No, ‘Healthy’ Foods Are Not Always Healthy

Siete Just Sold to PepsiCo – And I’m Concerned

I have interesting news to tell you. 

One of my favorite food companies, Siete, sold themselves to PepsiCo for 1.2 billion dollars. For this family of 7 who started with their Mom making gluten free tortillas for their daughter, they never have to work another day in their life. But at what cost?

I loved their products, I was eating them almost daily with my girlfriend. We would eat their tortillas for dinner and then their cookies for dessert.

I always assumed they were healthy because, hey, they were gluten free. No gluten, no problems, right? But after hearing the news that they were bought out by one of the “big food” corporations, I had concerns. 

I wanna share with you the alarming facts about Siete’s products and what their acquisition means for the health community. Long story short: I can no longer enjoy their delicious tortillas for taco night.

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Concerns About Siete's Products

The health influencer Lead Safe Mama, who tests products for heavy metal toxicity, shared alarming data about Siete products.

What she revealed is that Siete products have dangerous amounts of heavy metals like lead and cadmium. Dang. People have also reported that they use crops that are heavily sprayed with Pesticides.

Glyphosate is the number one pesticide in the world, and many studies show that it’s horrible for the soil, the plant, and our gut.

Now I can't say with accuracy that Siete doesn’t use glyphosate when growing their ingredients, but I always assume if they don't have a glyphosate-free certification, that means they’re using it.

Diagram illustrating the amount of heavy metals in Sietes No Salt chips

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What This Means for the Health Community

I loved Siete’s mission to provide healthy grain free comfort foods.

My girlfriend and I would make ground beef with heart, liver, and kidney, then top it off with some organic homemade guacamole and use Siete’s almond tortillas. They tasted so delicious, and I felt great about providing healthy foods to my family. It gave me hope for the future.

But after seeing Siete’s lack of organic certification, high amounts of heavy metals and the speculating rumors that PepsiCo will ruin the brand, i’m not interested in them anymore.

How does the community feel about this?

I looked up “Siete acquisition” on Reddit, and people are saying a variety of things.

• “One thing I loved about Siete is that it was clean when it came to ingredients. They used avocado oil for their chips. Pepsi will now ruin them.”

• “Primal kitchen was bought by Kraft Heinz in 2019 and has still upheld their clean ingredients. It’s possible Pepsi could do the same for Siete.”

• “High fructose corn syrup in everything! Yay!”

• “For a billion dollars I would have sold too.”

• “Oh yeah no they will go downhill quickly cutting ingredient quality and reformulating recipes to maximize profits for sure.”

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The Bigger Picture: Who Can We Trust ?

It makes you wonder about the health industry as a whole.

Siete isn't the first beloved health brand to be absorbed by a corporate giant. Take Annie's Homegrown, for example. Founded in 1989 as a maker of natural and organic pastas and snacks, it was acquired by giant General Mills in 2014. Since then, many consumers have noticed changes in product formulations and have raised concerns about ingredient sourcing.

"Consumer Reports' recently tested 85 different foods with dangerous chemicals. A canned pasta product by the well-known organic brand Annie’s Homegrown had the highest concentration of phthalates—a plasticizer known to interfere with hormone production, increasing the risk of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, certain cancers, and birth defects.

Another example is Burt's Bees, a company that started with pure, natural skincare products. In 2007, it was bought by Clorox. While Burt's Bees maintains a natural image, it was recently called out in a class action lawsuit. for PFAS being in their products. PFAS have been linked to various health issues, including cancer and hormone disruption.

The Erosion of the "Organic" Label

This made me consider the validity of “healthy labeling.”

Originally, "organic" meant food produced without synthetic pesticides, fertilizers, or genetically modified organisms (GMOs). However, as large corporations entered the organic market, the standards have been stretched. Lobbying efforts have led to the inclusion of non-organic substances and processes in organic certification.

For instance, the USDA Organic label allows for certain non-organic ingredients if they are deemed necessary, which can be a slippery slope. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), which advises the USDA, has faced criticism for being influenced by corporate interests rather than small organic farmers.

Now, we have to dig even deeper. What’s next in the marketplace? Even Katy Perry invested in Bragg's Apple Cider Vinegar, and many health consumers, including myself, have noticed differences in potency. Katy Perry also invested in Apeel Sciences, a company that produces a coating for fruits and vegetables to extend shelf life.

Eat wax coated apples in order to extend shelf life? Hard Pass

Now we have to work even harder to find quality nutrition.

How Should We Look at Buying Healthy Foods?

So, how do we go forward from this? How do we avoid getting scammed by big food?

1. Look up the company before you buy. Do a bit of research to see if their practices align with their claims. Are there any lawsuits? Are people complaining about them online? If they’re legit, invest in them!!!

2. Shop at farmers’ markets. I’m a big believer in buying directly from the source. At a farmers’ market, you can talk to the people who actually raise the animals and grow the produce. It’s a great way to support local, small-scale farmers who care about their craft.

3. Trustworthy sources. I’ve found one brand that I trust: Frankie’s Free Range Meats. He has real pasture-raised eggs. His eggs even have dirt on them, which shows how fresh and natural they are. Another source is Rebel Pastures. They really give a damn.

4. Grow your own food, if possible, or support local farms that you can trust.

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Want more wisdom?

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With Love,

Jack (Kool Health)

Transforming the ordinary into the extraordinary.

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Disclaimer

The information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Always consult a healthcare provider before starting any new treatment or supplement, especially if you have medical conditions or take other medications. Individual results may vary.

Consider seeing a specialist in functional medicine.