Comments on: Poisoned Sugarplums: Eliza R. Snow Writes for Little Children

By: Julia

Julia — Sun, 16 Dec 2012 14:25:35 +0000

TOC-

I brought up maraschino cherries the other day. After a chemist friend took me to a processing plant, and I saw that many of the chemicals being used had hazard warnings about ingestion, I haven’t eaten one since. From what I understand, the processing eventually cancels the chemicals out, but the albino cherries, before that were redyed definitely left me and my stomach feeling queasy. In my mind, when I see them in the store, the site of a hundred thousand albino cherries haunts me.

By: Alison

Alison — Sat, 15 Dec 2012 18:42:31 +0000

Is that the same thing as blue M&Ms?

By: The Other Clark

The Other Clark — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 19:34:20 +0000

In other cochineal trivia, the famous red coats Paul Revere warned about were dyed with cochineal, and the nation of Belize (formerly British Honduras) was founded on the cochineal industry.

I still claim ERS’s advice in general is sound. (Ever looked into how maraschino cherries are made?)

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:43:12 +0000

Honey = bug spit.

By: Grant

Grant — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 17:20:16 +0000

Snopes does help with the whole red dye business:
http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/bugjuice.asp
They say it’s safe but it’s still bugs. So, score a half point for Sister Snow.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 16:20:31 +0000

“Cochineal” is something I hear about regularly on Antiques Roadshow, although without that I suppose I would have had to have taken Eliza’s advice to ask somehow how to pronounce it as “it is a hard one.”

There are a lot of published articles about perceived impurities in food, in most of the Church magazines from this time. They generally seemed aimed at discouraging violations of the Word of Wisdom as much as at food safety. The most bizarre I’ve seen is the rumor that Chinese tea sold in the U.S. had been previously used to embalm Chinese bodies, as evidenced, apparently, by whole fingernails found in packaged tea. No such thing as a 19th century Snopes, I guess.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:57:22 +0000

Amy, fascinating.

BTW, I sent this link to my daughter who used to work at the Friend and now works at another major children’s magazine, joking that we need more articles like this today. Her reply:

“We should write more articles like that: Dear child, what you are doing is going to kill you.”

I suppose she’s right; there probably is a better marketing approach.

By: Amy T

Amy T — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:51:37 +0000

Oh, cochineal (carmine) is very cool. I’ve seen the Coccus cacti, the source of cochineal, on cactus at the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix (seen one squished for the red dye, actually) and it’s a beautiful color.

It’s still in use and is very definitely not poisonous. It has a fascinating history from its use as a dye by the Aztec and Mayan peoples through the intrigues of the Spanish conquests and international trade wars.

Health concerns over other artificial red dyes has increased the usage of cochineal in recent years. There is some debate over whether it is kosher, and some vegetarians try to avoid it, but it’s widely used in food, medicines, and cosmetics.

The cochineal dyes wouldn’t have killed anyone; it’s not toxic and it’s not carcinogenic. The deaths would have been due to other impurities in the food, or perhaps impurities introduced in the processing of the cochineal.

By: Paul

Paul — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:47:53 +0000

Wow. Pull no punches, Eliza!

Somehow I don’t see this kind of article in today’s Friend…

By: HokieKate

HokieKate — Fri, 14 Dec 2012 15:45:25 +0000

I wonder how this was received. “Oh, look children! The president of the Relief Society and one of the prophet’s wives wrote an article just for you! I wonder what it says?” “EAT CANDY AND DIE!!”

I don’t know what I expected. I am just surprised, as I frequently am when spiritual leaders expound on matters of health.