“After digging deeper, she learned that “propellant” included petroleum gas, propane and butane.” From the article, so no I didn’t just make that up, FreedomPoster. Graduated with a bachelors degree in environmental engineering 13 years ago, so it’s been a while since I’ve had a chemistry class.
I really did not want to get into a debate about the safety of GM foods. Do the research if you want to, if not, then don’t. It doesn’t bother me one way or another if anyone else eats them. But if a manufacturer wants to sell me a product then I deserve for them to disclose the actual ingredients. There is some research that shows that GM foods may be harmful. Some of them are GM’d to allow the crops to be sprayed with Round Up to control weeds but not kill the crops. Soy is a big RoundUp Ready crop and soy is in so many things these days. It’s my belief that the Round Up stays on/in the food, in minute quantities yes, but I don’t want to eat Round Up in any quantity. Like I said, didn’t intend to debate, wasn’t fearmongering, just using the GM foods as an example of why I think all ingredients should be disclosed, and stating my opinion in the whole matter.
I understand that propellants are used in pressurized cans. Pam was just one example from the story. The woman freaking out because she used it to make muffins for her grandkids is a bit much, but what’s the harm in stating exactly what that propellant is, so there’s no guessing? Yes, manufacturers will eventually have to change their packaging slightly, but they do that all the time; new and improved this, better tasting that.
I wasn’t thinking that every product must immediately change all their packaging, but something that happens within the next 5 years (just throwing a number out there) Really what’s the big deal of full disclosure? The info is there for people that care, and everyone else that doesn’t care doesn’t have to look. To me it’s the same thing as stating where a food product originated from; I avoid food from China, I’m glad stuff is labeled.
It’s the lawsuits, which I plainly said I disagree with in my original post, that will add cost to the products.
There is a list of FDA-acceptable propellants. They are part of the contents, but they are not part of the product which is consumed. Therefore, they don't need to be specified.
Moreover, manufacturers are free to arbitrarily change their propellant formula based on the cost and availability of ingredients -- without having to re-label.
Finally, if you put the propellant ingredients in the ingredient statement, you'd be having women like this one having a cow in the middle of the supermarket aisle.
Most people are perfectly satisfied with this arrangement, trusting the FDA and the food manufacturers that they're not interested in killing off their customers.
Unfortunately, you're not. But you're free to complain about it. The Center for Science and the Public Interest (which has little to do with science and nothing to do with the public interest) would be happy to receive your donation -- as their primary business is fund-raising.
Roundup (glyphosate) works on an enzyme that doesn't exist in humans, so as far as I know, you could drink the stuff and it wouldn't hurt you. That said, I agree with you that manufacturers owe you the information to make your own choice.