SC - Food Grade

[Decker, Terry D.]

> 	This is more what I had in mind.  I have several examples on the
> shelves
> at work.  Rosewater, for example, is sold as Food Grade and For External
> Use only.  We have a Coconut Oil that is sold in the Health and Beauty
> section, but is considered by the company that manufactures it (Spectrum)
> as Food Grade.  (However, they process it with Hexane, a solvent that
> many Health Food Store customers wish to avoid, but that is another issue
> all together.)  We have essential oils and massage oils (grape seed oil,
> avacado oil) that are sold as Food Grade, and some that are external use
> only.  Another term I hear a lot of is Food Grade Hydrogen Pyroxide.  
> 	I understand the plastics designation, but I think there are
> definate
> food applications as well.  I would really like to get my hands on the
> actual (? law? guidelines? regulations?) to quote.  My encyclopedia
> directs me to the Pure Food Laws of 1909 and the Food and Cosmetics Act
> of  1939.   I wonder if the FDA or the Dept. of Agriculture web sites
> would tell me, hmmm...
> 	Christianna
> 
As far as I have been able to determine, "food grade" does not have a
regulatory definition, but is used as an industry term to describe a product
which has been made in conformance to the FDA regulations for preparing
products for human ingestion.  Food grade containers are packages which meet
the requirements for holding human ingestible products.

The regulations are a legal mish-mash, but the inspection references are an
easier read.  You can find some of them at:

http://www.fda.gov/ora/inspect_ref/igs/foodsp.html

Food Grade Hydogen Peroxide is produced under conditions to ensure that it
contains no extraneous contaminants from the processing or the packaging.
This is a medical grade peroxide which can be used intravenously to increase
cellular oxidation (an experimental alternative treatment in oncology and
related fields).  Some of the researchers believe that a few drops of 35%
Food Grade Hydrogen Peroxide ingested daily will improve general cellular
oxidation.  Since hydrogen peroxide occurs naturally in the body, a few
drops extra shouldn't cause any problems.

BTW, there are commercial claims about "oxygenation" concerning the process.
Oxygenation and cellular oxidation are two different critters.  If you want
oxygenation, let me recommend an O2 respirator.  It works better for
oxygenation than any pill or liquid and it's great for hangovers.

Personally, I take the whole cellular oxidation\oxygenation issue with a
salt shaker handy.  The hype touts products for ingestion, but the test
results were from intravenous use in a controlled environment about 12 years
ago.

Bear
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