In TikToker Paden Ferguson’s (@padiano) latest video in a series where he uncovers surprising facts about common grocery items, Ferguson shows viewers that Mission Garden Spinach Herb Wraps’ bright green appearance don’t come from any tangible amount of spinach. The tortillas are just dyed.
In his video, Ferguson flips over a bag of the bright green tortillas in question to inspect the ingredient list. After passing the expected ingredients, such as flour and water, one may expect spinach to be high on the list.
“I was walking down that aisle, and they stuck out because of just how green they were,” Ferguson told the Daily Dot. “And I was like, ‘Those must have a lot of spinach!’”
But the only spinach presented in the list comes as a powder. And it appears that the tortillas’ vivid green comes from the yellow and blue dyes mixed into the food.
Then in the clip, Ferguson shows an alternative spinach wrap without dyes that has a pale, almost undetectable green hue. These Olé Mexican Foods spinach and herbs tortilla wraps’ ingredient list is indeed devoid of any artificial coloring. However, the leafy green levels for Olé clock in at under 2%, Ferguson says. The Daily Dot has reached out to Olé Mexican Foods and Mission Garden via email.
“You can see in a side by side that the Mission is very clearly dyed and the Olé is not,” Ferguson narrates.
@padiano Gotta make it green like money 🤣 #padiano #weirdingredients #artificialdyes #walmartfinds ♬ original sound – Paden Ferguson
Many commenters expressed indignation that companies add dyes to so many foods.
“WHAT IS THE POINT OF DYING IT?” one user screamed.
“The more I learn about processed food, the more nervous I get,” a second one noted.
But as one viewer in the comments pointed out, color perception plays a big role in what we find appetizing. “At this point, I think that we’re drawn to color, and it makes foods look more appealing than if they were naturally colored with what they were made of,” the user wrote.
The spinach illusion is one of many food shocks Ferguson documents on TikTok. He has revealed that Walmart Great Value mini marshmallows may contain tilapia and that no real difference exists between Hellman’s Mayo and Best Foods mayo.
“I don’t know what to eat anymore,” a viewer bemoaned.
While the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has deemed the artificial coloring shoppers find in a litany of foods today as safe, many consumers are pushing for companies to limit the use of artificial dyes. Food and beverage giants such as General Mills and Kellogg’s sought to eliminate artificial colorings. But so far, both have failed to do so.
