Dear Dish on Potassium Benzoate
Dear Dish,
I've been known to enjoy a Simpsons quote or two, but now they seem to be running my life. Take the quote below:
Homer: Do you sell toys?
Shopkeep: We sell forbidden objects from places men fear to tread. We also sell frozen yogurt, which I call frogurt.
Homer: Well I need something for my son's birthday.
Shopkeep: Ah, perhaps this will please the gentleman (points to a talking Krusty the Clown doll). Take this object, but beware - it carries a terrible curse.
Homer: Oh, that's bad.
Shopkeep: But it comes with a free frogurt.
Homer: That's good.
Shopkeep: The frogurt is also cursed.
Homer: That's bad.
Shopkeep: But you get your choice of topping.
Homer: That's good.
Shopkeep: The toppings contain potassium benzoate.
Homer: (blank stare)
Shopkeep: That's bad.
Homer: Can I go now?
I bought some hummus the other day and I looked at the ingredient list - and low, and behold! - it had potassium benzoate in it "(to preserve freshness)" it says in brackets on the ingredient list. Well, thanks, now it's okay since you gave me the reason why you're poisoning me. Now I have an aversion to the hummus because of the dreaded potassium benzoate.
My question is: should I eat the hummus? Is the potassium benzoate really that bad for you? Should I stop paying attention to Simpsons quotes?
Signed,
Questioning the Potassium Benzoate Status Quo
Dear Questioning:
Potassium benzoate is a food preservative that is used to inhibit the growth of yeasts and molds. Officially, it has been approved for use in Canada and the United States. The European Union has also approved it, but recommends that it not be consumed by children (this alone should set off some alarm bells).
Potassium benzoate itself is not dangerous; however, when it is combined with ascorbic acid (aka vitamin C) and sodium, potassium benzoate has been known to form benzene, which is a cancer-causing agent. Currently, the FDA is allegedly doing tests to determine how worried we ought to be about this sort of thing.
I advise a moderate amount of alarm. Generally speaking, Canada does not tend to approve food additives willy nilly like the U.S.A is prone to do. However, in this columnist's opinion, the FDA is a sketchy operation. I have heard so many horror stories that I basically have to attempt to turn my brain off before eating in the good old United States of America. And, please, don't even get me started on the FDA breast implant scandal. But I digress.
Like I said, testing it being done. It is currently believed that heat, light and shelf life are factors that may affect potassium benzoate’s transformation into benzene. It seems a tad ironic that the longer this food additive, which, let us not forget, is added specifically to extend a food’s shelf life, actually sits on the shelf, the greater the chance it will form cancer-causing agents. So, your food may be tasty and mold free, but the evil carcinogens are lurking quietly just beneath the surface.
I, for one, am a firm believer in the idea that by the time I have to worry about illnesses, such as heart disease and cancer, medical science will be advanced enough to easily fix my troubles. However, if you are of a less optimistic nature about such things, you may want to proceed with caution. Remember: the fresher, the better.
Dish
posted by Dish @ 10:03 PM
9 Comments:
Dear Dish,
You never answered any of my questions
"Should I eat the hummus?"
"Is the potassium benzoate really that bad for you?"
"Should I stop paying attention to Simpsons quotes?"
In regards to both the hummus and the benzoate questions, proceeding with caution was really the state I was in before I sent you the "Dear Dish"
I still don't know if I should eat hummus.
And you completely ignored my Simpsons question. No reference to it at all.
Signed,
Disapointed
I feel more informed on the topic of sodium benzoate. Now I know why it actually is bad for you. Kudos to the Dish.
Dear Disappointed:
"Uh-huh, uh-huh. Okay. Um Can you repeat the part of the stuff where you said all about uuhhh, things. Uhh... the things."
But seriously,
1. "Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" So,
eat the hummus already.
2. You weren't paying attention. No. Potassium benzoate is not bad for you. It is the evil benzene that you need to worry about.
3. Do I seem like the kind of girl who would actually recommend giving up Simpsons quotes? Tsk, tsk.
Dear Dish.
This is a very funny post. Keep up the good work.
Signed,
Loving it in Ottawa
James,
These posts are supposed to be anonymous,
You have to click the "Other" radio button, and make up a funny name.
Like the genious who picked "Disappointed at your lack of answers"
Man that must be one smart person.
The comments don't have to be anonymous. It's only those who aren't brave enough to use their real names. Congratulations James on not being afraid to voice your opinion using your real name. ;o)
Dear Dish - I know this post is food related but I was wondering if the formation of benzene can occur with lotions? I've found some baby products that are paraben/phalate/phosphate free but they use Potassium Benzoate, Sodium Benzoate, and Sorbic Acid as preservatives and Phenoxyelthanol. I'm assuming absorption through the skin is also harmful??
Dear Dish- Well done on a funny but informative explanation of potassium benzoate.
Sodium benzoate is another ingredient that can be harmful when used with vitamin C.
Thank you again.
Thanks for the info its great to know things Jason ENGLAND
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