Food, Chemicals, Reasoning

 I saw a post a few days ago, lambasting the general population for their absurd fears of chemicals listed in packaged foods. It was lengthy, and at first glance, seemed reasonable, if not someone unkind in approaching the ideas that people were being irrational with respect to fears of long, indecipherable chemical names listed as ingredients on packages.

The author began with a long list of frightening sounding chemical names - nearly a full page, including such items as yellow-orange 101 and 3-Methylbut-1-yl ethanoate. The author then quite mockingly pointed out the list of ingredients represented the chemical makeup of a banana. The point of this was to note that everything is made of chemicals.

Next the author reviewed at length the dangers of di-hydrogen monoxide (also know as water). He pointed out its use as a solvent, the number of deaths it has caused, due to an array of harmful properties, and how some college students pranked a number of people into signing a petition to ban it's use.

There were a few, similar anecdotes presented, in the same superior tone, shaming people for being so gullible, and afraid of "scary words". As I say, not kind, but on the surface, it seemed to make a valid point.

A few days later, removed from the fiery prose of the article, and given space to apply reasoning. I have realized how absolutely, childishly, absurd and misleading the article was, for two chief reasons.

One, consider 3-Methybut-1-yl ethanoate - it is just a chemical compound in a banana, the author uses this to generalize that it is absurd to be afraid of unfamiliar chemical names. 

What about trimethylbenzene? a consumer would be justified in being concerned if this showed up as an ingredient.  It is a hazardous compound found in gasoline.

Is the average consumer expected to memorize the over 160 million chemical names, their properties and potential hazards? Are they expected to spend time googling the ingredients on every package while they are shopping?

"But, that's why we have the FDA." They ensure that only "safe" and "effective" ingredients are used.

Except:
1. Not everything is regulated.
2. Does anybody actually trust "The  government?" Most liberals don't trust it today. Most conservatives didn't trust it four years ago. Most rational people recognize that governmental bodies are composed of humans who make unintentional errors, and who can in  many instances be bribed, misled or otherwise corrupted.

The second key issue the article overlooked is that of compounds versus individual chemicals.

Sodium Chloride is absolutely essential for your survival, your body needs it to survive. Sodium Chloride has it's own ingredient list: Sodium, and Chlorine. You should absolutely NOT consume sodium tablets, nor chlorine tablets. A specific chemical may be fine in combination with certain compounds, but deadly alone or in combination with other chemicals.

The article was no doubt written to combat absurd, extreme phobias regarding ingredient lists, but ultimately it was equally absurd in the opposite extreme.

This is the grand failing of narrative founded in pomposity and fueled by emotion. It grabs attention and pulls in viewers, but it leaves little room for reasoning.