Today I was looking at the ingredients listed on a package of carmel rolls (or something similar to a carmel roll) from Walmart. The last ingredient listed on the package was Propylene Glycol. Immediately I recognized this ingredient as one that I had looked up not long ago when I found it listed on my can of shaving cream. Turns out in shaving cream and other moisturizer’s it is used for deeper moisturizing penetration into our skin - that is what I remembered from the last time I looked it up - couldn’t find the source.
So, when I looked it up today, this is some of the info I found…
As listed on Chemical.net
Some Uses of Propylene glycol:
- As a moisturizer in medicines, cosmetics, food, and tobacco products
- As a medical lubricant
- As a solvent for food colors and flavourings
- As a food additive for moisture
- In fragrance oils
- As a non-toxic antifreeze
- In smoke machines to make artificial smoke
- In hand sanitizers, lotions, and saline solutions
- As a main ingredient in many cosmetic products, including baby wipes, bubble baths, deodorants and shampoos
- As a base ingredient in aircraft de-icing fluid and some automobile antifreezes
- As a working fluid in hydraulic presses
- To regulate humidity in a cigar humidor
- As the killing and preserving agent in pitfall traps, usually used to capture ground beetles.
- To treat livestock ketosis.
WTF!!!
The 2 that really stand out here and should be alarming are: 1) A food additive for moisture 2) As the killing and preserving agent in pitfall traps, usually used to capture ground beetles.
Wikipedia states http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol :
“The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined that propylene glycol in or on cat food has not been shown by adequate scientific data to be safe for use. Use of propylene glycol in or on cat food causes the feed to be adulterated and in violation of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act. 21CFR589.1001
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has determined propylene glycol to be “generally recognized as safe” for use in food, cosmetics, and medicines. Like ethylene glycol, propylene glycol affects the body’s chemistry by increasing the amount of acid. Propylene glycol is metabolized into lactic acid, which occurs naturally as muscles are exercised, while ethylene glycol is metabolized into oxalic acid, which is toxic”.
The point I’m trying to make here is not to point out another unscrupulous act of Walmart. This is obviously an acceptable food additive. Propylene Glycol isn’t the only one we should fear, there are many more.
I’m trying to bring some awareness to the fact that much of the food on the shelves is laced with poisons in the name of food preservation, enhanced taste, etc…
In my humble opinion, I literally think that the preservatives in the foods we eat are the number one initiator of most cancers and many other health problems. I’m not ruling out genetics or other known factors that cause cancer and other health problems.
So the 2 things I hope you take away from this post are to start being vigilant about label reading - not to necessarily remove all the nasty foods you consume, but at the least you will know what poisons you are consuming, as I do - and to be grateful that the FDA was able to determine that a preservative used in our food is not safe to be used in or on cat food.
William
9 responses so far ↓
1 PMan // Aug 29, 2007 at 7:14 pm
Why would you think that preservatives cause cancer? There has been no evidence showing so. You even state in your post that it is an acceptable food additive and that the FDA considers it to be generally safe. Propylene glycol is not known to be a poison so unless you have controlled experimental results showing otherwise, please don’t theorize it is a toxic substance. After all, science should have nothing to do with opinions.
2 william // Aug 30, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Right now I only have a few things to say in response to your comment - actually 4 responses and an opinion.
1) I will detail for all, to some degree why I think most preservatives in our foods today are cancer initiators.
2) In regard to me stating that Propylene Glycol is an acceptable food additive - I was simply commenting on what the apparent FDA stand is on Propylene Glycol (that doesn’t mean I agree!).
3)I agree with you, opinions have no place in science.
4) My opinion is that you have too much faith in the scientific model and the FDA.
5) Also, I wasn’t putting forth a theory by the way, I stated that it was my opinion. AND I’m sorry but I cannot stop with my opinions - as opinions are essential to the skunks existence.
Finally,
You are going to love my upcoming post on Sodium Laureth Sulfate!!
Also, I most likely won’t have time to follow up on response #1 until sometime next week, but I look forward to it.
I appreciate your comment.
3 PMan // Aug 30, 2007 at 6:06 pm
Great! I’m interested to hear #1. I assume it will involve the biochemical basis leading to your opinion. Regarding #2 and #4, I don’t necessarily agree with the FDA but unless there is evidence counter to their stance, I have no reason to be skeptical. Skepticism without merit can lead to fearmongering. I am intimately familiar with the scientific model and am confident when saying it is flawless if adhered to. It’s the scientists I don’t have 100% confidence in. No faith is needed. #5: well said; point taken.
I like the website. Keep it up!
4 Furfeatherfins // Aug 30, 2007 at 6:42 pm
I’m not generally a conspiracy theorist, but I’m also not naive enough to believe that a governmental organization that is led by a political appointee is beyond corruption. Given the amount of money at stake for food and drug companies, it seems likely that corruption is inevitable to some degree.
To Pman: You say that you are intimately famiiliar with the scientific model. So, I’m sure that you would agree that criticism leads to advances in science more than the status quo. Further, hasn’t the FDA claimed chemicals to be harmless in the past and been wrong? Think Vioxx.
5 Furfeatherfins // Aug 30, 2007 at 6:43 pm
Familiar, spelled with three i(s; famiiliar) suggests extreme familiarity.
6 Paul // Jun 10, 2008 at 8:20 pm
How naive are some people to not know that the FDA is in bed with the pharmeceutical and chemical companies that don’t care how toxic the things we take into our bodies are. Propylene glycol is anti-freeze! And it’s in our muffins! It’s extremely toxic and is absorbed into our skin and into our organs so quickly. I stopped using any product with propylene glycol or its more toxic cousin butylene glycol awhile ago, and I feel so much better. Check out naturalcures.com for more info on these poisons.
7 william // Jun 12, 2008 at 8:40 am
Hey Paul, Thanks for your comment. It is interesting to me how much faith many people have in the FDA and the general perception that everything being done is done in our best interest.
I tried to search around a bit on the naturalcures.com, but didn’t get far since it is apparently a paid membership site, looks like there is some good infromation on there though.
Here is a pretty good list form a site that is free about food additives (good and bad). It doesn’t have everything on there that I would like to see, but it has many, many common additives that we should all know about.
http://www.cspinet.org/reports/chemcuisine.htm
8 william // Jun 12, 2008 at 8:45 am
This is funny - FDA comic.
http://www.marriedtothesea.com/020708/food-and-drug-administration.gif
9 Mongo // Jun 19, 2008 at 11:01 am
Its amazing that we let corporations and government agencies (who are nothing more than puppets to lobbyists) decide what gets put in our bodies. But I suppose our modern sedentary pathetic excuse of an existence doesn’t allow for much use of whole foods and activities that actually benefit us. In other words, we are too fucking lazy to take care of ourselves.
I say bring on the organic/locally grown revolution!
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