20 January 2023 , 13:05
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Buying bread is something most of us do without even thinking about it, we just pop a brown, white or seeded loaf into our trolleys at the shop without batting an eye. Having bread in the house is pretty much second nature to a lot of people out there.
Now people are starting to question their trusty loaves after learning that some bread might actually have traces of human hair in it. Studies first showed there could be traces of human hair in bread as far back as 2016, but the troubling revelation has come to light once more as people online have recently come across it.
L-cysteine is an amino acid naturally found in our bodies, but it's also used to prolong the shelf-life of certain products - including bread. The amino acid can be 'synthesised' from human hair to help preserve food products.
The BBC reports that L-cysteine can also come from duck and chicken feathers so it is not always the case that it comes from humans.
In addition, The Food Standards Agency regulations in Europe mean only L-cysteine products produced from duck and chicken feather can be used. So in the UK your loaf will be safe from human hair, but that might not be the case everywhere else.
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You might think twice when you next go to buy bread (stock photo) (Getty Images)One TikToker from the US came across the unusual ingredient and shared it with her followers, who have been left mind-blown.
Renee Starkey boasts nearly 50,000 followers on the platform and can be found posting about her vegan lifestyle.
She recently shared a clip explaining the hidden ingredient and it certainly stirred up some conversation.
In the video, she said: "L-cysteine in bread products is still mostly sourced from human hair, duck feathers and hog hair.
"It is used to prolong the shelf life of many products."
While there's no mention of human hair (or any other hair) on the ingredients list shown on Renee's loaf, she claims that "you don't need to list an ingredient that makes another ingredient" in the US.
The news has left many of her followers in shock as one even says they are going to stay away from bread from now on.
In response, one person wrote: "I don't eat bread anymore."
While another stated: "I have cat fur in all my food so I guess I am used to it."