Strawberry Milkshakes Contain No "Milk"
Strawberry milkshakes, containing no "milk," are made with chemical flavorings and have negative nutritional value.
It is generally believed that drinks with "milk" in their name should be made with fresh milk, and foods with "fruit" in their name should contain fresh fruit. Therefore, the fragrant strawberry milkshakes in fast-food restaurants are considered delicious and nutritious, and are quite popular. However, a report by The Guardian points out that the so-called "strawberry milkshake" is formulated from 59 chemical ingredients, containing neither strawberries nor fresh milk.
Fan Zhihong, an associate professor at the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety at the College of Food Science and Nutritional Engineering at China Agricultural University and a council member of the Chinese Nutrition Society, notes that processed foods require many food additives, just like in the UK. The strawberry milkshells sold in Chinese fast-food restaurants also contain so many additives. These chemical ingredients mainly fall into four categories: 1. Flavorings, which require over 40 compounds to meticulously create the strawberry flavor, such as anethole and maltol; 2. Colorings, which include synthetic red coloring to achieve the color of strawberries; 3. Stabilizers and thickeners, such as guar gum, carrageenan, and phosphates, are added to make the texture smooth and delicate; 4. Sweeteners, such as high-fructose corn syrup, are added to create a cool sweetness.
"Although there is no fresh milk or strawberry, this formulated strawberry milkshake at least contains skim milk powder, whey powder, and cream. Compared to some milk teas and various fruit-flavored drinks made with non-dairy creamer in some fast-food restaurants, it is still considered of good quality. Those so-called 'milk teas' contain no milk or milk powder at all; they are made with non-dairy creamer, sugar, flavorings, and colorings. 'Fruit-flavored drinks' have no fruit at all; they are made from syrup, flavorings, colorings, phosphates, and so on. The nutritional value of such drinks can be said to be negative," Fan Zhihong said.
Today, many processed foods on the market are somewhat "misleading." For example, many cantaloupe fruit candies contain no cantaloupe at all; their color comes from a combination of "Brilliant Blue" and "Tartrazine," and their flavor comes from artificial flavorings. Many blueberry pastries contain not a single blueberry, and lemon-filled cookies have no lemon. Fan Zhihong pointed out that to overcome the inconvenience of processing, preserving, and transporting fresh foods, and to cater to consumer tastes, the food industry has developed artificial flavors that are indistinguishable from the real thing. Moreover, the bitter and astringent tastes of natural foods are reduced, and sweetness is increased in processed products, making them more delicious than products made from natural ingredients.
What are the potential harms of these beverages "formulated" with chemicals? Fan Zhihong says that the artificial flavors, colorings, or additives in these drinks are all legal and edible ingredients, and the amounts added and the production processes are permitted by law. However, it is not recommended for children to consume them in large quantities over a long period. Recent studies abroad have found that artificial colors may increase the risk of children developing ADHD and cognitive impairments. Fan Zhihong believes that a greater harm is that when children get used to the rich and sweet taste of processed foods, it becomes difficult for them to accept the simple flavors of natural foods, which will adversely affect their eating habits for a lifetime.