[OT] HELP!

You are right, of course, most people don't look at the chemical
composition of their food... or at least not beyond the large groups of
fat, carbs, protein, plus cholesterol and calories. I guess it is
because we are both in a chemically-related field of research, but we do...


NightMist wrote:

I have never seen potassium chloride marketed in a grocery as salt,
only as salt substitue. Wait, maybe not, I once saw something labled
as "sodium free salt" at the market. As I am on the opposite end of
the spectrum from needing low sodium, and I was no longer looking out
for things for my MIL, I didn't look at it.
Generaly people do not think in terms of chemistry at the grocery. If
it is labled salt, they do not look to see if it states a chemical
composition. There must be some FDA labling rule about it when I stop
and think about it, because I have seen salt listed in the ingredients
on a salt box and in other food without it specifying exactly what
salt.

NightMist

On Mon, 05 Apr 2004 09:46:57 -0700, "Dr. Quilter"
wrote:


actually people that have NaCl problems can buy potassium chloride
instead... as salt.. right?

Julia Altshuler wrote:


NightMist wrote:


Sure salt is a word used to describe a number of compounds in
chemistry, any acid combined with any base yields a salt plus water,
le de da and so on. But I doubt that if a company packaged sodium
ferrocyanide and sold it in grocery stores as salt, that people would
be too thrilled with that company. Even though they would be in the
clear so far as truth in advertiseing and etc goes, and nobody would
become ill of it (excluding possible allergic reactions yadayadayada)
Theoreticly, they could sell a great many salt substitutes as salt as
well, but they don't.



I used to own a small business specializing in catering for special
diets. A client requested food with no salt. I prepared it for her.
She complained that she'd bought a gadget that you put in the food,
pressed the button, and it lit a little light from 1-5 with 5 being the
highest and indicating a lot of salt. The lentil soup had way too much.
I bought the gadget from her. The water registered no salt. The
onions, carrots, celery, spices and lentils registered no salt. (The
gadget didn't really work on dry foods, but you get the idea.) Slow
cook them together, and the thing lit up.


My boyfriend had a look. Sure enough, the gadget wasn't measuring
sodium which is what we think of when we say we want to cut down on
salt. It was a miniature om meter that was measuring the practically
all the mineral content which are literally, chemically, SALTS. I
bought potassium chloride from the drug store and disolved it in water.
The gadget lit up for it.


I explained it to the customer. I lost the customer anyway. I don't
think she wanted to believe that she'd trusted a device that was so
misleading in its advertising instead of wondering about basic
chemistry. (Admittedly, this isn't common knowledge about the specific
meanings of salt and sodium. I had no idea. But at least I questioned
and found out.) I'm still furious with myself for not contacting
whatever government agency could have made the company take that thing
off the market. I'm sure it mislead a lot of people.


--Lia


--
Dr. Quilter
Ambassador of Extraordinary Aliens
http://community.webshots.com/user/mvignali
(take the dog out before replying)




--
Dr. Quilter
Ambassador of Extraordinary Aliens
http://community.webshots.com/user/mvignali
(take the dog out before replying)

So glad we don't have guns in the way you do over there. On;y crims and
police and security gurds may carry them. Hugs Yvonne in Oz

Oh I should have changed the subject! G Sorry Raggy Sandy. LOL Hugs yvonne
in Oz. ps did you ever make that green quilt? Hugs Yvonne take nospam out.

I'm glad you put crims first 'coz I'm sure they must own more than the
target shooters these days !!

--
Dee in Oz
http://community.webshots.com/user/deeinoz

"Yvonne" wrote in message
...
So glad we don't have guns in the way you do over there. On;y crims and
police and security gurds may carry them. Hugs Yvonne in Oz

Howdy!
The Greens Quilt, Yvonne:
http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/elt...bum?.dir=/f163

Where have you been?
Welcome back. ;-D

Ragmop/Sandy
"Yvonne" wrote in message
news
Oh I should have changed the subject! G Sorry Raggy Sandy. LOL Hugs
yvonne
in Oz. ps did you ever make that green quilt? Hugs Yvonne take nospam out.