Just when you think you’ve heard it all about the toxicity in our culinary habits something new finds its way into the headlines. They’re actually putting an anti-freeze ingredient in our foods? In the adult beverages? The mist in the electronic cigarette? That’s nice of them to freely share this information with us.
A certain brand of alcohol (Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey) was pulled from the shelves in Europe because of unsafe chemical levels, specifically over the anti-freeze ingredient propylene glycol.
The company insists that their whiskey is not a safety threat and propylene glycol is used in all kinds of foods. Say what? The same ingredient that is used as a coolant in automobiles and aircraft is in food?
And guess what? This particular brand of whiskey was not pulled from the shelves in America, because there’s less regulation in the good old USA.
Propylene glycol “is produced on a large scale and is primarily used in the production of polymers but also sees use in food processing as the E-number E1520. Its use in the ‘e-liquid’ used in electronic cigarettes has brought it to the attention of the general public.”
As an alternative, some e-cigarette suppliers will put vegetable glycerin in the ‘e-liquid’ for those who are allergic (or have bad reactions) to propylene glycol.
Are there alternatives in the food industry?
There are some people that have bad allergies and there are personal products to avoid which contain propylene glycol.
Propylene glycol (CH8O2) is also used in the medical community. And of course the FDA says that there’s no harm with these products: Top Medications Containing Propylene Glycol.
Other names for propylene glycol are 1,2-dihydroxypropane, 1,2-propanediol, methyl glycol, and trimethyl glycol.
