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"The chemicals, currently banned in the European Union, are found in numerous snack staples including Skittles, Mountain Dew, Ding Dongs (with red heart sprinkl

"The chemicals, currently banned in the European Union, are found in numerous snack staples including Skittles, Mountain Dew, Ding Dongs (with red heart sprinkles) and a host of other ubiquitous food items."

sharemywin 4y ago
It's a little bit of a misrepresentation(I'm guessing by the food companies) that the products themselves are banned.
- WastingMyTime89 4y ago
  Definitely. The issue here is that we have a chemical which is deemed dubious enough when it comes to human safety than it is banned in the EU, but food companies would rather keep using it above any of the safer alternatives to save cents on the dollar instead of protecting the US population.
  - keneda7 4y ago
    I believe this comes down to the difference in the US vs EU. The US focus more on the probability of something being harmful whereas the EU focus more on the possibility of something being harmful. edit: to explain more. There is always a possibility that a meteor is going to crash through my roof and kill me this instant but the probability of that happening are very very very tiny.
    - orwin 4y ago
      No, the difference is that in the EU, you have to prove your product isn't harmful to use it, in the US you have to prove the product is harmful to ban it. Precautionary principle or something like this.
    - floor2 4y ago
      I think the critical difference between US and EU here is that the regulators in EU who are supposed to protect people actually work to protect people. The regulators who are supposed to protect people in the US work to set themselves up for their next job going to work at the companies they're currently regulating.
kurthr 4y ago
I will say that Red Velvet cake (chocolate cake with red dye and white frosting) never did taste the same after they swapped out Red#2 for Red#3. It was my friends favorite birthday cake and his mom would put 1-2 bottles of dye into the cake batter. I think it was '77 or '78 and he was so disappointed... him mom eventually found some old bottles and he had a "last cake" in 1980 well after it was banned.
- ProfessorLayton 4y ago
  Uhh, isn't red velvet cake supposed to just be chocolate cake with a bit of vinegar, which causes the cocoa to turn red??
  - yamtaddle 4y ago
    Duck Duck Goes "red velvet cake recipe" First three, including one with "real" in the title of the recipe, all call for food coloring. Wikipedia says the actually-real version achieves its color by using non-Dutch-process cocoa powder, but basically no-one makes it that way, especially not home bakers (nor cheap grocery store bakeries, which is where probably 80+% of non-homemade red velvet comes from). Wikipedia further notes that it didn't become a popular dessert to make at home until the arrival of red food coloring. I've had red velvet cake or cupcakes probably 30+ times in my life, and I doubt a single one was made the "real" way. Food coloring, in every case, I'd bet.
fredoralive 4y ago
And if you're wondering, yes you can get Skittles in Europe.
- favaq 4y ago
  At the same price tag and with the same taste and colour?
  - WastingMyTime89 4y ago
    More or less. It’s hard to compare as the tax environment is completely different and distribution is a huge part of the cost. Skittles are priced as other candies here.

sharemywin 4y ago

It's a little bit of a misrepresentation(I'm guessing by the food companies) that the products themselves are banned.

WastingMyTime89 4y ago
Definitely. The issue here is that we have a chemical which is deemed dubious enough when it comes to human safety than it is banned in the EU, but food companies would rather keep using it above any of the safer alternatives to save cents on the dollar instead of protecting the US population.
- keneda7 4y ago
  I believe this comes down to the difference in the US vs EU. The US focus more on the probability of something being harmful whereas the EU focus more on the possibility of something being harmful. edit: to explain more. There is always a possibility that a meteor is going to crash through my roof and kill me this instant but the probability of that happening are very very very tiny.
  - orwin 4y ago
    No, the difference is that in the EU, you have to prove your product isn't harmful to use it, in the US you have to prove the product is harmful to ban it. Precautionary principle or something like this.
  - floor2 4y ago
    I think the critical difference between US and EU here is that the regulators in EU who are supposed to protect people actually work to protect people. The regulators who are supposed to protect people in the US work to set themselves up for their next job going to work at the companies they're currently regulating.

kurthr 4y ago

I will say that Red Velvet cake (chocolate cake with red dye and white frosting) never did taste the same after they swapped out Red#2 for Red#3. It was my friends favorite birthday cake and his mom would put 1-2 bottles of dye into the cake batter. I think it was '77 or '78 and he was so disappointed... him mom eventually found some old bottles and he had a "last cake" in 1980 well after it was banned.

ProfessorLayton 4y ago
Uhh, isn't red velvet cake supposed to just be chocolate cake with a bit of vinegar, which causes the cocoa to turn red??
- yamtaddle 4y ago
  Duck Duck Goes "red velvet cake recipe" First three, including one with "real" in the title of the recipe, all call for food coloring. Wikipedia says the actually-real version achieves its color by using non-Dutch-process cocoa powder, but basically no-one makes it that way, especially not home bakers (nor cheap grocery store bakeries, which is where probably 80+% of non-homemade red velvet comes from). Wikipedia further notes that it didn't become a popular dessert to make at home until the arrival of red food coloring. I've had red velvet cake or cupcakes probably 30+ times in my life, and I doubt a single one was made the "real" way. Food coloring, in every case, I'd bet.

fredoralive 4y ago

And if you're wondering, yes you can get Skittles in Europe.

favaq 4y ago
At the same price tag and with the same taste and colour?
- WastingMyTime89 4y ago
  More or less. It’s hard to compare as the tax environment is completely different and distribution is a huge part of the cost. Skittles are priced as other candies here.