While drinking alcohol in moderation has been found to have some noteworthy health benefits, one has to be very careful about what type to choose. Many types of beer, wine and spirits contain potentially dangerous additives which may negate the benefits of your drink.
The liquor in the news right now is Fireball Cinnamon Whiskey. Fireball supplies in Finland, Norway and Sweden are currently being recalled, due to a shipping error resulting in a higher-than-normal concentration of propylene glycol, a chemical also used in antifreeze.
Propylene glycol is a synthetic, water-absorbing liquid. Along with being a main ingredient in antifreeze, it often appears as a solvent for flavorings, and as a sweetener, in processed foods and beverages. Propylene glycol is also used in the manufacture of polyester, along with other industrial uses.
While the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that this chemical is “generally regarded as safe for use in food,” the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that there has not been a proper evaluation, by the EPA’s standards, performed to determine the carcinogenic potential of propylene glycol.
Large enough doses of propylene glycol have been linked to central nervous system damage in some animal studies, and can also irritate the skin.
The reason that the three European countries are recalling Fireball Whiskey is that the manufacturers made a mistake and shipped a batch meant to go to the US to Europe instead. In the US and Canada, eight times more propylene glycol is used in Fireball’s formula than in the European version. When Finland, Norway and Sweden found that their bottles were the US formula, they refused them.
On the incident, a spokesperson for Fireball stated, “it appears that we shipped our North American formula to Europe and found that one ingredient is out of compliance with European regulations.”
It is a bit sad for those living in the US and Canada that companies such as Sazerac, the makers of Fireball, will whip up a healthier batch of a product for European customers, who appear to have higher health standards, and deliberately make an identical product with more chemicals for us. We, as consumers, need to demand better.
It’s not just Fireball, either. The following are other beverages which contain propylene glycol:
- Dunkin Donuts coffee (along with certain other coffees)
- Nescafe canned lattes
- Corona beer (along with certain other beers)
- A&W Root Beer (along with many other sodas)
- MIO Liquid Water Enhancer
- Crystal Light Liquid
- Sunny Delight juice beverages
- Various other types of flavored juices
- Various flavored liquors and liqueurs
- Various processed milkshake drinks
Whether you’re talking food or drink, sticking as close to nature as possible is the key to nutrition. Propylene glycol is certainly not natural, and this Fireball incident can serve to remind us just how much is in our nation’s beverages, and that it should not be.
-The Alternative Daily
Sources:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/10/28/frathouse-favorite-fireball-whiskey-recalled-in-europe.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/29/fireball-whiskey-recall_n_6067486.html
http://www.epa.gov/iris/subst/0543.htm
https://www.thealternativedaily.com/alcohol-types-supply-good-least-evil
http://www.eatit2beatit.com/foods-with-antifreeze-propylene-glycol
http://cltampa.com/dailyloaf/archives/2010/09/20/is-propylene-glycol-in-food-making-us-fat#.VFFGUfnF-Do
http://www.ibtimes.com/what-propylene-glycol-fireball-whisky-recall-centers-ingredient-1715580
http://blog.fooducate.com/2013/06/09/crystal-light-liquid-a-new-way-to-ruin-your-water
