cnet: Sugar and spice, and biochemistry

[kleenex]

http://news.com.com/Sugar+and+spice,+and+biochemistry/2100-7337_3-5656722.html?tag=cd.top

Kraft Foods, Nestle, Coca-Cola and Campbell Soup are all working with a biotechnology company called Senomyx, which has developed several chemicals, most of which do not have any flavor of their own but instead work by activating or blocking receptors in the mouth that are responsible for taste. They can enhance or replicate the taste of sugar, salt and monosodium glutamate, or MSG, in foods.

By adding one of Senomyx's flavorings to their products, manufacturers can, for instance, reduce the sugar in a cookie or salt in a can of soup by one-third to one-half while retaining the same sweetness or saltiness.

Now, for instance, a 10 3/4-ounce can of Campbell's Homestyle chicken soup, which the company says contains two and a half servings, has more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium. That would probably be cut to a little over 1,500 milligrams when the chemical is added. (The government recommends consumption of no more than 2,400 milligrams of sodium a day.)

Unlike artificial sweeteners, Senomyx's chemical compounds will not be listed separately on ingredient labels. Instead, they will be lumped into a broad category--"artificial flavors"--already found on most packaged-food labels. "We're helping companies clean up their labels," said Senomyx's chief executive, Kent Snyder.

Good idea.

 

[spatulator]

Great idea. But the FDA needs to test it like crazy first. It is a chemical. I have even read many reports that Splenda is not safe at all because it is basically similar to chlorine in its production. A lot of people are reporting ailments caused by consuming Splenda. Supposedly in rats is has shrunken their thyroid gland down and decreased production.

 

[norgeskog]

I do not eat any chemical products, which is why I do not buy prepackaged foods. It is my understanding that the FDA does not test products before they approve them, they rely on the testing results done by the manufacturers which makes absolutely no sense to me at all. That is probably why so many are pulled off the shelf years down the road. Look at partially hydroginated oils, FDA okayed those suckers and now it is found that they not only create additional bad cholesterol but the destroy the good cholesterol, dah. Now the manufacturers are required to put the trans fat content on the labels before 2006, and then remove them completely before 2009. Personally I would feel a lot better if there was better control over what is fed to us consumers, be it food or information.

 

[spatulator]

well said Norge

 

[middie]

i'm just tired of all the food being tampered with

 

[jennyema]

Scary!


This is awful!!

 

[Spice1133]

Reminds me of some sci-fi stories I've read, where all the food is artificial.

 

[norgeskog]

Anyone remember Soilent Green????