PetroFood on Your Plate

After the Gulf Oil Spill, many health-conscious people were concerned about possible petrocontamination in sea food from the area.  The irony is that they have likely been exposed for decades to much higher levels in everyday food and beverage products completely unawares.  Yes, petrofood has long been served up to anyone in an industrialized part of the world and here are just a few toxic examples:

1) BHT.  Here's all you need to know about BHT, which is used extensively as a food preservative: "BHT is "Butylated hydroxyToluene (BHT) is a mixture of two isomeric organic compounds, 2-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyanisole and 3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyToluene. It is prepared from 4-methoxyphenol and isobutylene".  Now what person in their right mind would want that added into their food and yet BHT is in just about every processed food that has fats or oils in it.  BHT is carcinogenic and hard on many tissues [1] and, for the life of me, I can't think of any good reason to add it into someone's plate like it was some kind of seasoning.

2) Benzene.  This petroleum derivative is nearly ubiquitious in our environment and has now made it into many packaged products and even some non-packaged foods such as butter, eggs, meat and some fruits. [2][3].  According to the FDA, it has also made its way into many beverages as well. [4]  So what's a little benzene among friends?  Unfortunately, benzene is nasty stuff and it along with its sister petroleum products toluene and xylene have been linked to cancer. [5]  No wonder the EPA has set the allowable amount in drinking water at just 5 ppm.

3) Toluene and Xylene.  These bad boys are both paint solvents and not really something you want to be ingesting on a daily basis.  As mentioned above, these have also been linked to cancer [5] and toluene has an even lower level, 1 ppm, threshold set in drinking water than benzen.  Many bottled waters exceed this level and it is found in many foods at questionable levels as well. Xylene is a well-known neurotoxin at high enough doses. [6] 

4) Hexane.  This petrochemical is in gasoline and is used in oil refining and degreasing applications.  Perfect for your plate, right?  Apparently so as it is used extensively in grain processing.  Hexane made the news recently as some soy products were found to have levels as high as 21 ppm. [7]  Again, who eats more soy, tofu, miso and so on than the health conscious?  Many of them did not realize they were gobbling down something that is a proven neurotoxin even at relatively small dosages. [8]

5) TBHQ. This petroleum derivative has certain antioxidant properties and antioxidants are always good, right?  Well, no one really knows for sure, so let's just throw it in our food supply - that's what the captains of industry decided for us decades ago.  However, TBHQ likely takes up glutathione [9] and affects protasglandin synthesis. [10] "It's not wise to mess with Mother Nature", I always say.

REFERENCES:

1)  http://truthinaging.com/ingredient-spotlight/what-is-it-bht

2) J AOAC Int, 1993 Nov-Dec, 76(6):1213-9, "Survey of benzene in foods by using headspace concentration techniques and capillary gas chromatography"

3) http://www.mindfully.org/Food/2003/VOCs-In-Foods1dec03.htm

4) FDA Release, Data through May 16, 2007, "Data on Benzene in Soft Drinks and Other Beverages"

5) Epidemiology, Sep 2006, 17(5):552-561, "Occupational Exposure to Solvents and the Risk of Lymphomas"

6) JOMFP, 2010, 14(1):1-5, "Xylene: An overview of its health hazards and preventive measures"

7) Eating Well, Sep/Oct 2010, p. 16.

8) Br J Ind Med, 1981, 38:14-19, " An experimental study on the combined effects of n-hexane and toluene on the peripheral nerve of the rat"

9)  http://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v35je03.htm,  Tert-BUTYLHYDROQUINONE (TBHQ), First draft prepared by Ms Elizabeth Vavasour Toxicological Evaluation Division, Bureau of Chemical Safety Food Directorate, Health Protection Branch, Health Canada Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

10) Journal of Food Science, Sep 1977, 42(5):1243-1246, "EFFECTS OF FOOD ANTIOXIDANTS ON PROSTAGLANDIN BIOSYNTHESIS"