Silly Little Country

The Puritans Step Up - Let's not Mitigate acrylamide!

Sometimes I wonder.

Canada is investigating whether to approve a cancer-fighting additive's use in junk food, but Health Canada wants consumers to weigh in on the idea first.
The concern surrounds a chemical byproduct called acrylamide that is produced when carbohydrates such as bread or potatoes are cooked at high temperatures.

It has not been established that acrylamide actually harms humans, but let's suppose it does.

That's where the additive comes in. It's an enzyme used in some chemotherapy agents to treat leukemia. Food manufacturers say adding it could bring down levels of acrylamide in heated foods since the enzyme breaks down the acrylamide.
Health Canada's safety assessment of the enzyme, which is called asparaginase, didn't turn up any health or safety concerns.

Now I have reservations about this move, but they are more related to how ignorant we are of the harm of acrylamide and the consequences of eating asparaginase. But let's suppose this move would be entirely benign, in fact beneficial in that it really mitigated the impact of a harmful acrylamide.
Guess what - essentially all the opposition to this plan cited in the article would still be in effect!
It all takes this form:

There are easier ways to deal with acrylamide, said dietitian Jennifer House of Calgary.
"It makes common sense to just stop eating these foods when we know they're not good for us."
The Canadian Cancer Society takes the same position.

Busybody Puritans are ever among us! No don't let people use condoms, as they might think it is OK to have sex! Don't vaccinate girls for HPV, as they might think it's OK to have sex! Don't consider geoengineering approaches to global warming, as then people might continue to live rich full lives!

Labels: acrylamide, Puritans

posted by Alan Adamson @ 3:58 AM