Slog
News & ArtsTuesday, October 16, 2012
Science You Got Your Sodium Benzoate in My Tapatío
Posted by Grant Brissey on Tue, Oct 16, 2012 at 2:53 PM
I was going along, happily dousing everything I eat (including ice cream) in Tapatío, blissfully unaware of this whole sodium benzoate thing, until today. That's when some jerk sitting next to me at Cafe Racer saw me raining my most favoritist hot sauce on some tater tots and said "I don't know why anyone would pick Tapatío when there's Cholula here. Tapatío's got sodium benzoate in it."
Now don't get me wrong, I am just fine-o with Cholula. (Extremely bored people may remember that I cannot stand Tabasco.) But Tapatío was my first love, and most sources indicate that the levels of sodium benzoate I ingest aren't a big deal:
When sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) benzene can form, which is a known carcinogen. Factors such as heat and time can affect its development. Unless you're drinking gallons of soda [...] every day, Schaffner says, your risk of reaching dangerous levels is pretty low. And if you live in an urban area you're probably sucking up benzene via smog anyway.
Still, this revelation has tainted my Tapatío experience. I'm old enough—in reality well old enough, to start worrying about cancers of environmental causation. Obviously the only thing I can do now is default to The Great and Unrivaled Health Wisdom of Slog™ As such, a poll is required.
1
Here's a news flash: Oxygen is a known carcinogen.
You want wisdom?
All things in moderation.
If you have to use pepto-bismol or take medications to eat certain foods, you're doing it wrong.
You want wisdom?
All things in moderation.
If you have to use pepto-bismol or take medications to eat certain foods, you're doing it wrong.
2
Misinformed panic about/disdain for food-science and food-technology is a front-runner for my biggest pet peeve. From the article you linked:
"The Food and Drug Administration limits sodium benzoate to concentrations of 0.1% by weight, and Worobo says most foods have concentrations far lower--more like 0.025% to 0.05%."
But Schaffner says that doesn't mean it's OK to take a bath in the stuff, although he adds, "It's my understanding that it's not fat soluble," he added, "so it won't concentrate in the body."
When sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) benzene can form, which is a known carcinogen. Factors such as heat and time can affect its development. Unless you're drinking gallons of soda and Skinnygirl Margaritas every day, Schaffner says, your risk of reaching dangerous levels is pretty low. And if you live in an urban area you're probably sucking up benzene via smog anyway."
Ugh.
Headline = "Is Sodium Benzoate Safe?"
Article = "As we use it in food, yes."
"Is _____ safe?" is just another form of this problem in journalism: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=…
"The Food and Drug Administration limits sodium benzoate to concentrations of 0.1% by weight, and Worobo says most foods have concentrations far lower--more like 0.025% to 0.05%."
But Schaffner says that doesn't mean it's OK to take a bath in the stuff, although he adds, "It's my understanding that it's not fat soluble," he added, "so it won't concentrate in the body."
When sodium benzoate combines with ascorbic acid (vitamin C) benzene can form, which is a known carcinogen. Factors such as heat and time can affect its development. Unless you're drinking gallons of soda and Skinnygirl Margaritas every day, Schaffner says, your risk of reaching dangerous levels is pretty low. And if you live in an urban area you're probably sucking up benzene via smog anyway."
Ugh.
Headline = "Is Sodium Benzoate Safe?"
Article = "As we use it in food, yes."
"Is _____ safe?" is just another form of this problem in journalism: http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=…
3
Lots of stuff contains Sodium Benzoate that you are already eating. I say sacrafice the extra 20 minutes at the end of your life and enjoy the deliciousness.
Valentina hot sauce is good too, especially if you want something milder that doesn't blow out your pallet with spiciness (I'm just saying spicyness has a time and place).
Valentina hot sauce is good too, especially if you want something milder that doesn't blow out your pallet with spiciness (I'm just saying spicyness has a time and place).
9
Mr. Brissey, we regret to inform you that no matter what you do, someday, you will die.
The Universe
The Universe
12
@4, 8, 11:
I am a huge Sriracha fan, too, but I think it's best applied to Asian cuisine. This can be the next discussion in the Great Hot Sauce Debate of 2012™.
I am a huge Sriracha fan, too, but I think it's best applied to Asian cuisine. This can be the next discussion in the Great Hot Sauce Debate of 2012™.
13
Hey, if you're really concerned, do like I do (or did when I was still sailing tankers): go down to your doc/occupational health department and get a benzene baseline test. (Card and all.) Then do it again after a year of nomming as much Tapatio as you like.
(For those other than MerchantSeaman: benzene in your bloodstream doesn't go away, or does so VERY slowly. Working around crude oil and other oil products exposes you to it. Mariners working tankers are required to have regular benzene exposure tests; if your blood hits the prescribed limit, you're done with tankers.)
Assuming of course that The Stranger's medical plan will pay for it. (And if not, get Tim or Dan to cough up. It's FOR SCIENCE! AND JOURNALISM!!)
(For those other than MerchantSeaman: benzene in your bloodstream doesn't go away, or does so VERY slowly. Working around crude oil and other oil products exposes you to it. Mariners working tankers are required to have regular benzene exposure tests; if your blood hits the prescribed limit, you're done with tankers.)
Assuming of course that The Stranger's medical plan will pay for it. (And if not, get Tim or Dan to cough up. It's FOR SCIENCE! AND JOURNALISM!!)
14
For me, the selection between Tapatio and Sriracha boils down to what consistency hot sauce I want for my food. Those are the only two hot sauces I keep at home.
18
All hot sauces have their place. Between Tapatio, Cholula, Sriracha and Tabasco, there's a hot sauce for pretty much any food item.
20
@12 is correct: you don't want Sriracha on Mexican food. You don't want Tabasco on tofu fried rice. You don't want El Yucateco on pulled pork.
Hmm, scratch that, you DO want El Yucateco (green), or pretty much any habanero salsa, on pretty much everything. Even Tabasco Habanero is really good, though I don't much care for regular Tabasco. In fact, the best solution of all is to set out four different habanero salsas every time you eat. Melinda's, Yucatan Sunshine, Marie Sharp's, it's all good.
Just don't buy any of the "XXXTREEM" or "Ass Blaster" varieties that brag about how deadly they are -- that's just stupid.
Hmm, scratch that, you DO want El Yucateco (green), or pretty much any habanero salsa, on pretty much everything. Even Tabasco Habanero is really good, though I don't much care for regular Tabasco. In fact, the best solution of all is to set out four different habanero salsas every time you eat. Melinda's, Yucatan Sunshine, Marie Sharp's, it's all good.
Just don't buy any of the "XXXTREEM" or "Ass Blaster" varieties that brag about how deadly they are -- that's just stupid.
21
@12
True. Hot sauce needs to be matched to its food region. Hot sauce neutral foods (namely, pizza) can go either way. I prefer tapatio in all neutral zone foods.
Anyways, I hate ignorant food scares. I deal with the people most susceptible to them in my chosen profession. Oh well.
True. Hot sauce needs to be matched to its food region. Hot sauce neutral foods (namely, pizza) can go either way. I prefer tapatio in all neutral zone foods.
Anyways, I hate ignorant food scares. I deal with the people most susceptible to them in my chosen profession. Oh well.
24
I've "mixed regions" with Srirachi many times. I knew what I was doing was wrong but that was part of the thrill.
25
You might be producing part-per-billion levels of benzene, even assuming that your food contains benzoate, ascorbate, and copper or iron sulfate as a catalyst. Man up. It's like being afraid to go outside because you might get hit by lightning.
28
Aardvark on eggs and breakfast food
Crystal on fried chicken and southern food
El Yucateco green on Mexican food
Uncle Chen's Chili Garlic sauce on Asian food
Honorable mention to the orange mustard-y Caribbean sauces made with scotch bonnet peppers, particularly the ones that have curry in them. Holy shit hot and holy shit awesome.
Crystal on fried chicken and southern food
El Yucateco green on Mexican food
Uncle Chen's Chili Garlic sauce on Asian food
Honorable mention to the orange mustard-y Caribbean sauces made with scotch bonnet peppers, particularly the ones that have curry in them. Holy shit hot and holy shit awesome.
29
It's official - Sriacha is the condiment equivalent of Arrested Development. A rare, underground condiment that is enjoyed by an elite and cultured few, mostly on the internet, and disdained by the white bread masses.
No wait, Sriacha, like Arrested Development, is so fucking overexposed that your grandmother uses it on her knishes while saying, 'I've made a huge mistake.'
No wait, Sriacha, like Arrested Development, is so fucking overexposed that your grandmother uses it on her knishes while saying, 'I've made a huge mistake.'
30
@29 nails it, but forgets to mention that despite being completely overexposed and known to everyone, both Sriracha and Arrested Development are still fucking awesome.
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