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What's your favorite poison...ummm.. I mean cereal

posted 7 years ago by phantom8 (418)
32 replies | jump to latest

the other day my wife was watching TV and a commercial came on for Lucky Charms cereal, I just happen to read about some cereals, including that one that contain a poison called TSP, or ............
"Trisodium Phosphate? And it’s not just limited to this cereal; in fact, it is found in many other cereals and other types of food as well!
Per the Website In R Food, Trisodium Phosphate has the potential for the following adverse health effects:
“The FDA claims that Trisodium phosphate in certain amounts is not a risk in food, but some reports and agencies have deemed it a hazardous substance. The Clean Water Act has taken steps to limit the use of TSP in cleaning supplies because it damages the environment. Phosphates are required of the human body, however trisodium phosphate is an inorganic chemical phosphate. There are other organic sources of necessary phosphates that are proven to be safe and beneficial for consumption." read the labels, do you really want to give your kids cereal with poison added?

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 7 years ago

Most processed foods have some kind of unhealthy crap in them. Only way to completely avoid it is to completely avoid them.

FYI about the CWA, if anyone's interested:
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/us/politics/trump-epa-clean-water-climate-change.html?_r=0

[–] croft_alice (12180) 7 years ago

I eat only natural food,from my own garden😉

[–] TexasJack (12515) 7 years ago

Awesome. When I first bought my house and moved out of the city, I planned to start a garden. But I have been deterred by some very hungry deer. (Ok, and some laziness too. 🙂)

[–] TexasJack (12515) 7 years ago

So the FDA is not after me Lucky Charms? That's a relief.

All kidding aside, I never knew this. Lucky Charms was never one of my favorites but I used to love Captain Crunch, Sugar Smacks and Frosted Flakes. Nowadays it's steel cut oatmeal with bananas and cinnamon for me.

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

I don't have kids, and don't like cereal, so I'm safe on that score.

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

but it's not *only in cereal, it's in many other foods, you just have to read labels

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 7 years ago

http://www.theingredientguru.com/2015/09/why-is-trisodium-phosphate-added-to-our-food/

[–] Catbookss (13664) 7 years ago

Thanks, Naps. Fortunately I don't eat or use most of those products.

[–] Popcorn Kernel (2368) 7 years ago

What purpose does TSP have in cereals? is it a preservative?
I remember as a kid we had a big box of TSP and used it to wash the walls to prep for painting them.

If I eat cereal these days it's usually some granola-ish type like 'honey bunches of oats' or 'great grains'. That's what I have in the house now- Great Grains, crunchy pecan flavor. I checked the ingredients and didn't see Trisodium Phosphate. Is it listed on the label if it's in there, or is it hidden under another name?

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 7 years ago

They have to list it by law.

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

it's listed, I checked some of our boxes, found it listed and threw them out, you buy TSP in hardware stores, not grocery stores, I wonder who's at the helm at the FDA?

""What purpose does TSP have in cereals?""
There is no real purpose for it other than to “maintain freshness for years to come”. sort of like formaldehyde

[–] Popcorn Kernel (2368) 7 years ago

I don't need my cereal to last for YEARS. I don't even eat it every day but a box never lasts more than a month or two.

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 7 years ago

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/tsp.asp

Still shouldn't be there, however...

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

this is taken from "snopes"
"The issue here is not whether these cereals contain TSP — they (and many other food items) do. The issue, similarly, is not whether TSP is used as a cleaning product — it is. The issue, instead, is whether or not a chemical used as a cleaning product can also be used safely as a food additive — it can."

how to bake a cake, add 2 eggs 2 cups of flour, 1 stick of butter and 2 ounces of paint thinner, there, that should do it, yummy!!!

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 7 years ago

What part of "Still shouldn't be there" don't you understand? I didn't create the facts; Snopes did the research. You wanna get pissy with someone, talk to them.

FYI for others, also from Snopes:
"When sold as an industrial product for heavy-duty cleaning or paint-removal, TSP generally comes as a water soluble powder that, when mixed as indicated for cleaning, produces a high pH comparable to bleach. A typical solution for heavy duty cleaning is ½ cup of TSP dissolved in 2 gallons of water — equivalent to about 300 grams of TSP. This is a massive amount, considering that a regular box of Cheerios (all ingredients included) contains just over 300 grams of food in total. That higher amount, in part, gives TSP the chemical properties needed to act as a reliable cleaning agent while also imparting a modicum of physical risk, both attributable to its high pH. But at the amounts found in food as an additive, there is no impact on human health whatsoever."

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

"But at the amounts found in food as an additive, there is no impact on human health whatsoever." "

those idiots said the same thing about agent orange, it wouldn't hurt the GI's

naps, 2nd of all, I know my post was under your name, but I meant to put it up top, I wasn't talking to you, I read snopes to look it up, I also read on snopes what you posted.

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 7 years ago

"those idiots said the same thing about agent orange, it wouldn't hurt the GI's"

Actually it was Monsanto that lied to the government about AO, and the government -- not the FDA -- lied to the public. The FDA tried to implement controls against it.

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

"Those Idiots" meaning the people that are supposed to protect us, FDA, Monsanto, General Mills and anyone else.

[–] napsdufroid (2077) 7 years ago

Monsanto has never been about protecting anyone or anything other than its profits

[–] Drmccormack (743) 7 years ago

I'll vouch for this statement. They took over a company I used to work for. It's all about the money for them.

[–] April-151-CT (10210) 7 years ago

As far as sweet cereals go...
My all time favorites in no particular order:

Cracklin' Oat Bran (the closest cereal there is to an ACTUAL cookie!!)
Fruity Pebbles
Cocoa Pebbles
Golden Grahams
Cinnamon Toast Crunch
Frosted Flakes

My favorite adult cereals are:

Quaker 100% Natural
Banana But Crunch
Basically all granola based cereals with dried fruit in them like Mueslix etc.
Grape Nuts

[–] April-151-CT (10210) 7 years ago

"The issue here is not whether these cereals contain TSP — they (and many other food items) do. The issue, similarly, is not whether TSP is used as a cleaning product — it is. The issue, instead, is whether or not a chemical used as a cleaning product can also be used safely as a food additive — it can.

An apt comparison for a number of reasons is the chemical sodium bicarbonate. This compound is used in heavy-duty cleaning, as an agent to de-tarnish silver, and even to extinguish fires. Sodium bicarbonate, however, is better known as baking soda, and it is instrumental as a leavening agent (something that makes dough rise) when baking, among other things, chocolate chip cookies.

TSP, too, can be used as a leavening agent, as both sodium bicarbonate and TSP react with acidic compounds present in dough to release carbon dioxide (creating air bubbles that cause the dough to rise). More relevant, but related to the same underlying chemistry, is the fact that both TSP and sodium carbonate can serve as buffering agents, which resist changes in pH."

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

"“The FDA claims that Trisodium phosphate in certain amounts is not a risk in food, but some reports and agencies have deemed it a hazardous substance. The Clean Water Act has taken steps to limit the use of TSP in cleaning supplies because it damages the environment."

If it damages the environment, I wonder what it does to your stomach when you eat it. they don't even want it in cleaning supplies but it's ok in our food? .... enigmatic at best.

[–] April-151-CT (10210) 7 years ago

Too much of ANYTHING in the environment is bad. That's just common sense. If you don't want to eat the hundreds of products that it's in, then don't. But maybe don't eat anything with sodium bicarbonate in it either. Just to be on the safe side.

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

Thought I'd be a good neighbor and warn people about the paint thinner or industrial cleaner that's put in cereals and fed to your children, I don't need you to tell me what to eat or not to eat, your platitudes and sarcasm are noted,

[–] April-151-CT (10210) 7 years ago

😴😴😴😴

[–] R_Kane (15828) 7 years ago

Cereals other than oatmeal are junkfood. Real men eat pancakes, oatmeal, eggs, ham, sausage and bananas for breakfast. Plus pure water, fruit juice and black coffee. Perpaps the occasional bran muffin as well. Breakfast
is the most important meal of the day. Don't cede it to General Mills, or Dunkin' Donuts!

[–] janX9 (446) 7 years ago

Trisodium phosphate is not a paint thinner nor is it an industrial cleaner, it is simply an ingredient that is in some food products, quit being so paranoid. Salt is used in a lot of cleaners does that make salt an Industrial cleaner? No it doesn't.

There are many additives in foods that you will find in a lot of non-food products this doesn't necessarily make them "poison", as you say. These additives are fine in moderation.

Propylene glycol is used in cough syrup, muffins and many other food products. It's also used in antifreeze. Does that mean there's antifreeze in our food? No it doesn't. Quit making such asinine comments and quit being so paranoid.

MSG, soy protien concentrate, sulphites, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, textured vegetable protein, yeast extract, sodium and yes trisodium phosphate is in many products that kids eat too. Guess what? As long as they aren't living off of processed food, they will live and grow up to be healthy adults. Just cook them real food regularly. Moderation is key.

[–] April-151-CT (10210) 7 years ago

And let's not forget tarnish and rust remover. Wouldn't want THAT in our food either!! 💪&🔨

[–] phantom8 (418) 7 years ago

asinine comments? what I wrote in the beginning post was taken right off the internet,
""The Clean Water Act has taken steps to limit the use of TSP in cleaning supplies because it damages the environment."" those are not my words, If you want to eat or give your kids crap that is known to damage the environment, go for it, and excuse me for making people aware of what they are eating, but you know what they say, "you can't teach an old dog (or stupid people) new tricks.