Where do they get the “chemicals” for the artificial flavors we eat? And who gives them those discusting names like RED DYE #5?
Back in the late 60’s the same scientists that gave us polyester and rayon came up with a whole slew of artificial plants.
They are raised in a secret location, and harvested by blind deaf/mutes. A secret process turns them into artificial colors and flavors.
Sorry, couldn’t resist.
who created them? who knows…
artificial vs. natural
http://www.wildflavors.com/wanswers/190.cfm
Natural flavors are generally complex mixtures of very many different chemicals. In some cases, the “artificial” flavor is a laboratory-made chemical that is identical to only the primary constituent of the natural mixture. Some examples of flavorful chemicals and what they taste like:
aldehydes:
benzaldehyde -almonds
vanillin - vanilla
cinnamaldehyde - cinnamon
esters:
ethyl formate - rum
pentyl acetate - banana
octyl acetate - orange
methyl butyrate - apple
ethyl butyrate - pineapple
pentyl butyrate - apricot
methyl salicylate - wintergreen
I heard of an entrepreneur who discovered a way to extract the chemical that gives lemons their smell from old tires. He can’t get FDA approval for its use in food items, but he’s been selling it to cleanser manufacturers for a tidy sum.
Just for the record, red dye #5 is an artificial color, not a flavor.
I used to work a couple blocks from one of Bush Boake Allen’s flavor processing plants.(BBA makes all kinds of flavors and smells)
When they would make the artificial butter stuff for microwave popcorn, I wouldn’t go to work-the smell would make me gag. Even now, I can’t stand the smell of MW popcorn until it is cooked.
But it tastes red! :D:D
The red dye #5 name is disgusting? Would you rather have “coal tar derivative #92” or something like that?
BTW, bibliophage, are you sure bananas aren’t amyl acetate? That’s the stuff which SMELLS like bananas at any rate.
It’s been a long time since chemistry class, but as far as I can tell, pentyl acetate = amyl acetate = banana oil = pear oil [?!] = CH[sub]3[/sub]COOC[SUB]5[/SUB]H[SUB]11[/SUB]
Bananas and pears don’t smell all that similar to me, but what do I know.
Specifically, banana oil is isoamyl acetate:
CH[sub]3[/sub]COOC[sub]3[/sub]H[sub]5/sub[sub]2[/sub]
And FTR, amyl == pentyl. The former is the old name.
You guys are completely avoiding the real issue.
[heston]Red dye #5 is made out of PEOPLE! It’s PEOPLE!!![/heston]
*Those heston tags stand for the young Charlton. Later versions of the Charlton API call for [nra4evr].
Artificial flavors and colors are extracted from all of those artificial flowers and plants (this includes wax fruit).
(It has always amused me that Pledge Spray Wax for furniture has more natural lemon derivatives than Country Time Lemonade.)
One word: Ewwwwwww.
Though I don’t suppose that’s actually a word.
LL