind snacking, from hunger to boredom to emotional reasons, and unhealthy snacking can often be habitual for adults and kids. What's additionally concerning is how food companies market unhealthy snacks to kids, thus influencing their eating decisions. "The food and beverage industry spends almost $14 billion per year on advertising in the US, more than 80 percent of which promotes fast food, sugary drinks, candy, and other unhealthy snacks," writes researchers at harvard.
In truth, this all just scratches the surface of just how large of an issue unhealthy snacking is in America and how targeted we are as consumers by giant corporations—which is why it’s on our minds. There’s a giant need for a shift towards healthier snack options. We'll continue to offer you more research and our PrimaFoodie-approved whole-food snacks, but as we always say, the best way to stay healthy is to stay informed: Read labels, consider a company's motivation, reach for whole foods, and cook nutritious meals at home when possible.
Too many foods on market shelves and in our grocery delivery baskets are filled with artificial food dyes—and we don't even realize it. Take Red 40, the most used food coloring: The Department of Agriculture estimates more than 36,000 foods sold in the U.S. contain this dye. This is disturbing, not only because research links this and other food colorings to serious health implications (particularly in children), but also because there is no law requiring companies to disclose how much food dye they add to a product. So, our children are munching on snacks with sickening amounts of harmful chemicals.
This issue is on our minds. We believe it's on yours, too. When we dived deep into the impact of food dyes with Dr. Tanya Dempsey in 2022, our story exploded in popularity and remains one of our most popular. Over the last decades, immense movements on the individual, state, and federal levels have been attempting to thwart the use of food dyes. In early 2024, California introduced Bill 2316, which would protect children from six artificial dyes by banning them from foods served in public schools during school hours. This state has been bullish on the anti-dye front, as a 2021 report found synthetic food dyes potentially contribute to hyperactivity and other neurobehavioral problems in some children "and that children vary in their sensitivity to synthetic food dyes." Thankfully, other states are doing their parts, as well.
The advocacy for ridding food dyes from foods is out there, which is heartening. Still, these chemicals are permeating the food aisles often in ways that go by the most discerning eyes. As we've continued to dig into this topic, we've been utterly shocked by how food dyes are in the most unsuspecting foods. It's evident that Twin Pops have a rainbow of dyes, but a salmon salad? Must a salmon salad have Red. No. 40 and 3 and Yellow No. 5 and 6? We say no.
We also say no to all these other foods, which often contain cryptic food colorings we would never have suspected. So the next time you pick up one of the below, read the ingredients label closely (as we always suggest).
Consider this another cautionary list to keep you on your food-additive-aware toes.
When we think about climate change, we tend to focus on the obvious culprits, like car emissions and industrial pollution, says entrepreneur Jan Rem. But there's another contributor, one that's less visible but as significant lurking in our kitchens: food waste.
"The repercussions of food waste and its profound effect on the environment and climate change have become a pressing global and personal concern," Rem tells us, adding that modern consumer culture has fostered a "throwaway society” of overconsumption and a casual attitude towards wasting food. “This mindset has exacerbated the food waste problem, with many individuals discarding food items without considering the environmental consequences."
Rem is doing her part to tackle the problem with Ambrosia Bags, simple linen zipper produce bags she created in partnership with her son. Ambrosia offers a sustainable, convenient way to extend the shelf-life of fruits and vegetables. “By making this small change in how we store our produce, we can make a significant difference in our homes and beyond,” says Rem.
We caught up with the founder and advocate to dig deeper into the issue of food waste and how we all can work to tackle this problem, one kitchen at a time.
Research states Americans waste 80 to 90 billion pounds of food annually. What is at the top of your mind that you want people to know?
Food waste ranks among the top three most significant food-related concerns for consumers, but there is a substantial gap between awareness and action. Educational initiatives aimed at enhancing public understanding of food waste and its repercussions are falling short of solving the problem. To truly address this global issue, we must move beyond mere awareness and implement concrete strategies to reduce food waste at all levels of the supply chain, from production to consumption. Only through concerted efforts and behavioral changes can we hope to mitigate the environmental impact of food waste and create a more sustainable future for our planet.
What personally inspired you to start Ambrosia?
Recognizing linen's beneficial and preservative qualities, I envisioned a world where everyone could access an all-natural linen ziplock produce refrigerator storage bag. My dream was to provide a sustainable solution for storing fresh produce that could extend its shelf life while promoting eco-friendly practices.
How does extending our produce's life help save food and reduce greenhouse gas emissions?
As fruits and vegetables decompose, they release potent greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, primarily methane and carbon dioxide. These gasses trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere, accelerating global warming. What's particularly alarming is that methane, the primary gas emitted by decaying food, is over 20 times more powerful at trapping heat than the carbon dioxide produced by vehicle emissions.
The scale of this problem is staggering. Globally, food waste is responsible for a whopping 11 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions related to our food systems. This means that the apples forgotten in your fridge or the lettuce wilting in your compost bin contribute to climate change in a measurable way.
By understanding the significant climate impact of food waste, we can take more informed actions to reduce our carbon footprint. Simple steps like meal planning, proper food storage, and composting can make a real difference in mitigating this often-overlooked source of greenhouse gasses.
How can better storing our fruits and veggies help us save money?
Every piece of produce we discard represents hard-earned money literally thrown away. By preserving our fruits and vegetables longer, Ambrosia Bags help us maximize our grocery budget.Beyond personal benefits, reducing food waste has far-reaching environmental implications. When we throw away less produce, we're not just saving money; we're conserving the valuable natural resources used to grow, transport, and store that food.
And there's the emotional well-being. The guilt associated with wasting food is a burden many of us carry. Ambrosia Bags alleviate this emotional toll, making us feel more responsible and satisfied with our consumption habits.
The problem with food waste and environmental issues can be overwhelming, perhaps causing some of us to feel lost about how we can do our part. What do you say to the person who feels overwhelmed?
I firmly believe that each of us has the potential to make a significant impact by taking responsibility for our actions. When we commit to making even the smallest changes to our counterproductive habits, we contribute to a collective effort that can transform both our lives and our environment. This is how we truly empower ourselves and create lasting change. By actively seeking sustainable solutions, we can simultaneously reduce our environmental footprint and alleviate the burden of self-imposed guilt. While these changes may initially require additional time or effort, the long-term benefits far outweigh the short-term inconveniences. The virtuous cycle of giving back to ourselves and our planet creates a powerful ripple effect that extends far beyond our individual actions.
What daily actions do you take to reduce waste and live more sustainably?
First and foremost, I prioritize best practices as a conscious consumer, which means I avoid overbuying and over planting in my garden. After returning home from the market or harvesting from my garden, I take the time to properly store all our fresh produce in Ambrosia Produce Bags. This gives me peace of mind, knowing that our precious produce will stay fresh until we're ready to enjoy it.
Additionally, I cherish the tradition passed down from my grandmother and mother of transforming leftovers. It's remarkable how a single dish can be reinvented by simply adding a few extra ingredients or by enjoying it either cold or hot.
I also make it a point to compost all food scraps in a closed system, enriching our garden soil and contributing to future harvests. This holistic approach not only reduces waste but also fosters a sustainable cycle of growth and nourishment.
What do you love most about running your company, Ambrosia, and educating people?
What I find truly remarkable and humbling is the way customers reach out to express their gratitude for the Ambrosia Produce Bags. One might assume that selling a simple item would be straightforward, but the reality is far more complex.
Bringing a product to market requires immense determination and perseverance. However, our customers' unwavering support fueled the resolve to work even harder and reach as many people as possible. Each time we engaged in face-to-face sales, something extraordinary would happen. Return customers would approach us, sharing how Ambrosia Bags had transformed their lives. They would even stop passersby to spread the word about Ambrosia. Witnessing people offer genuine testimonials about something I created is an indescribable feeling. These heartfelt interactions reinforced Ambrosia's value and its positive impact on people's lives.
Our experiences have taught us that true business success isn't just about sales figures or profit margins. It's about creating something that resonates with people on a personal level and improves their quality of life. The stories and testimonials from our customers have always been the driving force and reason behind our continued growth and success.
You can learn more about Jan and Ambrosia Produce Bags here.
Interview and story by @staceylindsay.
Ingredients in our food are as ubiquitous as they are nebulous. In our PrimaFoodie Ingredient Spotlights, we investigate common food additives to discover their origin, use, and purpose— because even if something is edible, it doesn't mean it's healthy or necessary.
Of all food sweeteners, aspartame has been one of the most widely used for decades. It's a low-calorie—technically near-zero-calorie—artificial sweetener created by combining the amino acids aspartic acid and phenylalanine with methanol. The result is a sweetener nearly 200 times sweeter than cane sugar.
American chemist James M. Schlatter created aspartame in the mid-1960s to replace sucralose, a then-common table sugar replacement. Food manufacturers started incorporating aspartame in their products in the mid-1970s when the sweetener received FDA approval. Equal® became the most common aspartame tabletop sweetener brand, launched in the early 1980s.
Aspartame is found in foods, candies, beverages, supplements, medicines, and tabletop sweetener packets. Its original purpose was to offer a low- to no-calorie replacement for sugar and a substance that some experts in the medical and scientific fields believed could provide a better sweetener option to people with certain conditions. "Being 180–200 times sweeter than sucrose, its intake was expected to reduce obesity rates in developing countries and help those struggling with diabetes," as a study published in the journal Nutrients states.
Aspartame is incorporated into thousands of edible products. The most common include:
diet sodas
juices labeled "low calorie"
sports drinks and flavored waters
chewing gum
medicines, most commonly those made for children
vitamins and supplements, including electrolyte powders
sugar-free desserts and snacks
condiments
sauces
syrups
mixed with other artificial sweeteners
Aspartame is also present in toothpaste, mouthwash, and other personal care products.
The research on aspartame and human health is wide-reaching and contradictory. In July 2023, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), World Health Organization, and Food and Agriculture Organization released information citing that aspartame could have a potential carcinogenic impact on humans. The IARC review was prompted by previous research that reignited concern about the possible health effects of aspartame. One of those studies was the NutriNet-Santé cohort study that involved 100,000 people in France. It found that people who consumed higher amounts of aspartame were slightly more likely to develop breast cancer and overall cancer compared with people who did not consume the sweetener.
In other instances, consumers over the last three decades have complained that aspartame has caused memory loss, headaches, dizziness, weight gain, and even epileptic seizures. In 2017, researchers linked artificial sweeteners to obesity, stating “data in both animal models and humans suggest that the effects of artificial sweeteners may contribute to metabolic syndrome and the obesity epidemic.”
On the other hand, some studies have shown aspartame to be harmless and the FDA says that its scientists "do not have safety concerns when aspartame is used under the approved conditions."
When it comes to aspartame and any chemical ingredient, we consider the following: Where does this ingredient come from? Was it plucked from nature, or was it made in a lab? Is it necessary? What is the research behind it? And why do manufacturers use it?
Aspartame has no nutritional value; its job is only to make us eat more processed foods. It is unnaturally sweet, artificial, and linked to too many potential health issues. It's a product made up in a lab by a chemist to mimic a natural taste and make foods addictive.
Aspartame is one of a handful of manufactured ingredients that loudly illustrate how our food system has shifted away from human health and toward profit. This artificial sweetener concerns us, as does the research linking it to even the possibility of it being carcinogenic.
For these reasons, all of us at PrimaFoodie steer clear of aspartame.
