From: mannj@southern.co.nz (Jay Mann)
Newsgroups: alt.conspiracy,sci.med.nutrition,alt.activism,sci.med,
	misc.health.alternative,talk.environment,rec.food.cooking,sci.bio.food-science
Subject: Re: Food Irradiation: Just How Bad IS It?
Date: 19 Dec 1997 19:05:03 GMT

Oz (Oz@upthorpe.demon.co.uk) wrote:
[snip]

: Most food-spoiling microbes (bacterial and fungal) themselves often
: produce toxins and many of these are highly toxic (aflotoxin, botulinus
: etc). The advantage of adding tiny amounts of tested and approved
: preservatives is thus clear to see.

At a fund-raiser for the local Filipina community, I bought sundry Filipino
condiments with approved preservatives (mostly sorbic acid) in them!  Now I
have a tomato sauce that doesn't have to be kept in my fridge.
(Is any reader old enough to remember when ketchup didn't need
refrigeration?)  I also bought a sort of mayonnaise/sandwich
dressing with chopped ham and other flavourings.  This needs refrigeration
but at least has preservatives to stop or slow microbiological attack.

So tell me again why I'm supposed to regard rot-susceptible
"no added preservative" sauces -- which perforce are filling a complete shelf
in my fridge -- as being superior?   In my opinion they are inferior products,
the marketing equivalent of rabble-rousing and demagoguery.

Jay D Mann  <mannj@southern.co.nz>
Christchurch, New Zealand