Like most Americans, Steve Ettlinger eats processed foods. And, like  most consumers, he often reads the ingredients label without a clue as  to what most of it means. So when his young daughter asked, "Daddy,  what's polysorbate 60?" he was at a loss and determined to find out. In this fascinating exploration into the curious world of packaged  foods, Twinkie, Deconstructed takes us from the phosphate mines in Idaho  to the corn fields in Iowa, from gypsum mines in Oklahoma to oil fields  in China, to demystify some of America's most common processed food  ingredients: where they come from, how they are made, how they are used,  and why. Beginning at the source, we follow each Twinkie ingredient through the  process of being crushed, baked, fermented, refined, and/or reacted into  a totally unrecognizable goo or powder with a strange name - all for  the sake of creating a simple snack cake. If you've ever wondered what  you're eating when you consume foods containing mono- and diglycerides  or calcium sulfate (the latter is a food-grade equivalent of plaster of  paris), this book is for you. What the Critics Say "[A] delightful romp through the food processing industry." (Publishers Weekly)