One for Simon the Secure Spark

[AdamW]

So, the petrochemical industry makes lots of chemicals out of crude oil. We also have the "brine industry" that makes bleach and stuff. There must be all kinds of other chemical industries too.

We have food with preservatives and such like in. Presumably many of these are synthetic rather than made out of "natural" ingredients.

But... are there any foodstuffs that are mainly or even totally synthetic? Perhaps even sourced from crude oil? Chewing gum is synthetic I believe, but you're not meant to swallow it...

(by the way, Soylent Green doesn't count... it's made of people therefore natural )

 

[Big_Spark]

There are food additives that are wholly man-made, but there are no foodstuffs that I am aware of that are totally synthetic, infact even chewing gum has some natural additives to it so cannot be thought of as totally synthetic anymore.

 

[joe-90]

The majority of the petro chemicals are used in fertilizer for intensive farming. We actually eat oil. When it is gone - we starve.

SNIP:

Because petrochemicals are key components to much more than just the gas in your car. As geologist Dale Allen Pfeiffer points out in his article entitled, "Eating Fossil Fuels," approximately 10 calories of fossil fuels are required to produce every 1 calorie of food eaten in the US.

The size of this ratio stems from the fact that every step of modern food production is fossil fuel and petrochemical powered:

1. Pesticides are made from oil;

2. Commercial fertilizers are made from ammonia, which is
made from natural gas, which will peak about 10 years
after oil peaks;

3. With the exception of a few experimental prototypes, all
farming implements such as tractors and trailers are
constructed and powered using oil;

4. Food storage systems such as refrigerators are
manufactured in oil-powered plants, distributed across
oil-powered transportation networks and usually run on
electricity, which most often comes from natural gas or
coal;

5. In the US, the average piece of food is transported
almost 1,500 miles before it gets to your plate. In
Canada, the average piece of food is transported 5,000
miles from where it is produced to where it is consumed.

In short, people gobble oil like two-legged SUVs.

If you want to know what's going on read here.

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/


joe

 

[2scoops0406]

But... are there any foodstuffs that are mainly or even totally synthetic? Perhaps even sourced from crude oil?

Diary Lee (sic) cheese slices.

 

[Freddie]

You lot are so defeatest--when oil is gone we starve !!

You forget that most things in the old days were done with brute force and horse power, and it could be done tomorrow if oil went, the only difference is the balance of power would shift from the industrialists to someone else as there power and money would become almost useless.

Electricity can be made from many sources, if oil went tomorrow the only thing really affected would be your use of a car and oil relient industries.

Many countries with a higher population than Britain survive on ox and donkey power and hard graft.

 

[joe-90]

Do you know about the Irish potato famine?

In 1801 there were just 10 million people in Britain. We live in a different world today. You just can't turn the clock back and say it'll work - it won't.

How do you feed 60 million week in week out on the amount of land in Britain?

Our population is due to free energy (oil) and when it has gone (or in decline) our world will change.

Do some research and you'll see what I mean.


joe

 

[WoodYouLike]

Free energy???

Only the sun is free (and we're 'bout to pay for that also in the near future )

When oil is gone we wont starve, we will all get thinner, meaner, bigger muscles etc. Survival of the fittest all over again, no, make that survival of the hoarder

 

[joe-90]

Free energy???

Only the sun is free (and we're 'bout to pay for that also in the near future )

When oil is gone we wont starve, we will all get thinner, meaner, bigger muscles etc. Survival of the fittest all over again, no, make that survival of the hoarder

Oil only needs cleaning up a bit. It is virtually free energy.

Our population growth was built on cheap everlasting oil. When it's gone -the cheap stuff - we will live in a very different world.

Have you read the link I gave you?

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/


joe

 

[2scoops0406]

Do you know about the Irish potato famine?

In 1801 there were just 10 million people in Britain.

Do some research and you'll see what I mean.

joe

I did the Irish potato famine was around 1847

 

[empip]

Poor old Simone is collaring for a living nowadays... He'll be half the size in a year ....

 

[AdamW]

we will all get thinner, meaner, bigger muscles etc.

You and your post-apocalyptic homo-erotic fantasies

 

[kendor]

we will all get thinner, meaner, bigger muscles etc.

You and your post-apocalyptic homo-erotic fantasies

We won't starve as there's always soylent green

 

[WoodYouLike]

we will all get thinner, meaner, bigger muscles etc.

You and your post-apocalyptic homo-erotic fantasies

I am allowed some fun!

 

[empip]

Blimey, nod's as good as a wink to a blind man !!

 

[securespark]

Sorry, Adam, I missed this one altogether!

How about non-brewed condiment?

See here:

http://www.chemistry-react.org/go/Tutorial/Tutorial_4948.html

It is basically a synthetic vinegar. YUK!!

Then you have synthetic creams, like Team Dropping which, although they contain "foodstuffs" as such (like oils etc...), they may as well be synthetic from the POV of taste and nutritional value.

You are right. There are very few synthetic foodstuffs. But a great deal of "food" is stuffed full of ingredients that have been processed to within an inch (I mean 2.54cm's) of its life.

Starches are widely used to thicken products. How does Hydroxypropyl di starch phospate sound?

Then you have the dyes: in the early E100's are synthetic and "coal tar" (or "azo") dyes. People who are sensitive to aspirin are sensitive to these, too. Contractions of the bronchi, rashes, watering eyes and nose, blurred vision, skin swellings, and in severe case, blood abnormalities and angioedema are known reactions to azo dyes.


Just buy a copy of "E is for Additives"!

Afer chemicals, the biggest culprit for me is water.

How cheap is water? So it makes sense for manufacturers to stuff as much of it in their food as possible. Look at the average pack of bacon. You often find not pork as the biggest ingredient, but Di-hydrogen oxide.....