Learning to Cook and Other Things

I read from a local broadsheet article about cosmetics containing lead. Take lipstick specifically. It says if you want to test if there is too much lead in your lipstick here is what you should do. "Put a small amount of lipstick at the back of your hand, then rub the lipstick vigorously using a gold coin or earring or anything that has gold. If the lipstick turns black it has a high level of lead". But why do manufacturers use lead? To add stability and vividness to the lipstick's color. But it has been found out from studies (John Hopkins University) that substantial lead in the body can cause memory lapses. Lipsticks and what we should know about them. 1. Safe levels of lead content in lipsticks should be .1ppm (one tenths part of million) 2. There are lipsticks in the market today which contains lead in the range of 16ppm to 31ppm. These are in fact dangerous levels. But a website has this disclaimer to what was reported. However, this counters the above. It

I got this from my email: The food additive MSG (Mono-Sodium Glutamate) is a slow poison. MSG hides behind 25 or more names, such as "Natural Flavouring." MSG is even in your favorite coffee from Tim Horton's and other brand-name coffee shops! I wondered if there could be an actual chemical causing the massive obesity epidemic, and so did a friend of mine, John Erb. He was a research assistant at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, and spent years working for the government. He made an amazing discovery while going through scientific journals for a book he was writing called The Slow Poisoning of America. In hundreds of studies around the world, scientists were creating obese mice and rats to use in diet or diabetes test studies. No strain of rat or mice is naturally obese, so scientists have to create them. They make these creatures morbidly obese by injecting them with MSG when they are first born. The MSG triples the amount of insulin the pancreas creat

Thanks to http://www.NewsTarget.com for the cartoon Art:Dan Berger Concept:Mike Adams

I found this Google gadget which I really liked. Finding a particular recipe will just be a click away. Hooray!

From:IFIC "Under the Food Additives Amendment, two groups of ingredients were exempted from the United States regulation process: GROUP I — Prior-sanctioned substances — are substances that FDA or USDA had determined safe for use in food prior to the 1958 amendment. Examples are sodium nitrite and potassium nitrite used to preserve luncheon meats. GROUP II — GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) ingredients — are those that are generally recognized by experts as safe, based on their extensive history of use in food before 1958 or based on published scientific evidence. Among the several hundred GRAS substances are salt, sugar, spices, vitamins and monosodium glutamate (MSG). Manufacturers may also request that FDA review the industry’s determination of GRAS Status."

Purpose: Allow smooth mixing of ingredients, prevent separation, keep emulsified products stable, reduce stickiness, control crystallization, keep ingredients dispersed, and to help products dissolve more easily Application: Salad dressings, peanut butter, chocolate, margarine, frozen desserts Common Label Names: Soy lecithin, mono- and diglycerides, egg yolks, polysorbates, sorbitan monostearate

Purpose: Prevent food spoilage from bacteria, molds, fungi, or yeast (antimicrobials); slow or prevent changes in color, flavor, or texture and delay rancidity (antioxidants); maintain freshness Application: Fruit sauces and jellies, beverages, baked goods, cured meats, oils and margarines, cereals, dressings, snack foods, fruits and vegetables Common Label Name: Ascorbic acid,citric acid,sodium benzoate,calcium propionate,sodium erythorbate,sodium nitrite,calcium sorbate,potassium sorbate,BHA, BHT, EDTA, tocopherols (Vitamin E)