# Why is mixing and cooking food unlikely to create toxic chemicals? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 18, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mixing-and-cooking-food-unlikely-to-create-toxic-chemicals/760242 "2016-07-18T20:05:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mixing-and-cooking-food-unlikely-to-create-toxic-chemicals/760242/21 "2016-07-20T16:07:20Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > You \*can \*make lye in your kitchen. But you probably don’t. Your great-great-great-grandmother likely did (or more likely made it outside, because it’s a smelly, hot process) but she knew better than to eat it. Great-great-grandma may have used lye as a food preservative. And then just so it’s more fun it would react with the fat in foods to form soap. That’s why I never eat at great-great-grandma’s house. (also because I have no idea where it is and she’s been dead for over a century). ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2016, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mixing-and-cooking-food-unlikely-to-create-toxic-chemicals/760242/22 "2016-07-20T16:58:34Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Great-great-grandma may have used lye as a food preservative. And then just so it’s more fun it would react with the fat in foods to form soap. That’s why I never eat at great-great-grandma’s house. (also because I have no idea where it is and she’s been dead for over a century). Are you Norwegian? Because [lutefisk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk). Yum, I guess. I wasn’t impressed when I had it, but I guess if you grew up with it. ---
**Author:** ![Yllaria](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yllaria/32/3452_2.png) [@Yllaria](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yllaria)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mixing-and-cooking-food-unlikely-to-create-toxic-chemicals/760242/23 "2016-07-21T00:12:37Z")
> [@WhyNot](#): > > You \*can \*make lye in your kitchen. But you probably don’t. Your great-great-great-grandmother likely did (or more likely made it outside, because it’s a smelly, hot process) but she knew better than to eat it. . . . I think it was bagels and soft pretzels that were dipped in lye at some point in their process. Not sure if they still are. [Alum! I knew there was something else non-organic used in food-making, but the word wouldn’t come so I went with “a few other things”. I feel better, now.] ---
**Author:** ![Tabby\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Tabby\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tabby_Cat)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mixing-and-cooking-food-unlikely-to-create-toxic-chemicals/760242/24 "2016-07-21T02:35:09Z")
Lye is also used in traditional chinese dumplings [Annielicious Food: Lye Water Rice Dumplings / 鹼水粽 (aka Kee Zhang)](http://annieliciousfood.blogspot.sg/2013/06/lye-water-rice-dumplings-aka-kee-zhang.html) and noodles [http://www.menshealth.com.sg/weight-loss-nutrition/is-it-safe-to-eat-yellow-noodles-with-lye-as-an-ingredient](http://www.menshealth.com.sg/weight-loss-nutrition/is-it-safe-to-eat-yellow-noodles-with-lye-as-an-ingredient) Starfruits are also naturally poisonous, and even just one fruit can be deadly if you have bad kidneys. [Star Fruit Warning | Snopes.com](http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/starfruit.asp) ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2016, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mixing-and-cooking-food-unlikely-to-create-toxic-chemicals/760242/25 "2016-07-21T03:42:56Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Are you Norwegian? Because [lutefisk](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lutefisk). > > Yum, I guess. I wasn’t impressed when I had it, but I guess if you grew up with it. Not Norwegian but I have tasted Lutefisk. “Lutefisk” is a Scandanavian word that means “old disgusting fishy blob that tastes like soap”. It’s supposed to be a symbol of the sacrifice of Scandanavian immigrants in America who had to eat the preserved fish they brought with them, but some people actually like the stuff. > [@Yllaria](#): > > I think it was bagels and soft pretzels that were dipped in lye at some point in their process. Not sure if they still are. They are but rarely. They’re dipped in a weak lye solution that causes the crust to thicken, stiffen and brown properly. It’s part of the water rising process which isn’t commonly used for commercial preparation. Baking soda has a similar effect. I use the baking soda when I make soft pretzels. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-mixing-and-cooking-food-unlikely-to-create-toxic-chemicals/760242.md?page=1)