Pop Tarts For Dummies FNH 200 Group 1 March 2015

Pop-Tarts: What’s In Them? Are there any dangerous substances in Pop-Tarts? Why are there so many food additives in Pop-Tarts? Is there real fruit in Pop-Tarts? Can someone please explain to me what the purpose of each of these chemicals are?

Pop Tarts Overview Popular American sweet toaster pastry Introduced in 1964 Every year has generated greater profit than previous years since 1982 Does not need refrigeration due to processing and packaging techniques Frosted strawberry is supposedly the most popular flavour There are 28 flavours sold, with additional seasonal and limited edition varieties also

Types of Pop Tarts Gone Nutty PB&J Strawberry Peanut Butter Chocolate Peanut Butter Chocolate Frosted Chocolate Chip Hot Fudge Sundae Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosted Chocolate Fudge Fruit Frosted Blueberry Frosted Strawberry (Low Fat) Frosted Cherry Frosted Raspberry Frosted Strawberry Strawberry (Unfrosted) Wildlicious Frosted Wild! Cherry

Bakery Frosted Cinnamon Roll (Limited Edition) Frosted Wild Berry Bloom (Limited Edition) Frosted Confetti Cupcake Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon (Low Fat) Frosted Red Velvet (Limited Edition) Frosted Brown Sugar Cinnamon Frosted Chocolatey Strawberry (Limited Edition) Ice Cream Frosted S’mores Pop Tarts Mini Crisps

Pop-Tart Myths Debunked 1) Pop-Tarts have so many chemical names on the ingredient list, so it must be harmful to my health. 2) I don’t use these ingredients in baking – these are dangerous ingredients that are poisonous! 3) There is no real fruit in Pop-Tarts.

EXPLORING THE COMPONENTS OF THE POPULAR TOASTER STRUDEL Pop tart Ingredient Education For Dummies Source: Wikipedia

Enriched Flour Essential main component of pastry (ingredient that exists in the largest quantity) Contributes to consistency and flavour of Pop Tarts Contains restored nutrients that were lost in preparation (including iron and B-vitamins) Fibre cannot be restored (so product has low fibre content)

Corn Syrup Adds volume, prevents sugar crystallization, achieves desirable texture, and sweetens product Made from starch of maize Less processed/sweet than high fructose corn syrup Low nutritional value Present in high quantities in Pop Tarts

High Fructose Corn Syrup Corn syrup undergoes enzymatic processing to enhance sweetness Inexpensive in comparison to sucrose Low nutritional value

Dextrose Derived from starches Dextrose is a sugar Sweetens Pop Tarts and is inexpensive

Soybean and Palm Oil Soybean oil is a vegetable oil extracted from soybeans Soybeans are heated in the process Palm oil is an oil extracted from oil palms Contributes reddish colour (due to presence of beta carotene) These oils tenderize Pop Tarts and help distribute heat through product during baking

Partially Hydrogenated Soybean Oil Contributes to texture of Pop Tarts while enhancing other flavours Inexpensive ingredient because of high production and high demand Hydrogenated to form semi-solid product This lowers the melting point, allowing the product to be heated to higher temperatures safely Important for thermal processing of Pop Tarts

Salt Contributes salty taste and enhances flavour of the product Acts as preservative because of its antimicrobial properties (reduces water activity) Increases shelf life of Pop Tarts termcoord.wordpress.com

Dried Strawberries Present as less than 2% of Pop Tarts Dried strawberries are used instead of fresh ones to increase shelf life of the product (reduced water activity) Contributes flavour to the product nuts.com

Dried Pears and Dried Apples Ratios of dried pears, dried apples, and dried strawberries may affect texture of Pop Tarts Dried pears and dried apples are less expensive than dried strawberries Contributes flavour to the product

Niacin, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folic Acid Present in Pop Tarts to enhance nutritional content Derived from a variety of natural sources

Gelatin Gelling agent to bind to water and thicken product Derived from bones and skin of animals Contributes to texture of Pop Tarts Contributes no flavour Acts as preservative by reducing water activity of the product Increases shelf life

Citric Acid Acts as a preservative by increasing acidity of product and thus inhibits growth of microorganisms Derived from Aspergillus niger (a bacteria) Enhances flavour of Pop Tarts Inexpensive and widely available

Modified Corn Starch Acts as emulsifier to prevent separation of ingredients in Pop Tarts Thickens product by binding to water (simultaneously acting as a preservative by reducing water activity) Chemically modified to withstand higher temperatures during processing Inexpensive

Soy Lecithin Emulsifying agent to prevent separation of fats and water in Pop Tarts Increases shelf life of the product Soy lecithin is used as opposed to other sources of lecithin because of its inexpensive nature

Tricalcium Phosphate A calcium of salt phosphoric acid in a white powder form Used in pastries as a raising agent and anti-caking agent Gives pastry crust flakey texture

Xanthan Gum Acts as a thickener to prevent the filling becoming too runny Comes in the form of a fine powder A sugar-like compound of sucrose, lactose, and glucose fermented with bacteria Acts as preservative by binding to water and reducing water activity, thus aiding in extending the shelf life of Pop Tarts

TBHQ An antioxidant for the preservation of cooking oils in Pop Tarts Prevents chemical degradation of oil from oxygen Does not affect flavour, colour or odour of product

Pop-Tart Ingredients Summary Every ingredient in Pop-Tarts has a specific purpose critical to the composition and stability of the final product The biggest reason why there are so many additives is due to the fact that the Pop-Tart needs to be shelf- stable, unlike home baked goods All additives and ingredients are well below the limits set out by Health Canada Therefore, Pop-Tarts, from a food safety perspective, are safe to eat.

POP-TARTS HAD A STORE IN NYC NAMED “POP-TARTS WORLD” Did you know…. It was meant to act as a test store to help Kellogg bring their brand to life in retail Customers were able to build their own Pop-tarts Test products included Pop-tart Sushi and Pop-tart cherry lip balm Source: NYTimes

POP-TARTS DEMAND HAS BEEN CONSTANTLY INCREASING Did you know…. It is appealing and delicious to children It makes for a quick and easy breakfast or snack for teens It reminds adults of their childhood A winner for all ages! Source: Bravetart

POP-TARTS IS THE SOURCE OF MANY VIRAL CHALLENGES Did you know…. Most recently, the “100-Pop-Tarts Challenge” on YouTube Rules are simple: you must eat 100 Pop-tarts within 2 hours, Warning: May cause vomiting Source: YouTube User ‘spraymucus’