The myth of \"natural and healthy\" products in the USSR is one of the most enduring stereotypes. Many sincerely believe that during the Soviet era, food was exclusively high-quality and safe, unlike the modern era. However, an analysis of GOSTs, contemporary accounts, and data on the actual composition of products paints a completely different picture. The shortage of quality meat, fresh vegetables, and vegetable oils led to the fact that nutrition was built around calorie content, not benefit, and the products that Soviet people had on their tables were those that dietitians would today call openly harmful. Sausages and sausages: a \"meat\" product with a surprise Perhaps the main myth that has been debunked is that of the \"GOST\" sausage, which was supposedly made of nothing but meat. In fact, even according to GOST 23670-79, the content of meat in cooked sausages was minimal. The rest was made up of offal, soy, starch, and \"stabilizers\" - ground pork skin and tendons. The use of melange, cheek meat, fat trimmings, and sodium nitrite for color and preservation was permitted. Sausages, which were considered almost a delicacy, were actually a deeply processed product with a high fat, salt, and preservative content. Ice cream: from natural ice cream to palm oil Another beloved object of nostalgia is Soviet ice cream. Yes, according to GOST 117-41, it was indeed produced from natural cream and milk. However, this standard was changed in 1966. Since then, manufacturers have been allowed to use vegetable fats (including palm oil), artificial emulsifiers, and flavorings, which made the product more accessible but far from \"eternal\" naturalness. Butter and \"Butter\" oil: factory trans fats Due to the constant shortage of butter, margarine became the main fat for frying and baking. It was produced from hydrogenated vegetable oils, which are a classic source of trans fats that are harmful to the cardiovascular system. \"Butter\" oil was an even more questionabl ... Read more