Popular Veggie Burgers Contain Poisonous Chemicals

Summertime is around the corner, and many of the city's vegetarians are gearing up for their rooftop BBQs with their soy burgers and tofu dogs, resting peacefully with the fact that no animals had to die so they could eat. But were other humans harmed in awful factory conditions that exposed them to deadly chemicals? Probably.

A new study shows that a number of popular soy products contain trace amounts of hexane, which listed as a "hazardous air pollutant" by the EPA and is known to cause nervous system failure and skin disorders in humans. It's unclear how much hexane you need to eat before getting side effects, but do you feel lucky, veggie?

The 37-page report [PDF] says that though the use of hexane is prohibited in "organic" food processing, it's widely used in the "natural" soy industry, and even by some companies that use the wording "made with organic ingredients." Mother Jones reports that since many fake meat producers aim to have as little fat as possible in their products, they will soak soybeans in a hexane bath to separate the oil from the protein. One researcher said, "If a non-organic product contains a soy protein isolate, soy protein concentrate, or texturized vegetable protein, you can be pretty sure it was made using soy beans that were made with hexane."

So what brands out there contain the hazardous chemical? Sadly, most of the good ones. Here's a little list:

Amy's Kitchen
Boca Burger, conventional
Franklin Farms
Garden Burger
It’s All Good Lightlife
Morningstar Farms
President’s Choice
Taste Above
Trader Joe's
Yves Veggie Cuisine

Below, the safe brands:

Hexane-free brands:

Boca Burgers "Made with organic soy"
Helen's Kitchen
Morningstar "Made with organic"
Superburgers by Turtle Island
Tofurky
Wildwood

The verdict is out on Whole Foods brands and Silk soymilk, as they did not participate in the project, but the Village Voice has the whole toxic list here. The worst part may be that many popular baby formulas also contain hexane! The report states, "Nearly every major ingredient in conventional soy-based infant formula is hexane extracted."

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jaya Saxena in Food on April 13, 2010 4:44 PM

Comments [rss]

RD3 SRED

These days almost all foods have something or other in it! http://rd3.ca

Huntress

In addition to what was already mentioned, soy is linked to thyroid problems (it is thought to down regulate it).

youngpro

suck on that felix.

notice how felix doesnt comment in this post in fear of being ripped apart.

FelixtheCat & Christine Quinn'

Strange how I am always on your mid.

youngpro

easy on the ego trip there, 'flaco.'

NannyState

LOL Hexanne Delgado!

LB

Lol, The closes I will ever get to eating a Veggie Burger is a Chicken Burger !

Greenpoint60

Try Veggie Burgers for two weeks, beef will taste flat and nasty when you eat it again. That is why people squirt gobs of ketchup on it

BTW I still oeat porkburgers

LB

I don't eat beef, Well during the holiday's but even then just a little . I'm a turkey burger girl . Chicken burgers are good . I guess I can try a veggie burger once. It'll be a great story to tell the grand kids when I'm old ! Lol

Gretchen

this is silly, but completely predictable--people love finding rationalizations for continuing the standard american diet when all reliable data indicate it's dangerous and unsustainable. funny that the author mentioned "humans harmed in awful factory conditions" when folks in the know about animal processing/slaughter knows it's truly abysmal for the workers--Human Rights Watch abhors it. if you really care about workers, you'll boycott meat, dairy, and eggs.

meanwhile, there's a MUCH higher risk of health problems from animal products than from soy--major studies directly connect them with several types of cancer, diabetes, strokes, heart attacks, obesity, and, in the case of dairy, a harvard study linking it to osteoporosis (i know--THAT's ironic).

if folks believe the hype, hey, it's easy to avoid soy protein isolates. but i'm not into scaring people into thinking veg food is evil, or making yet another rationalization for ignoring the enormous evidence of environmental, health, ethical, worker's rights, and other issues tied to eating animal products.

Greenpoint60

What is your source of Vitamin B-12?

Greenpoint60

10 THINGS YOU CAN DO TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM CANCER

1. If you are a smoker, make the effort to quit. If you are not a smoker, don't start.

2. Avoid exposure to other people's smoke.

3. Know the seven warning signs of cancer and see your physician if you observe one of them.

4. Don't overeat, drink too much alcohol or eat too many fatty foods. Instead, eat more whole grains, cereal, bread, pasta, fresh fruit and fresh or steamed vegetables – especially broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. Keep your intake of lean meat, skinless poultry or fish to no more than 6 ounces per day.

5. Exercise. A 30-minute walk each day is one of the simplest ways to incorporate exercise into your daily routine.

6. Know your family's medical history and pay attention to a possibly inherited disposition toward certain cancers.

7. Avoid getting a tan. If your skin will be exposed to the sun for more than 15 minutes, use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

8. If you are a woman over 20, examine your breasts for lumps or changes at least once a month. If you are a woman over 40, follow your physician's advice for mammograms.

9. If you are a man or woman over 40, follow your physician's recommendations for digital rectal exams.

10. Follow your employer's policies for limiting exposure to harmful chemicals in the workplace. Always wear protective equipment when indicated, know what to do if there is a spill or accidental exposure, and report any hazardous conditions to your supervisor or safety committee representative.

Greenpoint60

This report has reliable information on the actual not imagined cancer risks

Harvard Report on Cancer Prevention

http://www.yourdiseaserisk.wustl.edu/pdf_files/HCCP_report_on_cancer_prev_vol4.pdf

JoanE

Yes - note that meat and animal fats are probable risk factors for colon and prostate cancer.

Greenpoint60

They say limit meat and saturated fat in the diet. They do not say exclude meat and saturated fat entirely.

Also note well there is no mention of additives in our food like Hexanne being a cause of cancer.

HBHB

Nice try. Hexane is used in so many industries. It's toxicity is extremely low. It takes exposure at massive DIRECT levels to even begin to harm anyone. Levels that don't come close to being found in any food or other products.

Politburo

Detection technology has gotten to the point where we can see ppb and even ppt for some items. At these levels, it is very easy to "detect" a material. What is more difficult to say is whether it will actually have any effect.

Given that this processing is nothing new, I'd have to guess no.

ChampionOfTheSun

Well, that sucks. But, it's actually a lot cheaper (and tastier) to make your own veggie or bean burgers at home. Plenty of good recipes online.

Nathaniel

Ugg. I'd still rather eat a veggie burger than expose myself to the dangers of meat eating but I really wish picking healthy food wasn't so difficult.

Thanks for the heads up.

voltron

This is just a scare tactic from the cornucopia institute (an animal agriculture advocacy group). This is the conclusion of the main study they cite on hexane:

"Fortunately, the use of hexane as an extraction solvent does not seem to lead to any noteworthy residues in vegetable oils, so repeating this investigation does not seem to be necessary."

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/18105079/Vegetable-oils-fatty-acid-composition-hexane-residues/