
When the Food We Ate Was Literally Poison (Even More So Than Now) - okket
https://lithub.com/when-the-food-we-ate-was-literally-poison-even-more-so-than-now/
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Nomentatus
NPR interview about the book. [https://the1a.org/shows/2018-09-26/sell-by-
date](https://the1a.org/shows/2018-09-26/sell-by-date)

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Shorel
Right now spices are still filled with non-spice matter, but it is mostly very
cheap and harmless rice flour.

We still can't get good spices.

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cwzwarich
It’s pretty easy to get good spices. Buy them whole and grind them yourself.
There are a few things where this doesn’t quite work, e.g. asafoetida.

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asdfasdfdavid
Wow, this adds a lot of perspective. I thought that things were bad nowadays.

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kmlx
One of the reasons Rome fell was lead poisoning.

[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-
health/wp/2016/0...](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/to-your-
health/wp/2016/02/17/lead-poisoning-and-the-fall-of-
rome/?utm_term=.e30de3990be0)

~~~
acct1771
Wow, it's almost too perfect of a parallel.

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swingline-747
Artificial sweetener anyone? How about some hair dye? (still allowed today in
the US but not in Canada)

[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead(II)_acetate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead\(II\)_acetate)

Sodium Pyrophosphate is also a "fun," somewhat toxic additive.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrasodium_pyrophosphate](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tetrasodium_pyrophosphate)

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ikeyany
Lead acetate is banned in the US (except for use in hair dye, which the FDA
proved is safe).

