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This Ingredient Isn’t Food, But Most Americans Eat It.

Although several large food corporations are reformulating their products to be more “natural”, there’s still a substance found in many conventional food items that isn’t suitable for human consumption – yet many people unknowingly eat it on a regular basis. It is in crackers, peanut butter, tortillas, chips, nuts, baked goods, fruit snacks, and it’s used at mainstream restaurants. 

IT'S NOT FOOD

Cotton is not food.

It’s not a vegetable. It’s not a fruit. It’s not a grain. So, what is it?

Unless you’re on the dangerous cotton ball diet, we all know that cotton is not food! Cotton is a textile that’s used to make fabrics – yet the waste from this crop has been in our food supply for decades. 

Cottonseed oil is made from a byproduct of the industrial waste from the cotton farming industry, which isn’t a food crop. Cotton crop waste is also used is to make some “cellulose” additives (when wood isn’t used) that’s added to products like Kraft shredded cheese. You’ll find these cotton byproducts in hundreds of mainstream processed foods because they’re cheap to produce and have a long shelf life. Cotton waste is also fed to conventional farm animals as a way to cheaply dispose of it and artificially bulk up their feed. 

Would you bake with a candle wax?

We can thank Procter & Gamble for bringing cottonseed oil into the mainstream after they discovered that hydrogenated cottonseed oil makes a good candle wax and began marketing it as Crisco (whose name stands for “Crystallized Cotton Seed Oil”). To this day when I think of Crisco, I think of wax! But all kidding aside, the cotton industry isn’t something to joke about.

Cotton is known as the “World’s Dirtiest Crop”.

Not only is cotton one of the most prevalent genetically modified (GMO) crops (designed to produce an insecticide), cotton crops still require an intense application of agricultural chemicals. That’s why cotton has been called the “World’s Dirtiest Crop”, contaminating our groundwater and food supply with numerous pesticides that are classified as highly hazardous by the World Health Organization. Residues from these pesticides can remain in the cottonseed oil according to data collected by the FAO/WHO Joint Meetings on Pesticides Residues in Food. Further, to extract the oil the cottonseeds are subjected to intensive chemical refining with toxic hexane, bleach, and deodorizers

GMO cotton farming is detrimental to the environment and has destroyed farmers lives.

Cotton farming also uses an extensive amount of water, and is responsible for drying up the world’s 4th largest lake. The newly dried up water basin is littered with chemicals: DDT, hexachlorocyclohexane, toxaphene, and phosalone (all known carcinogens) that have gone airborne and are poisoning the local population.

Almost all of the cotton in the world is grown in developing countries, where they have lower environmental standards and labeling regulations. In these poverty stricken countries that cotton is generally grown, child labor and inadequate safety standards are prevalent. Since 2002, thousands of Indian farmers committed suicide after the costly GMO seeds they used failed. There is nothing more insidious and despicable than an industry that preys upon the health, safety, and lives of innocent victims. 

Cottonseed oil does not belong in our food supply and should be strictly avoided.

GMO BT cotton is not a savior for farmers – not only do they have to buy new seeds every year from Monsanto, but they don’t protect against all pests even though the seeds have built in insecticide – which means they end up spraying more pesticides! I’ve seen first hand the differences between GMO cotton and organic cotton – how it’s grown, what it looks like and the little difference in yield. The impact on the soil was enough to convince me that we must use regenerative organic farming if we are going to save our land and our bodies – especially since this toxic cotton is ending up in our food.

IMG_8334

India Cotton Farm Pilgrimage & Regenerative Agriculture Tour in October 2015 with Dr. Vandana Shiva

Many brands and restaurants use cottonseed oil…

The list of brands that still use this substance is a mile long. I was a bit shocked when I contacted In & Out Burger and they told me they use cottonseed oil to fry their french fries – but they aren’t alone. Depending on location, Arby’s, Arctic Circle, Wendy’s, and Burger King sometimes use cottonseed oil in their fryers as well, which they use to cook anything fried like fries, chicken strips, and onion rings. According to Burger King’s latest ingredient list: “Products that are fried in a shared fryer include but may not be limited to: Fish Filet, Pork Sausage, Crispy Chicken patty, Chicken Nuggets, Original Chicken Patty, Spicy Chicken Patty, Hash browns, French Fries, French Toast Sticks, and Onion Rings. Fryer oil contains: corn, canola, soy and/or cottonseed oils”.

Brands Using Cottonseed Oil - 1

You’d never expect anyone to add it to beef, but Jack In the Box adds hydrogenated cottonseed oil to the beef in their 1/4 lb. “Signature” burgers – and it’s also in their homestyle potatoes and egg rolls. Burger King, Hardee’s, and KFC all use cottonseed oil in their biscuits (instead of real butter). Boar’s Head uses cottonseed oil to brown some versions of their deli meats. Hardee’s also uses it in their gravy, mashed potatoes, onion rings, croissants, and to cook their eggs. Dairy Queen uses cottonseed oil in some buns and their famous ice cream cones. You’ll find cottonseed oil in some Girl Scout cookies too

Although they’re notorious for it, fast food restaurants aren’t the only restaurants guilty of cooking with cottonseed oil. When I was writing my book last year, I found out that Olive Garden uses cottonseed oil in their Alfredo sauce – (yuck)! Who knows what other mainstream “family” dining restaurants use cottonseed oil because most of them don’t publish or freely disclose their ingredients. Until restaurants are required to post their ingredients the only way to know is to ask them to read you the ingredients in their specific menu items and cooking oils. 

We can make a change and it starts with each one of us.

Last week, I received this awesome email from Marilyn, a member of the Food Babe Army. This is a great example of something that all of us can do to make a change! 

“Following is a email letter I sent to Publix about their use of cotton seed oil in MOST of their bakery items.

Dear Publix, I’ve been concerned for some time now about the cotton seed oil that is in almost all of Publix bakery item. I have eaten and enjoyed many of these items for years, even though I am a very health conscious person. I trusted that Publix with their squeaky clean reputation would not use ingredients known to be harmful or toxic. Then one day, I actually read the ingredients and saw cotton seed oil, then I read more items ingredients and found it was in almost everything. Then I went to Walmart and Winn Dixie, and read their bakery ingredients. I found they hardly use it all, which surprised me.

So, anyone who has an interest in using safer ingredients and has done a minimal amount of research knows that COTTON SEED OIL is the MOST chemical laden commercial or food grade oil on the planet. So many pesticides and herbicides and fungicides, etc have to be used on the crops because of all the issues in growing it. So why does the government even allow this toxic oil to be used in human food??? But Publix, of all the food chains, to be using this unhealthy cheap oil in all those delicious bakery items is soooo sad and disappointing. Publix usually holds such high standards, I am appalled.

So since I know that this letter will not get to who or where it will really matter, I am going to forward this and other concerns to “The Food Babe”, in hopes she will jump on this and use her army to influence Publix to omit this toxic ingredient. I know you know who the Food Babe is. Since she and her army of advocates, me being one of them, convinced Kraft to remove their artificial dyes from the macaroni and cheese products, she is quite influential. Please forward this email to the CEO of publix. PLEASE TAKE OUT THAT COTTON SEED OIL FROM THE BAKERY PRODUCTS, so we can go back to buying and enjoying them. I will never buy another bakery item from Publix until this toxin is removed. I have posted this all over facebook. Thank you Marilyn”

Go, Marilyn, Go! Here are some tips for sending a letter like this to your grocery store. 

How to avoid cotton in your food:

  1. Continue checking the ingredient list on any packaged product you buy. We are very lucky here in the US, as food manufacturers are required to state whether they are using cotton or not. For example, in India and some other countries, they are not required to actually state which vegetable they are using for “vegetable oil.”
  2. When going out to eat, ask questions.
  3. If a restaurant won’t tell you what’s in their food, don’t eat it. 

If you know someone who might be eating cottonseed – please share this post with them!

Xo,

Vani 

 

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140 responses to “This Ingredient Isn’t Food, But Most Americans Eat It.

  1. Thanks Food Babe (and Marilyn) for this investigation! To add to the list- Crown Prince marinates some products in cottonseed oil. This is disappointing because they tout themselves as a high quality company. My dad eats their smoked oysters. My mom admires you, so I will tell her about your post.

    1. This article opened my eyes! When I was growing up my mom made many things with Crisco. I used it for a time, but quit when I wanted to get healthier over 40 years ago. I have learned more from Food Babe about the stuff in our food than from anywhere else. She makes it easy for us. Thank you so much for all of the information, Food Babe!

  2. I’m appalled Publix uses this ingredient as well! I can’t believe such a quality grocery store would used this. I will write to my local store. Thanks for the information!

    1. Why not add soy oil and products to the campaign and also give them some recommendations like avocado, coconut oils etc as substitutions?

  3. Pappadeaux also uses cottonseed oil. I cannot eat anything there without my stomach hurting. I am very sensitive to any vegetable oils.

    1. Didn’t you just read cotton isn’t a vegetable? Are you drunk or just stupid?

      1. Yes, you are correct that cotton is NOT a vegatable. but unfortunately the (stupid) FDA lets cottonseed oil be labeled as vegatable oil.

      2. Jack, aren’t you just the smart one? Bet comments like that make you feel pretty superior to everyone else. She started something called a new sentence. C’mon man, be one.

      3. Jack,
        Read Wills reply,,why be mean to Sarah?? Are you drunk or just stupid Jack,,,there, how does that feel?? Cripe!!,, Be nice!! Sounds like u have had too much vegetable oil!!

      4. You could point out that cottonseed oil is not a vegetable oil without being rude! We are all on the same side.

      5. Hey Jack, tough guy, rude guy, you need some manners. Wish I was able to provide them to you…. 🙂

      6. Jack Gordon,
        Comments like yours not needed on the Foodbabe site. Read Wills comment ‘Cottonseed oil is labeled as vegetable’, so are YOU drunk or just stupid? I agree with Mike, as far as Sarah’s second sentence in her very short polite comment. She does need a (obviously NOT SO SMART) nasty comment from someone like you. So save your nasty comments for some other site, you shouldn’t even be on here.

      7. Jack sounds like a troll to me….obviously doesn’t belong on a site like this.

      8. Jack Gordon – it is obvious to me that you are a troll. I am definitely not stupid, but you are very rude. Hopefully you will find a better use of your time.

        I wasn’t implying that cotton is a vegetable (OBVIOUSLY). Unfortunately, that is the way industrial oils are labeled in this country, which is very misleading. I was just referring to it by what it is labeled as, just like soybean oil, which is also NOT a vegetable.

      9. Give it to ’em Sarah! Good for you! We all knew where u were coming from. Jack needs to go find something else to do with his time, as no one likes him here! Lol! Have a great day Sarah!! 🙂

      10. Jack—Sarah did not call cottonseed oil a vegetable oil. She said she was sensitive to it along with any vegetable oils.

  4. Marilyn, you could also start a change.org petition to get publix to remove cottonseed oil. thanks for bringing attention to this!

  5. You have repeated this many times on your website and I’ve told you many times this is just absolutely false. Cottonseed oil is like any other vegetable oil. It is not a waste product from cotton processing. It is a very valuable component of a cotton crop, used for pretty high quality oil and a considered a premium feed product for dairy cows. It has to meet all FDA standards for any vegetable oil which means it is not laden with pesticides. It is a food crop. To say other wise is just a lie.

    1. History is history. “Thanks to Procter & Gamble the United States boosted the production of a waste product of cotton farming, cottonseed oil. To ensure a steady, cheap supply for soap production the company formed a subsidiary in 1902 called Buckeye Cotton Oil Co. Before processing, cottonseed oil is cloudy red and bitter to the taste because of a natural phytochemical called gossypol (it’s used today in China as male birth control) and is toxic to most animals, causing dangerous spikes in the body’s potassium levels, organ damage, and paralysis. An issue of Popular Science from the era sums up the evolution of cottonseed nicely: “What was garbage in 1860 was fertilizer in 1870, cattle feed in 1880, and table food and many things else in 1890.” But it entered our food supply slowly. It wasn’t until a new food-processing invention of hydrogenation that cottonseed oil found its way into the kitchens of America’s restaurants and homes.” From the atlantic article I referenced above.

      1. You are absolutely right. History is history but you shouldn’t pick and choose the history you want to believe.

        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottonseed_oil

        Cottonseed oil has been used for a long time.

        I grow cotton and am very involved in the industry. I am also very proud of what I produce. Cotton fiber is a renewable product. The alternatives, polyester being the biggest, is made from crude oil. Which do you prefer?

      2. Halles, Consuming cotton seed oil and cotton fiber for clothing are two different things. So, you keep growing that cotton for clothing but don’t put cotton seed oil in my food!

      3. Halles, you clearly did not read the content of the link you posted from Wikipedia. You actually helped make the case against Cotton Seed Oils. It is clearly a mild toxin…
        I do on occasion wear polyester but I would never drink crude oil. I like cotton but I would never knowingly consume Cotton Seed Oil.
        The science is building a strong case against Seed oils being used as food, as well as other so-called Vegetable Oils.

    2. Thank you for the info food babe. Due to following you for some time now, I no longer eat anything packaged or processed. I feel great and lost 25 pounds and im stable at 145 pounds. You are an inspiration to my family and I. You helped change our eating habits and lives.

    3. FDA Approved? You mean the Federal Death Association? Bought and paid for by the companies that manufacture (and I do mean “manufacture”) our food???

      1. I’m sure the good people at the Federal Death Association would not like you making light of their fine organization. You people are just so clever.

      2. halles , do some research a f&d inspector just got hired by the very company inspected at 3 times the salary . This is common practice as its been going on for decades , they receive 3 to 5 times their salary depending on the favors provided , Again do some research on the crooked f&d .

      3. halles, I am confused – I can appreciate someone explaining their point of view. When you then speak for the FDA and mention that the “good people …would not like you making light of their fine organization”, it makes you sound as if you have some connection with them. You will have to forgive me but is there some connection between you and the FDA? If you do it would probably be ethical to reveal that as you defend the organization.

  6. I was looking at tomato sauces last week at the grocery store and saw “cottonseed oil” in the ingredient list on Hunt’s sauce. Although I had not heard of cottonseed oil, I didn’t buy the product because I thought it sounded unappetizing and was most likely full of pesticides. Now I see that that hunch was right. So yes, keep a look out in the grocery stores too.

    1. Halles, if you are so certain about Cottonseed oil being safe as you profess, go ahead and binge on that in all your foods, and get back to us in about 10+ years with a report on how your health and your immune system are.

      1. I have been Pat for all 55 years of my existence. I’m in excellent health according to all of my annual physicals. I’ve been told what you just told me many times by other posters on this website. Do you all have the same playbook of answers for those of us you consider to be trolls? The answer is usually, you are a paid shill for Monsanto, a troll (this one is already posted below) or eat it for years and get back to us in 10 years. Y’all need some new material.

      2. we need to evolve our habits as new information is available. we were regularly given aspirin as kids in the 70’s before the risks were known. I’m still here, but with todays knowledge I wouldn’t give my kids aspirin eventhough it was done for a hundred years in the past. Since theres plenty of uses for cottenseed oil why continue to push it into the food supply??

    2. Monsanto Sciences is Bought paid for by the same scum that push it as safe. I can guarantee your sorry ass doesn’t eat your own toxic product but you think nothing of pushing it on the others. hell Monsanto and Bill Gates got pissed when it was served at their luncheon and had it removed so take your b******* and choke on it a****** nobody believes a damn word you say LOL you piece of scum

      1. That’s so nice Rebecca. I do eat everything I produce fyi. I hope you have a wonderful day as well. Thanks again.

    3. Is this the same science that told us hydrogenated margarine was healthier than butter? GMO’s haven’t been around long enough for us to know what the consequences will be on our health in the future. I choose not to be a guinea pig for this experiment. If they do turn out to be non-harmful in the future, then what did I miss out on all those years that I chose not to eat them? Absolutely nothing. Oh wait a second, yes, there is something that I will miss out on eating if I avoid GMO’s – Round-up Ready pesticide. Nope, don’t think my body will miss that.

      1. Are you talking about the Roundup herbicide that the EPA said last week is not a cancer risk? The same Roundup herbicide that the WHO and National Academy of Sciences said at the first of this week is not a cancer risk? Would it be the Roundup herbicide that is not listed as a reason for “impairment” by the EPA on any of this country’s thousands of bodies of water that are impaired? Just wanting to be sure because reading anything about Roundup here would not be consistent with the findings of the aforementioned groups of real scientists. Oh, I forget that the Food Babe is a scientist. Computer scientist but I guess that’s close enough for some.

    4. Monsanto is the company that invented Agent Orange, along with Dow, which I’m sure you are aware of – the herbicide that harmed people in Vietnam and the American soldiers. They were told it was HARMLESS back then by the companies and also by their own government. So what in the world makes you think that we should trust companies and the government today to advise us on what they consider safe for us? We have to make that decision on our own based on our own comfort level. Personally, I don’t feel comfortable putting pesticides/herbicides into my body. But if you do and you trust the government agencies, then knock yourself out, eat as many chemicals as you want. But at the very least, you shouldn’t be supporting a company who harmed so many people with AO; they couldn’t care less about people. Money is their ruler.

      1. Actually Janine, the US government at the time “invented ” Agent orange , several companies produced it under contract, Monsanto actually stopped making it after dioxin damage was discovered to be relevant. If you want to be angry at someone start with the source, the government . Same with Round up ready corn, if you want to decrease the acreage demand the government stop mandating ethanol use. Don’t blame the people fulfilling the need, maybe stop buying ethanol based fuel instead of basing all the evils of the world on the fabricated boogeyman Monsanto.

      2. Agent Orange was invented as part of a collaborative effort with the British government at the time of the Vietnam War. Monsanto did not invent it, and was not the only company to produce it (in fact, Dow Chemical produced far more of it during the war than Monsanto ever did). The use of Agent Orange (or at least, the use of a defoliating agent) was requested by the Vietnamese government during the war – a request initially denied by the US government. It was only after discussing the issue and reviewing actions taken by the British government during the Vietnam War (and others before it) that the US agreed to large-scale defoliating, which was authorized by President Kennedy. Monsanto was one of many companies contracted to make Agent Orange. Not only did Monsanto not invent it, it only produced it under contract. Even more significant, the Monsanto company that exists today is legally distinct from the chemical company that produced Agent Orange – you might as well criticize George W. Bush for the actions of George H. W. Bush during the Gulf War because they have the same name. More significant still: Monsanto’s biological division is legally distinct from the chemical division – so you’re criticizing Laura Bush for the actions of George H. W. Bush.

        The chain of involvement of Agent Orange is, therefore, somewhat complicated. The Vietnamese requested the US produce and distribute defoliants based on the actions of the British, using a chemical created in a joint effort between the US and Great Britain, which was manufactured at Kennedy’s request by several chemical manufacturers, of which Monsanto was only one, and one of the smaller producers, which filed for bankruptcy and was reincorporated into a different company under the name Monsanto, which acquired seed patents on natural “organic” hybrid seed, which was the impetus for a spin-off company that was distinct from Monsanto but retained the name, which went on to acquire through purchases, company mergers, and research many (but certainly not all) of the GMO patents available on the market today.

        So it’s Agent Orange -> Vietnamese government -> US government -> Great Britain -> US government -> international military chemical researchers -> Kennedy -> multi-corporation manufacturing deal -> Monsanto -> Monsanto Jr. -> Monsanto Jr. [hyphen] Holden Foundation Seeds [hyphen] Delta Pine and Land [hyphen] several others -> GMO researchers -> GMO cotton.

      3. Dave ,Don’t forget this history too .Then why did they pass a bill that says Your glorious Monsanto can’t be sued for health issues that arise because of their chemicals . Why is Cancer diagnosed 8000 times a day in the U.S, alone not to mention blood pressure , diverticulitus , which by the way was non existent the early 1900’s . FYI thats before highly process foods came into American stores . I understand You would like to trust the government run F&D admin. so would I but remember the same government new where the weapons of mass destruction were in Iraq . Please do some research about the FDA you will be horribly surprised , that is unless you work for that “fine” organization . As for agent Orange no matter who brought it out it was used around American Military personel , also LSD was gave to Military personel The Military and our gov’t had Military people standing too close in atomic bomb explosions can you say the big C . My point being now we know this was all wrong , as is all this chemical garbage in our food . Maybe we can get a jump on this before any more people get ill.

    5. Is wikipedia and mainstrain articles from msn all u got for evidence?? I really for bad for u, if this is where u get ur information from. Dont believe in the false reality that we see in front of us

  7. Also in Pakistan GMO cotton was not approved for planting until 2012, a full 10 years later than you say.

    1. Most comments are missing the primary point. Why do we need these unnecessary additives in our foods? We don’t! Food growers and wholesalers are the same entities today, and rather than have expenses to remove waste products, they engineer them to be usable in other ways. Sorry, that’s not good enough for me, I’ll eat “real” food, thank you.

      1. J.R. Thank you! That’s exactly right, and I choose not to consume it. And people who try to push these byproducts on us by saying that they are safe are only worried about their buttom line.

    2. halles, just because it’s been used for nearly 200 years doesn’t make it right. Just because people have been using tobaco (cocaine, alcohol, etc.) for handreds of years doesn’t make it beneficial to your health.

      1. Cottonseed oil is not the equivalent of tobacco, cocaine or alcohol. That comparison is just asinine. It has historically been considered one of the healthier vegetable oils available, actually considered to help lower LDL cholesterol by some so it may be beneficial to health, regardless of what the Food Babe says. Environmental activists don’t like cotton or most any other conventionally produced crop so they do their best to make you afraid of it.

      2. I have had a heart attack and I have to watch what I eat I found out Ritz crackers have cottonseed oil in them and cottonseed oil is banned in a lot of countries but not in the United States!

  8. Nearly 200 years of use doesn’t make it right. (My point is the same, it’s not needed in our foods.)

  9. Nearly 200 years of use doesn’t make it right. (My point is the same, it’s not “needed” in our foods, and is an unnecessary additive.)
    Also, citing MSN and Wikipedia is not strengthening your argument. I’m glad you produce cotton, thank you. Do you refine it? If so, what do you do with waste?

    1. Wikipedia gives a more accurate story about cottonseed oil. It doesn’t cherry pick the things it wants you to know like this website does. Also the MSN link was just a story from this morning. My point is that if you are coming to this website to be educated then you aren’t getting a well rounded education. There was also this from a couple of days ago:http: //agfax.com/2016/05/16/glyphosate-gets-a-positive-nod-from-who-and-fao/

      I don’t refine the cotton. It is ginned here in the area where the seed is separated from the fiber. The seed and fiber are sold as completely separate products and there is no shortage of demand for the seed which is more expensive than some other vegetable oilseeds. The other waste, which consists of leaves and other parts of the cotton plant, has the consistency of mulch and is used as such by farmers and gardeners.

      1. Unfortunately, posts on Wikipedia are not monitored by anyone. Not all of the information found there is completely true. If you had some scientific journal studies or published articles with real names on it the information might be more reliable. I agree with the person who said that growing cotton for clothes is perfectly fine, but hydrogenating most anything makes it a harmful substance and quite often that’s how you see cottonseed oil being used in products.

      2. Halles: Unfortunately you are missing or perhaps not listening to the points made by others. There is a growing army of people who do NOT want any GMO’s or any Non-food ingredients like cottonseed oil at all in their food, regardless of what propaganda is being spouted by the corporations and lobbyists. As a 57 year old cancer survivor, I am spreading this information as much as I can before my family, friends and colleagues get sick too.
        The elephant has awoken and the army is growing by the day. Soon the companies and growers will have to LISTEN to their customers’ demands or be out of business. Long live a free economy.

      3. Halles: Wikipedia, really!!! You better than anyone else knows that it’s control by hackers and whenever GMO business and allies want us to believe something, they go straight to social media manipulation . I know we’re not talking about pharmaceutical companies here but the information about doctor Burzynski uploaded to Wikipedia isn’t accurate and you’re telling me to go to Wikipedia, oh please!!

    1. What on earth could possibly be wrong with soybean oil or palm oil. They’re perfectly respectable, edible plant products.

  10. Pappadeaux Greek restaurant also uses cotton seed in their “Authentic” ha!Greek Salad. Ugh! Make sure you ask for olive oil and vinegar to be brought out when they mix it. I now ask every restaurant what oils they use when cooking and in their salad dressings….even the high end restaurants are using cheap blends. Buyer Beware!

  11. Hello Food Babe,
    I have to share my disappointment with Dr. Oz this morning on The Today Show. In reference to this article….he was asked today if it was not good to eat GMO foods. His response was basically……there is no data showing that it is bad and that the issue is labeling the food so that the consumer is able to make a choice. I agree with the latter part of the answer but….PLEASE….how the heck does he sleep at night with making that vague statement on national TV. Who is paying him to say that??I love all of your effort and passion. I think it is absolutely marvelous that you are shining light on a very dark and corrupt industry.
    Angel Blessings to you!!;)

    1. Dr. oz has his life and his family’s life threatened by the big Pharma and FDA. That’s why he has no way out. Soon, our food babe will be on the list. Read the trial of Dr. Burzynski ‘ trial in Austin now.

    2. What exactly is untrue about what he said? I don’t even like Dr. Oz very much, but his answer is spot on. There is zero evidence that GMOs are any better or worse for you than conventional. And I say that as an advocate for labeling.

  12. Guess what, were all going to die! No one gets out alive. Damn, I guess that means being alive eventually leads to death. No way around it. Oh well, live and enjoy every moment while you still can.

    1. James, we will all die, but the quality of our life during the years before we die (barring accidental death) depends upon what we put into our bodies and what we do with our bodies while we are living! And yes, live and enjoy every moment.

    2. But quality and quantity are two different things. Sure, you can live for years even with an unhealthy lifestyle, but do you want to spend the end years of your life healthy and fit or do you want to be in a hospital bed due to complications from an unhealthy lifestyle? I would prefer to be like Jack Lalanne who lived to 96 and Olga Kotelko who lived to 95 and then poof, one day they died. They had quality of life.

  13. Hi Vani,
    I hope your Dad gets out of the hospital real soon. Please take care ! 🙂
    As for the cotton seed oil, this should have been ban from the very beginning, it’s not food ! Never was ! Should we use curd oil to cook food ? NO !!!!!!

    1. Hi Rex – I think you meant to state crude oil? If so, many people, especially children, consume it every day in cereal, snacks, etc., under the names of FD&C food dyes, like yellow, red and orange to name a few and are derived from Petroleum and Crude oil. Many Artificial flavors are also made from those same products.

      I don’t trust the FDA, when they state certain chemicals are safe to ingest,as they are in bed with big business with their big bucks!

      1. But crude oil is naturally produced by the earth, so how can it be harmful? Oh, wait, so is cobra venom.

  14. Thank you for doing “due diligence”. I make more conscious decisions in regards to my food choices!
    Very grateful that you are courageous in shrugging of the negatives. We don’t just want to live- but live fully & enjoy vibrant health. Thank you for being dedicated to the process ! There should be more info on labels so we can be informed about toxic additives in our food supply. – Joy

    1. I agree, we appreciate Food Babe for all her efforts, truth unearthed, researching everything she can to save our future health and discovering ways to improve our health which in my case has undoubtedly been compromised by hidden toxins. Reading comments here today has been enlightening, some of the info I was aware of, yet seeing the uninformed trolls (or not choosing to be honest) comments, well it is clear that we must in our household begin to take responsibility and speak with our restaurants, etc. and continue to read, read, read labeling. Thank you thank you for Vani and will send positive thoughts for her family. Joan and Bill B

  15. Our thoughts and prayers go to you and your family for your father. We hope he gets well quick. We give you our strength.

    At this time we thank you for working so hard every day through tough times. It means everything!

    Never give up Vani! Prayers and blessings.

  16. Hi Vani,
    I read Marilyn’s email regarding cottonseed oil and Publix bakery items and was appalled and disappointed. I too sent an email to CEO Todd Jones and here is the response from Publix-
    Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your question and allowing us the opportunity to serve you. We always enjoy hearing from our customers, and we appreciate the trust you have placed in us as your grocer of choice.
    At our Publix Bakery Manufacturing plant we aren’t adding cottonseed oil to any products. However, it is often used by shortening manufacturers in small amounts to improve creaming abilities and texture of some products due to its structure. That being said, we are now, and have been for several years, taking steps to remove all “unhealthy” oils and fats from our private label in-store bakery products. We are also challenging all of our current ingredient suppliers to find suitable alternative solutions in the replacement of these unwholesome ingredients. Still, during this process we must remain cautious to ensure that the replacement ingredients continue to deliver the same high quality products we, and our customers, have come to expect. After the inclement ingredients have been eliminated throughout the Publix supply chain we then update our ingredient labels to reflect these changes.
    We hope we have answered your question to your satisfaction. Should you have additional follow up, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care department at 1-800-242-1227. You may also contact us via email at http://www.publix.com/contact or write us at Publix Super Markets, Inc., P.O. Box 407, Lakeland, FL 33802, ATTN: Customer Care.

  17. I noticed that many popular peanut butter products contain cottonseed oil so I have been purchasing organic because of this. I assume many consumers are not aware of this danger or these name brands would not be so popular. Read labels!

  18. Keep up the great work Vani! Hope your dad feels better soon. You’re really like an angel sent from heaven.

  19. Chucke Cheese serves Pepsi Cola products to the children that visit. Pepsi contains “natural” flavoring made from baby fetuses. Mmmmmm! Children eating children! Can you say “Soylent Green”?

  20. Thank you sooo very much for shedding the light of cottonseed oil. My daughter of 7 years old was just diagnosed that she is allergic to cottonseed oil by scratch test’s. This stuff is bad news….. I can’t thank u enough for all that u do. U are wonderful. I’ve done lots of homework all bad news I’ve found on it. The one that’s the worst is what it does to people especially my small precious daughter. With change in her diet and lots of your help. Has made my food intake for my family and I for the better. I have to read ingredients all the time. U have helped me so much. You rock.thank you…. Natalie and family

  21. Thank you for this article and all the work you do…. and best of luck with Dad…. he’s a lucky man.

  22. The few times I’ve gone to Olive Garden I had really bad migraines like pucking and seeing spots and I don’t have migraines I’m not even a headache person but I did eat the alfrado hum mm…..

  23. I’m glad you did a report on cottonseed oil. It really is an INDUSTRIAL OIL that has NO BUSINESS in the food supply chain.

    Stay away from anything with this cheap additive. We are not designed to eat INDUSTRIAL OIL!!

  24. I appreciate that you are trying to point your readers in a more healthful direction, but there are so many inaccuracies in this piece that I feel you are doing them a disservice. The negative slant on cottonseed oil is supported by claims that are at best inaccurate and at worst, just plain wrong. I believe that you have been either misled or misinformed about cottonseed oil, as well as about cotton, in general.

    Specific to cottonseed oil: cotton is regulated as a food crop in the United States; the American Heart Association and studies such as one from Texas Women’s University in 2012 indicate that cottonseed oil has health benefits; and farming practices and the refining process prevent the presence of pesticides in cottonseed oil. A more detailed explanation of how cotton and cottonseed oil has been mischaracterized in the article is below.

    Firstly, although cotton is neither a fruit nor a vegetable, it is a seed crop; like sunflowers, soybeans, or safflower. In fact, cotton is regulated as a food crop by the FDA:
    o The Food & Drug Administration states in its Code of Federal Regulations: Title 21: Food and Drugs, Part 172 that “cottonseed products may be used for human consumption.”

    As such, it is a subject to the same government oversight as any food.

    Secondly, cottonseed, from which the oil is pressed, is not an ‘industrial byproduct.” It is a byproduct of the ginning process by which cotton fiber is removed from the seed, and a way to productively utilize more of the plant. Dairy farmers have used cottonseed as a feed supplement for decades because it helps provide higher volumes of richer milk. Today, even aquaculture is making use of the protein in cottonseed as an alternative to the more traditional fish meal that is depleting our oceans.

    Cottonseed oil is preferred in the preparation of many food products because it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. Because the food cooks quickly, it absorbs less oil and the flavor of the food being cooked is not altered as it might be by a less neutrally-flavored oil. On cottonseed oil, the American Heart Association (AHA) has this to say:

    o According to the AHA, unsaturated vegetable oils, like cottonseed oil, are “heart healthy” when used in moderation. See also AHA’s “Trans Fat Free Solutions: Healthy Oil Resource Frying Fats, Oils & Shortenings,” in which cottonseed oil is featured repeatedly: http://www.njra.org/upload/AHA%20Resource%20List%20(3)_382527827_522008155150.pdf

    o AHA recommends cottonseed oil as healthy, trans-fat free oil for baking: “Many baking ingredients are now made with 0 grams trans fat. A few are made with healthier vegetable oils such as canola, soy, and cottonseed. …Note that palm oil, butter and other animal fats are high in saturated fat and should be used sparingly.” http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/FatsAndOils/FacetheFatsRestaurantResources/Baking-without-Trans-Fat_UCM_303915_Article.jsp

    Additionally, a 2012 study from Texas Women’s University (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3407983/) has this to say:

    o “We conclude that CSO may lower cholesterol effectively, possibly making it a good candidate for inclusion in margarines and shortening, where it originated.”

    Cotton is NOT the world’s dirtiest crop. Cotton accounts for only 5.7% of global pesticides sales, according to Cropnosis, an organization that monitors global chemical sales. In the U.S., cotton growers have reduced pesticide applications by 50% over the past 30 years.

    Cotton is not an excessive user of water, either. In fact, cotton is drought and heat tolerant. It uses just 3% of the world’s agricultural water, yet provides textile fiber, feed, food and other materials in every harvest.

    By the “fourth largest lake,” I assume you mean the Aral Sea. The tragic depletion of this body of water was not because cotton needs a lot of water, but because the government in the region at the time thought more water would equal more yield.

    The WHO document you cite as proof that pesticides are persistent in cotton apparel is actually from the Pesticide Action Network, which is a pro-organic organization, and not one likely to say anything positive about the use of pesticides. A less biased and more reliable source of information would be the Bremen Exchange in Germany. This independent organization tests raw cotton fiber samples from around the world each year and U.S. cotton, at least, has consistently been free of harmful residue. But, even if residue were present, it would be removed in the cleaning processes that occur as fiber becomes yarn, fabric and, ultimately, apparel.

    The Indian farmer suicides you reference is another tragedy, but not a cotton-specific issue. It has also been widely decried as a non-GMO issue. I would recommend that you read this article from Nature (http://www.nature.com/news/case-studies-a-hard-look-at-gm-crops-1.12907), or this by Kevan Senapathy that appeared in Forbes (http://www.forbes.com/sites/kavinsenapathy/2015/11/03/vandana-shiva-appropriating-her-own-culture/2/#53be03081366) to get a more comprehensive picture of this issue.

    This has become a lengthy post, so I will conclude here by extending an invitation to reach out to Cotton Incorporated for data on any future cotton stories. As a global research organization for the cotton industry, we have an incredible amount of data and expertise on all aspects of cotton.

    1. Thank you so much for reaching out. Originally when you posted this comment, it was caught in the spam filter because you posted this with more than one link.

      Unfortunately, your points are highly debated. I know it is your organization’s mission to market the cotton industry and I understand that urging people to not eat one of your stakeholder’s products is threatening. Here at Food Babe, we are consumer advocates looking for the healthiest food choices available and based on my research and talking to my advisory council experts – cottonseed oil is not the healthiest – maybe one of the worst oils to consume other than the partially hydrogenated versions because of the high omega 6 content which is linked to increased inflammation in humans.

      Let me elaborate on the claims made in this post with further resources.

      Pesticides use:

      “Cotton receives as much as 7 kilograms per hectare of herbicide and 5 kilograms per hectare of insecticide (Gianessi and Puffer, 1990). The heavy application of pesticides is required, especially in the humid south where weed pressure is great and the boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is a major insect pest. These applications of pesticides are 3 to 5 times greater per hectare than applications of pesticides to corn, yet there have been no regional studies of pesticide fate in the cotton belt… The major herbicides applied across the cotton belt are: trifluralin, monosodium methanearsonate (MSMA), disodium methanearsonate (DSMA) (organic arsenicals), fluometuron, prometryn, cyanazine, pendimethalin, norflurazon, and diuron, and the major insecticide is methyl parathion. Together, these ten compounds account for the majority of pesticides that impact the cotton belt. With the exception of cyanazine (Meyer, 1995), no detailed studies of these compounds have been conducted at the field and basin scale. Thus, unlike the corn belt, there is a gap in our knowledge of the transport and fate of cotton pesticides and their metabolites.”
      http://toxics.usgs.gov/regional/cotton.html
      “cotton accounts for 16 percent of global chemical pesticide use, more than any other single crop, and reaps US$2 billion for the chemical industry every year”
      http://www.i-sis.org.uk/Picking_Cotton_Carefully.php

      “Cotton is considered the world’s dirtiest crop due to its heavy use of pesticides. Aldicarb, cotton’s second best-selling insecticide and most acutely poisonous to humans and wildlife, is still used in 25 countries, including the U.S., where 16 states reported it in their groundwater. The dangers are recognized by the EPA and they have signaled its phase out in 2018.”
      http://rodaleinstitute.org/chemical-cotton/

      “Cotton, one of the most popular and versatile fibers used in clothing manufacture, also has a significant environmental footprint. This crop accounts for a quarter of all the pesticides used in the United States, the largest exporter of cotton in the world, according to the USDA.”
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1964887/

      Residues:

      “Data collected by the FAO/ WHO Joint Meetings on Pesticides Residues in Food, show that hazardous pesticides applied to cotton – including aldicarb (WHO Ia), parathion (WHO Ia), methyl parathion (WHO Ia), methamidophos (WHO Ib), deltamethrin (WHO II), imidacloprid (WHO II), and chlorpyrifos (WHO II) – can potentially contaminate both refined cottonseed oil, and cottonseed derivatives commonly fed to animals.”
      http://www.who.int/foodsafety/publications/jmpr-reports/en/
      http://ejfoundation.org/sites/default/files/public/the_deadly_chemicals_in_cotton.pdf
      Cottonseed oil is extracted with hexane, a neurotoxin. It’s been shown that some hexane residue can remain in the oil and the FDA doesn’t require food manufacturers to test for residues.
      http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/toxprofiles/tp113.pdf
      https://www.researchgate.net/publication/244741215_Determination_of_'hexane'_residues_in_oils_results_of_a_collaborative_study_and_the_standardised_method

      Health effects:

      Cottonseed oil is too low in monounsaturated fat to be considered “heart healthy”. Cottonseed oil is mainly polyunsaturated and has a poor omega-3 to omega-6 ratio (very high omega-6 and no omega-3). Most processed foods use oils that are high in omega-6 fatty acids such as cottonseed oil. “Most diets provide adequate amounts of this fatty acid, and therefore planning is rarely required to ensure proper amounts of omega-6 fatty acids.” This overabundance of omega 6 fatty acids in the American diet increases the risk of inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and autoimmune diseases.
      http://www.cmaj.ca/content/186/6/434.full
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909
      http://www.pcrm.org/health/health-topics/essential-fatty-acids
      http://chriskresser.com/how-too-much-omega-6-and-not-enough-omega-3-is-making-us-sick/
      As for cottonseed oil being a good candidate for “margarines and shortening”, it is widely established that partially hydrogenated oils contain artificial trans fats that contribute to heart disease (and have now been banned by the FDA).
      http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm451237.htm

      Water use and the depletion of the Aral Sea:

      Cotton is considered one of the “thirstiest of all crops” and is widely held responsible for the draining of the Aral Sea. “Production and processing of cotton uses a large amount of water. Some experts contend that cotton is the largest user of water among all agricultural commodities. Surface and ground waters are often diverted to irrigate cotton fields, leading to freshwater loss through evaporation, and inefficient water management.”
      http://www.worldwildlife.org/industries/cotton
      http://www.theguardian.com/sustainable-business/sustainable-fashion-blog/2014/oct/01/cotton-production-linked-to-images-of-the-dried-up-aral-sea-basin
      http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2015/06/aral-sea/synnott-text
      http://www.columbia.edu/~tmt2120/impacts%20to%20life%20in%20the%20region.htm
      “Dr Spencer Wells, of the National Geographic Society and formerly Oxford University’s Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, studied DNA samples taken from the local population and found widespread genetic damage. The study focused on the level of a marker known as 8-OHdG and showed rates of damage 3.5 times higher than seen in samples from the US. In farm workers, those closest to the agricultural chemicals, the rate increased to 5 times. According to Dr Wells, the implications of this could be long lasting. “This means not only that people are more likely to get cancer but also that their children and grandchildren are too,” he told BBC News Online.”
      http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/3846843.stm
      “Each step of the clothing production process carries the potential for an environmental impact. For example, conventionally grown cotton, one of the most popular clothing fibers, is also one of the most water- and pesticide-dependent crops (a view disputed by Cotton Incorporated, a U.S. cotton growers’ group). At the factory stage, effluent may contain a number of toxics (above, waste products from a garment factory in Dhaka, Bangladesh, spill into a stagnant pond).”
      http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1964887/figure/f2-ehp0114-a00449/

      Farmer suicides:

      I have seen first hand the devastation that conventional cotton farming is causing in India and spoken with farmers there personally. They are being sickened by the harsh pesticides used and thousands have committed suicide – many after the costly GMO seeds they used failed.
      http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2013/03/201332813553729250.html
      https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/04/140417090734.htm#.U1EtClVUI8c

      Who is Cotton Incorporated?

      “Cotton Incorporated, funded by U.S. growers of upland cotton and importers of cotton and cotton textile products, is the research and marketing company representing upland cotton. The Program is designed and operated to improve the demand for and profitability of cotton.”
      http://www.cottoninc.com/corporate/about-cotton-incorporated/
      Cotton Incorporated is the recipient of technology from Monsanto:
      http://www.gmwatch.org/news/archive/2003/11064-monsanto-plans-to-transfer-technology-to-cotton-inc
      http://www.bizjournals.com/stlouis/stories/2002/08/05/daily76.html

      1. Surely you realize that some of your pesticide data is from 1990? Cotton production, in fact all ag production, has changed drastically since 1996. Why would you use data from studies done in 1990 and 1995 to make your point about pesticide use in cotton today? That’s deceptive at best.

        Aldicarb has not been used in this country in several years, maybe 10 or more, because the company that manufactured it quit making it. I understand there is another company trying to bring it back but I’m not aware of any being sold and I have no plans to use it again. It takes specialized equipment to apply it and there are newer, safer chemistries available for now. If the neonic pesticides which you people hate so much are banned then aldicarb use may increase if there is no suitable alternative. The neonics replaced aldicarb.

        Your link to cotton’s environmental footprint is almost 10 years old.

        Cotton is considered a desert type plant. It is absolutely not the world’s thirstiest crop. If an expert contends that cotton is the largest user of water of all crops then he’s an expert in something other than cotton production.

        Some of the other things you mention, like the problems with worker’s in textile mills and around farms in India and Bangladesh, are a result of less stringent worker and environmental protection standards than we have here in this country. Instead of bashing all cotton production and agriculture the way you do maybe it would be more helpful if you would encourage consumers to buy American products produced under higher standards on all levels than from the countries you mention.

      2. Vani, what are your qualifications to interpret data fully and make statement like these?

      3. Wow! I guess you told them! Way to go Food Babe! Thank you for all your time and effort to make sure the food industry is held accountable for the products they sell.

      4. Foodbabe,
        To quote your reference on n-hexane (tp113.pdf):
        “n-Hexane has generally not been found in most foods or drinking water, so you are not likely to be exposed by eating or drinking. Because cooking oils are processed with solvents containing n-hexane, very small amounts may be present in these products. However, the amounts in cooking oil are too low to have any effect on people. “

      5. Vani, I am surprised at the information and links you offer here. Most of it is outdated / old. Practically all of the insecticidal products (in the chain of comments and replies), have been withdrawn voluntarily and / or banned for a decade or more. They were popular when I studied agricultural sciences in the 1970s-, started to phase out in the 1980s-90s. There are some excellent responses by torken, halles and others who are obviously not trolls. but understand and know the subjects better than most of your other readers who beat a loud drum. I grew up in India in the heart of the cotton belt in Karnataka and the most commonly used oil was cotton-seed oil, of course, refined, bleached, deodourised – a process that is used in all vegetable oils produced on a large scale. Most people in that and other areas have been cooking with cotton-seed oil for about 60 years with no harmful or lethal effects. This was possible only with refining to remove gossypol; prior to that the whole seed was fed to cattle as an excellent source of protein and fat.. My family and I consumed food prepared with it for over 50 years with no adverse effects..Refining is very necessary to remove impurities and gossypol from oil crushed from seeds; which is then treated with alkalis to remove acidic portions of the oils based on. fatty acids. which is used in making soaps etc This prevents any oil from turning rancid thus increasing shelf-life. Bleaching is done to give it a lighter coour which any person would prefer.. Deodourising is also needed to remove the last few bits of acids and amino acids which can degrade the oil. This is done for every edible oil with the exception possibly of coconut nd shea. Hexane is used in most solvent extraction plants to refine the cruder crushed oil. It is used for corn oil, soy oil, safflower, canola, sunflower, sesame etc etc. And is not unique to cotton-seed! Please note they are ALL VEGETABLE oils because they are sourced from the plant kingdom as opposed to animal fats sourced from the animal kingdom. First educate yourself before trying to educate others Full marks for enthusiasm, half for effort and less than 25 for the content.

  25. Vani, I want to thank you so much for this information. I am shocked and appalled with publix. I do read ingredients and I admit I have a hard time understanding some of the ingredients so thank you for specifically name this horrible ingredient. Keep up the good work. Gracias!!!!

  26. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK YOU ARE DOING! I REALLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR HARD WORK. YOU MAKE GROCER SHOPPING FOR HEALTHY FOOD EASY . JUST LOOK FOR THE USD ORGANIC STICKER OR LABEL. I HOPE YOUR DAD A SPEEDY RECOVER .

  27. I would like to point out that the website listed in reference to cottonseed oil being safe was Wikipedia lol um anyone can add their opinion as fact there so not really a solid source to quote …

  28. Thank you food babe for this informative article. Keep up the great work. I’m 100% behind you.

  29. It’s I retesting how many people on here are so pro-cotton seed oil when we have sooooo many other options for oils to use in our home cooking. We do not have to eat out if we do not agree with what we are being served. I like the idea of pre planning meals and eating organic on the daily. No it’s not easy… But life wouldn’t be fun if it was always easy. And then I think about my coconut oil I use daily and the effects it has on the environment… Chopping down rainforest so I can have my organic coconut oil… At what point are we going to understand we have to do much much more. We need to support a product who plants more acres of forests than fields of harvest… Where do these companies exsist? We need to support a company who invests in preserving water sources and filters our waste water all while polluting it at the same time… It feels hopeless that we are always focused on our busy lives and don’t have time to make the world a better place but we can bicker and not agree with cottonseed oil in a heart beat… I’ve wasted enough time I’ve got a life of trees to go plant. Keep up the good work food babe I do love reading your posts but am always amazed how your audience reacts with such science to back them up. 😉 it’s more than science guys it’s basics. Fresh water is life we need to focus on cleaning up the earth… It’s a sad age we live in.

  30. Sadly I’m so ignorant about food additives, etc. Thank you Vani for you efforts to educate us! I read and enjoy your posts/blog. Finally starting to read labels!

  31. I am a 5th generation cotton farmer in Texas. We grow cotton and know the steps that are taken with all of the byproducts. We also grow wheat and corn as well. Our operation focuses on efficiency and being environmentally friendly. We make our living, and our honor is in providing our nation and the world a safe and affordable food and fiber supply. The use of chemicals means additional expenses, so applications simply do not take place unless absolutely necessary. We follow all of the safety requirements and protocols. We have a great relationship with our cotton ginners that remove the cotton seed from the fibers that people wear on a daily basis. We know the processes that take place to remove the seed. My family cooks with cottonseed oil regularly and has had no ill effects.

    If any of you would like to come visit our family farm and actually learn about cotton farming firsthand, please let me know and I would try to show you how you get from cotton growing in a field to the cottonseed oil you can purchase at the grocery store.

    The area in which I live is one of the largest cotton patches in the United States. Once again, as farmers we raise our families off of our work on the land, and our goal is to leave the land we have left our blood, sweat and tears on in better shape year after year so that we can continue to feed and clothe the world.

    1. Garrett, I thank you with all of my heart for farming and raising crops. However, cotton and many other crops are being sold and used inappropriately with reference to human and animal health. Cotton makes great clothing, it does not make healthy food, especially after it was genetically modified. If it weren’t for that, and the toxic chemicals used in growing modern crop crops, it might have retained a place in food production. But the bottom line is that it is not healthy for human consumption. There are still many legitimate uses for quality cotton. just not for food. In the field of health, it is not that a toxin either sickens or immediately kills us us or it is safe. It appears to be a problem with cumulative trauma associated with ingesting toxic products that eventually gets to us. This has been recognized by alternative health care workers for a long time, and doctors of functional medicine have started to discuss this issue and what to do about it..

      Please keep growing cotton, it’s a useful crop for clothing, but the best advice that I can pass on to you is not to eat it or to feed it to your family.

      Best wishes and God’s blessings. An attack on cotton as a food is not an attack against you or your family.

      1. “An attack on cotton as food is not an attack against you or your family”? Maybe not Howard but an inaccurate attack is an attack on all US cotton farmers and their families as cottonseed, regardless of what the Food Babe says, is a very valuable component to the value of a cotton crop.

        We have been consuming cottonseed oil since the mid-1800s. The US population then was a fraction of what it is today. The average life expectancy then for a white male was about 38 years of age. None of this makes any sense to me. How could it be that there are so many more people living so much longer now since we started consuming cottonseed oil?

      2. Howard have you ever done a google search on functional medicine? I’m sure you’re committed to this profession and feel very strongly that it is a good and noble career. However there are very negative comments about functional medicine all over the internet. You probably feel that many of the comments are based on incorrect information, inaccuracies, misunderstandings and intentional outright lies. You probably take the attacks on your profession somewhat personally. Certainly when you take that into consideration you know how a farmer feels when visiting this website.

    2. Garrett, nice try, but facts and logic aren’t very welcome here. If more people actually spent time at farms and talked to farmers, some of the silliness might go away. Not holding my breath….

    3. I wish I could come to your farm. It would be great to teach my son, hands on, where his clothes come from, where oils come from, and how farmers have to use as much of each plant as possible in order to be successful.

  32. Thank you Vani! I would have never thought to check for cottonseed oil. I learn something new each time I read a post from you! Keep up the good work! I will be on the look out for organic cotton clothes from now on.

  33. Thankyou for this excellent article…I appreciate very much all your hard work Vani and team in keeping us informed and making it public knowledge that hidden additives found in our food are not fit for consumption and damage our health and environment.

  34. I am very interested in this article, but what disturbed me was the In-N-Out information. According to their website they use 100% pure vegetable oil. Which is correct? They are the only fast food I enjoy going to.

  35. Just because a crop has multiple uses it’s bad? Vani, you have products on here that you advocate as amazing for food purposes, yet you also wipe your dirty boots on it, and a byproduct of it is used as a water filter for drinking. It’s causing colossal damage to the environment in its farming practices, and since it’s a crop, I’m sure farmers are hurt by the insecticides they use, as well as abuse by ‘big farmer’–or whatever boogeyman you choose, etc. So why is is right to do it for one crop and not them all? Almost every crop is used in more than one way. To not do that is wasteful.
    Can we please cut the hyperbole? It’s not helping anyone!
    By the way, the crop I was talking about above is Coconut. Would you really want to eat something you wipe your dirty boots on? Ew!

  36. Hope you’re father is much better. Cottonseed oil put in lotions , make up, soaps and other products. I’m not sure what companies or products the oil are in.

  37. Cottonseed oil is a common trigger of gastrointestinal issues, pain. bloating, acid reflux, etc and can trigger migraines, insomnia, dizzy spells, etc. Unfortunately, many people never makes the connection between the way they feel and what they consumed that day or even in prior days ( delayed onset of symptoms ). Therefore, they go on taking prescription medication, which will eventually cause a secondary/tertiary disease/condition. Then more medications prescribed. It’s sad.

  38. Hi Food Babe! Thank you so much for all that you are doing for us. the food industry is a dirty, sneaky, business, and they don’t care what goes into our bodies!!….just as long as IT SELLS !…follow the money, right? We need to get on the hemp bandwagon ! Hemp will clean our soils, we can make fabric from hemp, thus hemp clothing, and can even be used to build a car!, and hemp requires little water! So nothing but good things for humanity and the planet! HEMP!

  39. Hello Vani and staff! This email to you is filled with the best regards and full of good wishes to you Vani, and the quick recovery of your dear family member. I hope you feel all the love that we are sending your way to stay strong and hopeful that all events will turn out fine.

    I also want to thank you for your bravery and your desire to continue with the quest to fight the money hungry individuals who will not stop at nothing to make money with NO REGARDS to the health of the masses here on planet Earth!
    It’s a tough call and only the strong continue to fight and go forward in the fight for goodness. There is strength in numbers and we all know who we are that are in the fight with you!!!! You are making a difference, Vani. It becomes so obvious as you realize all the attacks that are speared your way. The evil people only attack the people they know are powerful and not afraid. So, you must know how big a spirit you are!!!!!

    I will forward this information to all my family and friends. You are not alone Vani and again we are with you!
    Sincerely,
    Enrietta

  40. Not really related but I was wondering what your thoughts were on the panera foodchain? Thank you for the work you have done and God Bless.

  41. My diet contains mostly cotton t-shirts but I’m fine…

    Maybe because they are GMO cotton shirts, they contain all the needed nutrients

  42. halles , and all the bozo’s that agree what are You nitwits doing here , go stand outside a Trader Joe’s , Mothers, or Spouts with a sign that says do not enter . Maybe You can influence 1 person before You get Clocked . The Government said smoking was good for You even Doctors endorsed smoking . Agent Orange was used around U.S. military people so who cares where it came from . LSD was gave to Sailors and Solders , they had Military people stand in a zone too close to atomic explosions . I know You would like to trust our gov’t so would I but history isn’t on their side . We know where the weapons of mass destruction are in Iraq . Maybe under the table cloth while laughing at the Americans who believed Bush/Chaney . All i’m saying is keep an open mind till we know for sure . The tobacco Industry still sells their poison Black lung disease is good for you just ask the coal industry . 8000 cases of Cancer diagnosed in the U.S. every day and plenty of other diseases . Diverticlitus almost no existent in the early 1900’s before highly processed foods is now affecting 80 % of us and we don’t even know it . So start on Your sign Hope to see You outside the store .

  43. Maybe I missed it, but I didnt see anything in the article that showed cottonseed oil was nutritionally inferior or harmful to a person physically. Do you have other info? A study maybe? I get all the other claims, but why is it specifically unhealthy?

  44. Here’s a thought! When $15.00 minimum wage takes effect, maybe our food handlers will help improve how food is served to the public by not spitting and stomping or throwing it around the kitchen with unclean hands and dirty floors. Oh, wait ,,, That was intended only for right wing conservatives. “Liberals only eat on the floor anyway”. No big change here.

  45. The Food Babe has said many times that the BT gene makes bug’s stomachs explode. Now she seems surprised that the gene doesn’t kill every pest in a field. The BT gene has always been a worm insecticide only. It controls just a few very destructive worm species in many crops, including organic. In 1994 and 1995, prior to the introduction of BT modified crops, I had to treat my cotton 13 times each year for worms with a pyrethroid type insecticide. Since 1996 on average I treat for worms once a year, worms that the BT gene doesn’t control. To say GMO crops with the BT gene don’t reduce pesticide use is absolutely false. In cotton production we do have multiple insect pests. We are no different from any other crop in that aspect. All crops, including organics, have multiple pests requiring multiple solutions.

    A question for you anti-FDA/government agency types. You don’t trust the government to have your safety in mind yet the USDA certifies organic food. This whole food idea you have just doesn’t add up to me.

    1. And more than that – USDA Organic was never set up as a safety or nutrition program. It’s only purpose is to certify that Organic standards are followed – standards that were never meant to certify safety or nutrition. Isn’t it interesting that those that hawk Organic food like to sell based on safety and nutrition then?

    1. UGH Say it *ain’t so!
      This would be a huge loss! Please investigate! Thanks for all your you do for us!!!!

  46. Isn’t using leftover waste from agriculture a good thing? As in using as much of a crop and wasting as little as possible? This reduction of waste is a really good thing for the environment isn’t it?

    And who cares if the source of the oil isn’t something we don’t arbitrarily refer to as “food”. Cotton is a plant.. so are vegetables. Flaxseed is an inedible plant, but we get oil from its seeds which is considered to be high quality oil. What’s the problem?

    This seems like arbitrarily deciding that something isn’t “food” then demonizing it without any good reasons other than the words “not food”. Seems a bit backwards to me.

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