Are we eating hair....gagging!!!

ElizaBlue

Well-Known Member
I saw this article a couple of days ago and for the life of me cannot stop gagging. I know some of us take L-cysteine as a supplement...somebody help me...am I going to cough up a hairball?

Nonie ....help...I know you know...

PS. I haven't eaten bread since I read this. I have a big BIG phobia about eating hair, any kind of hair but God forbid I get a strand of long blonde hair anywhere near my food. Dead.

http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/03/09/...urced-from-human-hair-duck-feathers-hog-hair/

Posted on March 09, 2011 by The VRG Blog Editor
by Jeanne Yacoubou, MS
VRG Research Director

The VRG recently surveyed food ingredient manufacturers and suppliers as well as bread and bagel companies to find out if the animal sources of the common amino acid dough conditioner and human and pet food reaction flavor used to make flavor enhancers, L-cysteine, were still dominant in the marketplace as they were in 2007 when we last reported on L-cysteine. The answer was a resounding "yes."

One leading amino acid supplier reported to us in February 2011 that "duck feathers or human hair" were the sources, based on an official statement received from its Chinese supplier.

A product manager with another food ingredients company reported to The VRG in August 2010 that "it’s not human hair, not duck feathers, that’s the major source of L-cysteine today; it’s hog hair." He estimated hog hair to be the source of 90% of the Chinese L-cysteine supply.

A manager of company that produces non-animal L-cysteine stated in September 2010 that the major animal source of L-cysteine today was "human hair mostly" followed by "duck feathers or hog hair when the human hair supply was low." According to this source, feathers and hog hair "are reportedly inefficient compared to [human] hair [in yielding great quantities of L-cysteine]. So if there is a problem with hair [supply], then hog hair or feathers may be a backup."

In September 2010, the VRG asked companies that produce non-animal versions of L-cysteine how their product was doing on the market. Estimates given by the leading companies put the vegetable-based fermentation or synthetic product at approximately 10% of the L-cysteine market today. The reason given for the low market share is the high price of non-animal L-cysteine (two to three times as much) compared to the much cheaper and much more plentiful Chinese (and Indian, to a lesser but growing degree), supply.

A second reason given is that a growing number of food companies are demanding a "natural" product and a "synthetic" L-cysteine does not meet that criterion. Furthermore, a major reseller of L-cysteine told us in September 2010 that the company policy is to label anything using an animal-derived (i.e., hair or feathers) L-cysteine as "non-vegetarian" even though it is still technically "vegetarian" and considered "natural."

Their labeling decision was precautionary in response to those who prefer to avoid all animal-sourced ingredients. (Note: one company does sell an L-cysteine manufactured through microbial fermentation and another is in the process of developing their own fermentation technique. The latter company estimates that it may take two-three years to perfect the process on an industrial scale and then bring it to market.)

The writer noticed through canvassing many companies in February and March 2011, compared to 2007 when The VRG last updated L-cysteine, (http://www.vrg.org/vrgnews/2007jul.htm#s2), that a growing number of companies are requesting or reselling only non-animal derived L-cysteine for food use.

Concerned individuals who would like to see more of the non-animal L-cysteine used in their bread products as well as in other human food and pet products are encouraged to voice their opinion politely to food companies and restaurant chains that are using the animal-sourced L-cysteine. Likewise, food companies and chains which are using non-animal L-cysteine are due a "thank you."
 
Wow, thanks for the post OP. This is interesting and while I'm not surprised, it supports my notion that in general, nothing is safe unless you've made/tended after it yourself. :nono: I'm not sure how alarming this is for the average person, but it's definitely good to know what's in your food. :yep:
 
I read about this too. OP, you would basically have to grow and raise yur own food for no hair to be in there. Meats, can goods and baked goods ,,,,WSL :lick:
 
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yeah, i found this out recently...some people are even taking it as a supplement. the food/supplement industry is something else!
 
I don't necessarily think we're literally ingesting hair, we're just ingesting an extraction of L-Cysteine which comes from hair. I honestly don't think it's a big deal since some regions even drink reclaimed water. :look:
 
Aireen

i am aware that it may be component extracted from hair.....but people have the right to know where/what their supplements are derived from. there's tons of controversy about people having specific dietary needs and being misled about certain foods/supplements and their ingredients.
 
This is really surprising. No wonder when I opened my L-Cysteine it smelled like hogs, so I quickly placed the lid back on it and placed it back in the cabinet. I'm tossing it out now. Glad I didn't take any.
 
I have a total phobia about swallowing or having hair in my mouth. From now on I will be checking anything and everything. This is just wrong. :sad:
 
I don't necessarily think we're literally ingesting hair, we're just ingesting an extraction of L-Cysteine which comes from hair. I honestly don't think it's a big deal since some regions even drink reclaimed water. :look:

Aireen Look...(gulp) there is nothing they can do to hair to make it not hair...it's being crushed, ground, boiled or something that is....nevermind...I'm making myself sick...:ill:
 
What is so gross about amino acids derived from human/animal hair? You are not taking hair...they extract the amino acids from the hair. I can't believe you all are up in arms about this... Wow. :lol: I would rather take this than the syntheic version.
 
To think about it is kind of nasty, that we're eating stuff that is derived from hair. But bread is so delicious and useful that I don't care. Nom nom nom.
 
What is so gross about amino acids derived from human/animal hair? You are not taking hair...they extract the amino acids from the hair. I can't believe you all are up in arms about this... Wow. :lol: I would rather take this than the syntheic version.

Thank you for stating the obvious! I really don't understand how people could think they're eating actual hair. Besides I remember there was another thread talking about what people would do for growth and some were saying they'd put their husband's skeet on their scalp. :look:
 
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Honestly, I'm not surprised. I stopped caring a long time ago when I had to do a paper for school, researching all the things that go into our food. The FDA isn't really huge on regulating what goes into it. In fact, there is a limited amount of animal feces and hair that is actually ALLOWED in our food. Once it passes a certain level, it of course is regulated by the FDA, but if not then it's all good. So essentially, anything you eat my have rat poop in it lol though only like .017%. In reality, the ONLY way you can be 100% safe is if you make EVERYTHING yourself......which I know for me is an impossibility
 
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