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Vanilla Extract - Dangerous?
On 21 Jan 2004 10:58:14 -0800, (Christopher
Green) wrote:
>The labeling doesn't have a thing to do with whether the contents are
>suspect. Your analogies to Canadian foods or the Grenada spice basket
>don't apply. Vanilla from an untrusted source is likely to be
>adulterated; that is a fact of the vanilla trade, and there is no
>analogy to canned goods from Canada or spices from Grenada or any
>other red herrings you may wish to drag across the discussion. Since
>the adulterants are dangerous, and it is not practical for a consumer
>to determine whether vanilla has been adulterated, and more than a few
>tourists are ignorant of the problem, the advice to dump the vanilla
>was well taken and has nothing at all to do with the quality of the
>label.
My goodness, you're testy. :-) All vanilla from an "untrusted" source
is suspect? I think if a friendwent to some trouble to bring me a
bottle of vanilla (or rum or jam or...), I'd give it a shot. Are you
by any chance USAsian? Suspicious of anything not stamped by the
USDA/FDA?
I have no axe to grind. I'm not promoting poisonous foodstuffs. I did
a fair amount of web research, and it seemed to me that unless a kid
slips you a bottle purported to contain vanilla under the table while
whispering "for you -- 10 cents," there's a fair chance it's OK
vanilla. What "adulterants" do you expect in foreign vanilla?
I mentioned Canadian labeling practices because I recently found they
were different from those in the US. I mentioned Grenadan (Granadian?
Grenadine?) spices because the OP said his vanilla gift was a product
of Grenada and I know it's a spice island that produces vanilla, among
other things. I *didn't* tell the OP to chug his vanilla gift. I
merely said from his description and what I've been able to gather, it
was probably quite genuine (and possibly superior) vanilla.
I am as entitled to my opinion that he should enjoy it as others are
to say "dump it." However, I hope if he decides not to use it that he
passes it along to someone who would. I believe I'm 2nd (or perhaps
3rd) in line.
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