Sciencemadness Discussion Board

tasty chemicals

Magpie - 21-6-2013 at 09:38

Here's some food for thought for US citizens:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/8-foods-we-eat-in-the-us...

garage chemist - 21-6-2013 at 09:44

I have always found it very strange that our member BromicAcid obtained his potassium bromate as a food ingredient.
This substance is classified as carcinogenic and toxic in Germany, and its container is marked with the skull and crossbones symbol.

bfesser - 21-6-2013 at 09:51

Quote:
Artificial dyes are made from chemicals derived from PETROLEUM, which is also used to make gasoline, diesel fuel, asphalt, and TAR!


Oh, the ignorance. Perhaps it's worth pointing out that the 'baby oil' these same people slather on their unfortunate (in terms of genetics) offspring's behinds is a petroleum product.

neptunium - 21-6-2013 at 09:55

meanwhile French cheese are banned for having mites in the crust?

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/04/14/demonstrators-in-new-y...

why?

bfesser - 21-6-2013 at 10:21

Can't even serve peanuts on an airplane anymore... to hell with constantly pandering to the genetically inferior. Why are these people allowed to reproduce‽ ('These people' referring to chemophobes, scientific illiterates, mormons, gingers, left-handers, cheeseheads, teenagers, women, etc.)

[Edited on 6/21/13 by bfesser]

plante1999 - 21-6-2013 at 10:32

I still think that such pages, as the link magpie gave are not of interest.

First, they are made by people who can't even draw a single molecule, that bases there thing on journalist, which base on poorly vulgarized research. What come of such pages is very far from reality. example: I didn't knew crude oil was made from petroleum. WTF Or that bromine is bad because it is used to remove flammability from carpet. If they want to talk chemistry, then they must know it.

Second, such topic are very good for pseudoscience tool supplier, such as "organic" food etc... People will pay 10 time something because it is "organic" and good for your health. It may, or may not work because the study about them are of very low quality. The people that made these organic medicines/food get all the money from people who know not much about chemistry. They are filled will false logic and misinformation.

Saying something is bad because it is used in something else is plenty wrong. I could say that salt is bad because chlorine was once use to incapacitate people in war.

Fantasma4500 - 22-6-2013 at 12:02

thought this would be of actual list of tasty chemicals.. was gonna suggest CuCl2 as a neat alternative to denatonium benzoate :X

Random - 22-6-2013 at 16:05

Quote:
Why it’s dangerous: Bromine is a chemical used to stop CARPETS FROM CATCHING ON FIRE, so you can see why drinking it may not be the best idea. BVO is linked to major organ system damage, birth defects, growth problems, schizophrenia, and hearing loss.


This is what we call bro science guys.

I guess I'm gonna stop using chlorides in my food, don't wanna end up like WWI soldiers on the battlefield.

nezza - 27-6-2013 at 00:02

I thought you meant chemicals that taste nice, like salicylic acid and sodium barbitone. Monosodium glutamate is OK as well and as for the liquids, ethanol ain't half bad.

froot - 27-6-2013 at 00:56

Lead acetate is yummy :)

phlogiston - 27-6-2013 at 04:10

On the topic of chemicals and taste I found it highly fascinating to learn that there exists a protein called miraculin that will alter your perception of taste such that after exposure of your taste buds to it you will then perceive acidic foods as sweet for the next hour or so.


Nezza, Sodium barbitone supposedly doesn't taste nice. Wiki says "Its taste was slightly bitter, but an improvement over the strong, unpleasant taste of the commonly used bromides".

Have you tasted it (i haven't)? does it taste good to you?

Intergalactic_Captain - 27-6-2013 at 06:03

I've got to wonder how many people I work with would throw a fit if they knew how acronymns work - One of the more visible things in the batch-mixing warehouse is a few pallets of 20-kilo sacks labeled "Monosodium Glutamate"...

And then there's the even more fun one, Sodium Cyclamate - About half of what we produce is sold in Canadian markets - So even though it is banned for sale as a food additive in this country, it's just one of the many artificial sweeteners abundant in the factory... If you even open a sugar-packet style of any sweetener, I can guarantee you there's trace amounts of at least five others that aren't on the label in it...

...What I need to track down though is the legal definition of "corn starch" - Everything is labeled as being or containing "corn starch," but the raw ingredient therein is defined by its distributors as "pure food starch" - So what exactly is it? Is "food starch" intended to be derived from corn, or is it whatever food-grade starch comes from the cheapest bidder? Is corn starch recognized to be derived from corn, or is it more like a genericized trademark (like the ever-vague "natural and artificial flavorings")?

plante1999 - 27-6-2013 at 07:12

Quote: Originally posted by Intergalactic_Captain  
...20-kilo sacks labeled "Monosodium Glutamate"...

And then there's the even more fun one, Sodium Cyclamate ...


I would like to see what I can make out of a bag of sodium cyclamate, maybe make cyclohexylamine, diatozite it and turn it to cyclohexanol. Sounds like interesting chemistry, albeite not particuliary food like...

DraconicAcid - 27-6-2013 at 11:20

Quote: Originally posted by phlogiston  
On the topic of chemicals and taste I found it highly fascinating to learn that there exists a protein called miraculin that will alter your perception of taste such that after exposure of your taste buds to it you will then perceive acidic foods as sweet for the next hour or so.


Is that the stuff found in so-called "miracle berries"? I've always* wanted to try those things, but have never bothered ordering any online. Yet.

*Well, not always, but in the thrity-or-so-years since I heard about them. Of course, back in those days, there wasn't an internet to order them over, so we had to just stand around on the street corners with onions pinned to our lapels, since that was the fashion in those days....

Crowfjord - 27-6-2013 at 12:02

Haha I was also a little disappointed that the thread was not about flavoring/pleasent tasting chemicals. Oh well.

Anybody see the article (somewhat) debunking the first one given?

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2013/06/24/195204951/our-beef-with-buzzfeeds-viral-article-on-8-dangerous-foods?utm_source=NPR&utm_medium=faceboo k&utm_campaign=20130624

Fantasma4500 - 27-6-2013 at 13:41

talking about food grade things and factories and warehouses and all, i have heard from a guy that one of the additives for liquirice is downright EXPLOSIVE
ofcourse this could be as weak as BP but still, ive had this confirmed by a classmate who works at a candy factory..
does anyone know what this suddenly very interesting chemical could be? if they use it for liquirice it cant be THAT complex..

also smell i dont know if you can take for being taste, if so then calcium acetate tastes great, if you powder it very finely and more or less inhale the powder vapours (yes i know how this sounds, but dont picture that..)
then you will get a faint smell of vinegar with abit of sweet in your nose..
the powder is completely dry if any was wondering about if there was traces of acetic acid in it..