Don’t look now – but there’s hair in your food!

Few things can ruin a meal faster than finding a hair in your food...

However, there’s a good chance there’s hair in a lot of your food that you can’t even see. That’s because a non-essential amino acid called L-cystein is often used in food production as a dough softener or flavor enhancer. L-cystein is a derivative of human hair. Duck feathers are also commonly used to produce it. L-cystein can also be synthetically produced – but that process is a lot more costly than the hair and duck-feathers recipe.

If you’re completely grossed out at the thought of eating hair and feathers, there is a bright side. Because our bodies naturally produce it, the FDA recognizes it as a safe substance. Some people even take it as a supplement to improve hair and nail growth.