Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Temptation Strikes

You Never Know Where It Might Happen to You:


The Art of Basic: That's what Stacy's Brand Pita Chips have to say about their chips. Synonyms listed on their site: simple, uncluttered, uncomplicated. But just how simple are these chips?

My mom visited, which means a Costco size bag of Stacy's "Nothing But Sea Salt" pita chips entered my home. These chips, a family favorite, are nothing short of addiction itself. When I lived at home my family of 5 could go through a bag this size in two days. I'm not kidding. As far as chips go, they are probably a healthy alternative, if you want to use the word healthy to describe a plastic and metallic bag of white bread doused in salt. (But it was sweet of my mom to bring us something yummy and vegan!)

I am being honest in saying that these chips are delicious. But will they feel delicious later on? Probably not.

Obviously these pita chips are not "nothing but sea salt". If they were, they would taste like the ocean and no one would like them.

Check out the ingredients list:
Ingredients: Enriched Wheat Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Reduced iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Sunflower Oil (Ascorbic Acid, Rosemary, Citric Acid, Canola Oil), Sea Salt, Whole Wheat Flour, and Less than 2% of the following: Organic Cane sugar, Oat Fiber, Active Yeast, Compressed Yeast, Inactive Yeast, and Malted Barley Flour

I have to say I am impressed that they neglect to use the American favorite, corn, in at least one of its many forms, and they use organic cane sugar which makes the product vegan-friendly. But seriously Stacy, nothing but sea salt?

First off, why is canola oil included in the ingredients of sunflower oil? Are they implying that their sunflower oil is really a concoction of canola and other chemicals (probably gmo, btw, thanks to canola's pollination habits). Secondly, why on earth do flat crispy pita chips need three kinds of yeast? Wouldn't regular active yeast cut it for baking purposes?



With all the crazy unknown chemical nomenclature in the ingredients list, no wonder my hunny got a tummy ache.





There is nothing simple about Stacy's Pita Chips. They are a remarkable result of technology, marketing, and general cultural ignorance about what comprises food.

If you want basic, eat some fruit. With parsley.

2 comments:

  1. Oh my goodness! Stacey's Pita Chips are my downfall! Ahhh they're so delicious...so hard to resist but yes I know they are by no means "healthy" though for many Americans it would be a major dietary improvement. So maybe next time (hopefully there won't be a next time), I'll just make myself stare at that list of ingredients the whole time my willpower is failing me hehe

    ReplyDelete
  2. This was a very good article. I like your writing style :)

    ReplyDelete