In the early 1900s, many Americans lived in rural areas and engaged in farming. Homegrown foods, fresh produce and locally sourced meats were staples of the U.S. diet. Food processing at the time was minimal, focusing on methods like canning, fermenting and preserving to extend the shelf life of seasonal produce.
By the mid-20th century, America became more industrialized and many people moved to urban areas for jobs. This shift reduced the ability to grow and source food locally, increasing reliance on commercially produced foods. By the late 20th century, the food industry continued to innovate, creating ultraprocessed foods designed for convenience, taste, long shelf life and profits — not nutrition.
Aggressive marketing campaigns and advertising by food companies promoted ultraprocessed foods as desirable and convenient, with many brands, like Stouffer’s, also promoting a wholesome image with “scratch-made taste.”1 But underneath their claims of quality and “ingredients you can feel good about”2 is a dark side — “alarming” levels of toxins in every bite.3
Popular Frozen Food Earns Toxic Rating
The Environmental Working Group (EWG) Food Scores is an online database that rates more than 80,000 foods, 5,000 ingredients and 1,500 brands.4 The scoring system evaluates products based on three key factors: nutrition, ingredient concerns and processing concerns. Each food product is given a score on a scale from 1 (best) to 10 (worst).
Among the brands evaluated is Stouffer’s, which makes popular frozen meals like lasagna, macaroni and cheese and French bread pizza. Though convenient, consuming these meals may come at a steep cost to your health. Healthy Holistic Living reported:5
“The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a respected authority on the intersection of environmental issues and human health, recently turned its investigative lens towards the frozen food industry, with Stouffer’s landing in a particularly harsh spotlight. The findings? Alarming, to say the least.
Stouffer’s products, especially the Cheesy Chicken Bacon Ranch frozen bowl, earned the ignominious distinction of scoring a ’10’ on EWG’s toxicity scale — the worst possible rating — a clear indicator of severe health and safety concerns.”
Hellbound and Down 