Some veggie burgers found to contain harmful substance, hexane, used to process soy

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Daily News

Think you're being healthy by choosing a veggie burger instead of red meat? Think again.

In an effort to make their products as low-fat as possible, many veggie burger manufacturers are turning to a potentially harmful chemical, according to an investigation by the non-profit Cornucopia Institute.

Most non-organic veggie burgers contain hexane, a neurotoxin that's also a petroleum by-product of gasoline refining. Hexane is listed as a hazardous air pollutant with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), according to the report, which called hexane the "dirty little secret of the 'natural' soy foods industry."

To keep down the fat content of energy bars, veggie burgers and other products, food manufacturers submerge soybeans in a bath of hexane to separate them into soy oil, protein and fiber.

Products labeled "organic" aren't allowed to contain any hexane - but foods that are less than 100% organic, such as those labeled "made with organic ingredients," may contain the chemical.


Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2010/04/14/2010-04-14_some_veggie_burgers_found_to_contain_harmful_substance_hexane_used_to_process_so.html