McCain Veal Cordon Bleu. $7.99 for 320g.
I recently read a new book about processed food called Swallow This - Serving up the Food Industry's Darkest Secrets by British author Joanna Blythman.
In it she makes a strong argument about the dangers of packaging food in plastic, because a recent study found that 175 chemicals found in food packaging are defined by international classification bodies as "chemicals of concern". And the concern is that chemicals can leach out of plastic and even coated cardboard into food over time and when heated. More on that later.
After reading her book I found myself in my local grocer, tired and worn out after a week of fighting a virus and working hard. I needed what is commonly called a "heat and eat" meal to feed the family.
After studying the offerings at the store, which is a great provider of healthy food, I finally found a fish pie with few ingredients that were all real food. No additives. I went to put it in my basket and I realised with horror that it was packaged in plastic.
And then I had my first "store paralysis" moment. I stood there confused, conflicted and unable to buy anything to eat, unless I cooked it from scratch.
It lasted but a few moments, then I walked out, went home and picked up the phone to order a vegetarian pizza, reasoning that in my state, what you don't know can't hurt you and that at least a pizza comes in cardboard!
I found this meal in the freezer of my local supermarket because I reasoned that not everyone, like me on that night, feels like cooking and thought I'd take a look at it. And yes, I took it out of the plastic it came in and put it in a glass container with some foil on top to heat.
Veal cordon bleu (39%) (veal 10%), beef.
So there is some veal in here but most of it is beef.
Batter (water, wheat flour, thickeners (1404, 412), salt, natural colour (turmeric), acidity regulators (500, 541), wheat starch, hydrolysed vegetable protein)
This is the initial coating of the meal which contains the usual batter ingredients like flour and water but also thickeners such as oxidised starch (1404) which is starch oxidised with sodium hypochlorite and guar gum (412). It also has some natural colour turmeric and acidity regulators baking soda (500) and sodium aluminium phosphate ( 541). I'm not sure why hydrolysed vegetable protein is in here but it is often used as a filler to increase protein levels of a food.
Cheese (4.5%)
No ingredients listed for the cheese.
Crumb (4.5%) (wheat flour)
Not sure what this is because breadcrumbs are listed further down. It seems to be made out of flour. I think this is probably the equivalent of dipping something in flour before coating it with breadcrumbs.
Soy protein
Once again this is in here as a filler, in my opinion.
Veal ham (2.5%) (veal, acidity regulators (451, 331), emulsifiers (450, 452), antioxidant (316), preservative (250).
These are fairly typical ingredients for a highly processed ham with acidity regulators diphosphates (451) and sodium citrates (331). There are also emulsifiers, phosphates again (450 and 452), and antioxidant sodium erythorbate (316) which is produced from beetroot and sugarcane, and the preservative sodium nitrite (250) which healthy eaters avoid because of concern that it reacts with stomach acid to form carcinogenic N-nitroso compounds during digestion.
Breadcrumb (wheat flour, wheat starch, salt, hydrolysed vegetable protein, sugar, maltodextrin)
I think if I made breadcrumbs from bread there would be flour, salt and yeast. Instead this mix has hydrolysed vegetable protein as a filler and flavourer plus sugar and maltodextrin, which is a form of sugar.
Scalloped potatoes (30%) (potatoes, canola oil)
I guess we can be grateful that these potatoes are just potatoes with some oil added.
Sauce (water, cream (cream, thickener (401)), cheddar cheese, thickener (1422), flavours (dextrose, (wheat), salt, sugar, natural flavours (wheat, soy), wheat flour, spice, turmeric (soy), natural colour (caramel I), herb)
This is some sauce cocktail. To make it myself I would use flour, butter, milk, cheese and perhaps some pepper and salt. This has thickeners sodium alginate (401) and acetylated distarch adipate (1422) as well as flavouring and colouring.
Beans
These look and taste like frozen beans do when cooked.
Carrots
As above.
Butter sauce (butter, flavours (milk solids, wheat)
I thought when tasting the beans and carrots that they were simply vegetables but it turns out even these have something added. Some butter, milk solids and wheat.
Highlights
• 23 ingredients including many emulsifiers, flavourings, colourings, preservatives, thickeners, hydrolysed vegetable protein and sugar.
• Comes packaged in plastic which can leach chemicals into your food, especially when heated.
• Contains two serves of vegetables.
My recommendations
Just like the sausage roll I looked at a few weeks ago this is the sort of meal you are unlikely to make from scratch. You'd have to make all the sauces, wrap up the meats and cheese then crumb them, cook the potatoes and the beans and carrots. So my pick is that most people eat a cordon bleu this way.
But, if you made it at home you certainly wouldn't use the 23 ingredients found in this packet.
It tasted very salty to me, was quite gluggy and I was disappointed that even the vegetables were adulterated in some way.
If you're a big "heat and eat" buyer then do watch the packaging. The Food Packaging Forum, a not-for-profit, independent group, found that 175 chemicals found in food packaging are defined by international classification bodies as "chemicals of concern", because they have been linked to cancer, reduced fertility, genital malformations and hormone disruption. Yet these are used to pack our food because regulators have decided they are not a health risk.
Food processors will tell you that without plastic packaging there would be a huge reduction in food hygiene and an increase in food poisoning cases, that the chemicals are in such a low dose that they are unlikely to cause harm. (New Zealand's Ministry for Primary Industries estimates it is "highly unlikely, but theoretically possible" for someone to breach the safe limit if they ate fatty foods such as fish or cheese wrapped in commercial cling film every day of their lives). And they will also tell you it is legal to use these chemicals, which is sadly true.
While there are strict rules about using these substances for toys, paints, textiles and medical equipment these rules do not apply to materials coming into contact with food. So, my advice would be: if it's in plastic put it in a glass or ceramic container before heating. Or boil a free-range egg or two and eat it with some toast if you're not up to cooking.
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