I like beer. I have a spreadsheet to keep track of the
beer that I’ve tried.
I like science. Good science makes my inner nerd very
happy. I have huge issues with journalists/bloggers (JBs) who don’t know their
science from a hole in the ground. When eejit JBs start talking nonsense smack
about beer, it’s time to raise my hand and call BS.
This is the BS in question:
I followed the link, read the information about the first
beer, and stopped reading. There was no point since the first description was a
fat load of dingo’s kidneys. This is the bit that got my Irish up:
“Class 3 and 4 caramel coloring is made from ammonia,
which is classified as a carcinogen. “The one and only” beer with cancer
causing qualities.”
The article says it used The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry
(ATSDR) as a source. Horse hockey. Here is a direct quote from the ATSDR Public
Health Statement on ammonia:
“There is no evidence that
ammonia causes cancer. Ammonia has not been classified for carcinogenic effects
by EPA, the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), or the International
Agency for research on cancer (IARC)”
You can check the ATSDR for yourself:
Did I mention that the blog post was a heaping pile of meadow
muffins? And codswallop? And more than 1.3 million people have liked the
Banoosh Facebook page? Holy crap. It’s no wonder egregious ignorance is
rampant.
That banoosh blogger is really stupid. Or ballsy. Or
both. Or maybe he/she (we don’t know because the post is unattributed) is
knowingly spreading misinformation. Whatever. It’s still BS.
Just because chemical A is made from Chemical B does not
mean that the two share the same human toxicologic effects. Geez. That’s
Toxicology 101. For instance, some ammonia compounds are beneficial:
·
The active ingredient in smelling salts is
ammonium carbonate.
·
Ammonium bicarbonate is used in baking. http://www.food.com/library/ammonium-bicarbonate-780
Words of wisdom from a sarcastic scientist:
Beware of what you read on the internet. Check your
facts. Do your own research. Call BS when you read it. 