Daniel took a hard look at the label on a rotisserie chicken he picked up at the supermarket and was unnerved to find propylene glycol on the pictured label.
He writes:
Here’s a little more about propylene glycol. I’m sure you’ll find that it’s uses, while varied, are far from what you would call “delicious.”A definition of propylene glycol is: cosmetic form of mineral oil found in automatic brake and hydraulic fluid and industrial antifreeze. In the skin and hair, propylene glycol works as a humescent, which causes retention of moisture content of skin or cosmetic products by preventing the escape of moisture or water. The Material Safety Data Sheet warns users to avoid skin contact with propylene glycol as this strong skin irritant can cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage.
This is according to a website: www.natural-health-information-centre.com
Are there any chemicals you look out for on food labels that will stop you from eating something?
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Oh nooes!11 There’s dihydrogen monoxide in my chicken as well–it’s in Windex, too!!!
Oh, wait…
When my eyes get dry, you know what I put in them? A mixture of Polyethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol.
And that’s the “natural” drops, with no preservatives.
Two links:
Wikipedia article for Propylene glycol:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Propylene_glycol#Applications
SMBC making fun of you (kind of):
http://www.smbc-comics.com/index.php?db=comics&id=1714
Do more research next time. If you want to make sure everything is good to go for yourself, don’t buy chicken from the supermarket in the first place. Haven’t you seen Food, Inc.?
Oh, no! Chemicals are in things! Run! Hide!
Are we going to see another “here’s a McDonalds hamburger that’s been sitting out for a while — OH NOES ITS NOT REAL FOOOD!” article now?
By the way, the website for the “Natural Health Information Centre” looks really reliable. Maybe you should report on the “cancer cure that REALLY WORKS!” they have advertised there.
Loosen up your sphincters everyone.
Propylene glycol(PG) is an additive many, many applications.
I’m pretty sure the PG in this product is in the flavoring (that is, PG is the carrier). Same with the ethanol.
Another non-issue. Please, consumerist, filter your articles. I don’t read half the shit on here anymore.
No wonder those rotisserie chickens always taste like roadkill.
Maybe I’m a bit more cynical than most, but I’ve got to wonder the authenticity of the “tip”. That is, did the OP send this in trying to drive hits to the website listed?
Propylene glycol is used in the food industry as a wetting agent for gums/thickeners. You add the dry gum (in this case carrageenan) to a small amount of propylene glycol which then can be added to water without causing the gum to clump. The ethyl alcohol is the base for the flavor.
Oh yeah, since propylene glycol is used as a processing aid, it technically doesn’t have to be listed in the ingredients so it’s in a lot more foods than you realize.
warning there is carbon in gasoline, and in lots of foods. lol
OP is crying wolf. From the MSDS:
Relatively non-toxic. Ingestion of sizable amount (over 100ml) may cause some gastrointestinal upset and temporary central nervous system depression. Effects appear more severe in individuals with kidney problems
I imagine he’d be in pain if he ate enough chicken to ingest over 100ml of the stuff. Well, I *HOPE* he’d be in pain, otherwise he’s got bigger problems than a little paranoia.
It’s hard to avoid that skin contact when they put it in deodorant.
It’s also what they use to de-ice planes, which does a lot to explain airline food.
Ah, I see the Natural Health Information Centre also has a video that “could reduce your chance of getting cancer to ZERO “, but you have to watch it NOW before it’s “banned”.
Oh, yeah. They sound like a reputable source for health information.
(Propylene glycol isn’t a strong skin irritant, BTW. I think Daniel needs to do a little research.)
Who can I complain to that my brake fluid has a chemical found in rotisserie chicken?
How about not linking to pseudo-science sites that wouldn’t know real science if it bent them over and humped them to death?
WTF, are you run by Jenny McCarthy?
Go to a real source:
http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/fcn/fcnDetailNavigation.cfm?rpt=scogsListing&id=262
“Propylene glycol can be ingested over long periods of time and in substantial quantities (up to 5 percent of the total food intake) without causing frank toxic effects.”
So, eat your chicken. It’s fine.
Hydrogenated oil. It brings on a asthma attack for me so I avoid it as much as possible….but damn those rotisserie chickens smell so good I may still have a hard time avoiding them.
I’d like to view it as “My brake fluid has a chemical found in rotisserie chicken!”
I’d like to view it as “My brake fluid has a chemical found in rotisserie chicken!”