She’s No Longer The One For Me
Posted by terrepruitt on November 5, 2015
Argh! The other day I made an annoying discovering. I am somewhat ashamed I didn’t discover it before, yet at the same time I am somewhat angry that it is even something someone would need to – could actually – discover. There is sugar in my salt! WHAT? WHY IS THERE SUGAR IN MY SALT? Yeah, that is why I am angry. I never even thought to look at the ingredients of the salt. But actually I kinda believe I have before and this is not something that has always been the case – sugar in the salt – but I am not sure. Why is there dextrose in salt?
Dextrose is a simple sugar made from corn. There is no need for sugar to be in salt. The only reason I can think of is that the manufacturers have a desire to make it more addicting. I am sure that, if you have a TV or have any contact with social media, you have seen and/or heard that there is sugar in ALL TYPES OF THINGS. Things where there really doesn’t need to be sugar. And you may have heard, while you were watching TV or perusing Facebook, or scrolling through Twitter, that it is believed that sugar is addictive.
So that is the only reason I can think of as to why food manufactures would put it in practically everything.
Some foods that are made to have less fat have to have additional sugar to make them taste acceptable, but again, that would also make them addictive. And, again, it is well-know that “less fat” just means more sugar. When eating foods that are known to have sugar, such as cookies or cupcakes it is understandable they have sugar. But it is annoying when food manufactures use sugar in things you don’t expect because there doesn’t need to be sugar in them. Like most salad dressings, spices, milk, breads, pasta, ya know things that are not traditionally made with sugar.
So, it is with sadness that I say good-bye to that girl I have grown up with all my life, or as long as I can remember. Good-bye Morton salt, I am disgusted that there is sugar in your salt and I will no longer be purchasing it. I will be spending my money on salt that is just that, salt. You are no longer the one.
Did you know there is sugar in Morton salt? So you use Morton salt? Did you, like me, grow up using Morton’s salt?
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
Louiza said
Wow! Sugar in the salt! Let’s see how long before sea salt turns to corn. I hope not!
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terrepruitt said
There are others that can be bought without sugar. I think I will go that route.
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Deborah said
Well, I have an explanation – but I know just enough chemistry to be dangerous and not to judge for myself if this is in fact the only reason there is dextrose in Morton’s salt.
“potassium iodide (the iodine in salt) is unstable; when exposed to oxidation, it would become free iodine (and thus lost); dextrose stabilizes the potassium iodide so that you enjoy the benefits of iodine; Morton’s introduced it in 1924 due to the incidence of goiter…”
Here is more of the chemistry – albeit from the “Salt Institute,” a trade organization of which I’m sure Morton’s must be a major member!
http://www.saltinstitute.org/news-articles/iodized-salt/
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terrepruitt said
Yup, that is what I have heard, so, the key is to buy salt without the iodine. I mentioned, I think, not having seen it on the container before and that was probably because I had purchased salt without the iodine.
And the real problem here — in my opinion, is that sugar is in EVERYTHING, as I mentioned. It is in too many things that it REALLY does not need to be in. So if, one wants to say it “NEEDS” to be in this salt because of the iodine, ok, fine, then in order to avoid salt with sugar in it don’t buy the kind with iodine. And, also, dextrose is CORN SUGAR, where again, corn is in everything. And, perhaps people are up on the fact, that pretty much all of our corn has been genetically modified. So . . . thanks, but I will opt for salt with just salt.
They “sneak” sugar (and corn) into everything.
I just glanced at this article about a study on the stability of iodine in iodized salt, but it seems like adding dextrose is the cheapest way to “stabilize” iodine levels that are added to salt. Other ways . . . most costly, would be to start off by adding more iodine, use higher quality salt to begin with, and/or use packaging that reduces the loss. All too costly I am sure, when corn salt is so cheap. Again, I just glanced at this and I could have it entirely wrong.
http://archive.unu.edu/unupress/food/V193e/ch06.htm
Thanks for the info! I need to eat more seaweed!
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Liv said
I grew up with Morton’s salt and I still buy it (unless I’m completely out and make a desperation grocery run and buy whatever I can find). I didn’t notice the dextrose on the label but I haven’t looked at the label in a while but according to some sites online, the dextrose is added to keep the iodine from oxidizing. You can buy Morton’s non-iodized salt and that one doesn’t have dextrose in it. Goiters aren’t a huge issue these days since most commercial processed foods use iodized salt but I still use iodized at home too. Also the amount of dextrose is supposedly so small that it’s not nutritionally significant. But hey you use what works for you. I actually have 7 different kids of salt in my pantry (some flavored for specific uses, some in particular types of crystal size/shape for other uses, etc) and a few kinds of sugar. 🙂
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terrepruitt said
Yup. I think I had purchased the non-iodized and that is why I was not seeing the sugar. Again, there might be (or is) a reason for it, but again, sugar is in everything. Reason or not, it is in everything . . . it seems . . . and they seem to always have a reason. And more often then not, it seems to be CORN sugar or something from corn.
And . . . there you go . . . pointing the finger at commercial processed foods being the crux of why people are so unhealthy.
And . . . the amount of a lot of added things in our food is “supposedly so small” that they claim it is not “significant”. . . . but yet again, they put it in EVERYTHING. So, as people consume a little bit here and a little bit there it adds up especially when it isn’t even disclosed on the label. It is such a small amount the law says we don’t have to disclose it. But then if someone happens to eat more than a serving and then add it to everything else they’ve eaten . . . .then all of a sudden you have a hell of a significant amount and you don’t even know it because it wasn’t even disclosed as part of the nutritional value. Transfat is a great example of that. It is listed on the ingredients, but not in the nutritional value.
We actually have a lot of different salts in our pantry. And those are the ones we will use from now on.
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