Re: Calcium supp. with CH (Edit)

I am not going to debate more on this either... here is some info if you wish to review it...

Next time you are in a market, read some of the ingredient lables on the bottled water... I have found calcium hydroxide along with magnesium sulfate as some of the ingredients. In addition, Calcium hydroxide has long been used (not that I advocate the drinking of either) for conditioning water in juices, soda and alcohol production.

It is also used in refining salt and Sugar and by big pharma in production of medicine.

FDA Food Additive Status CALCIUM HYDROXIDE •GRAS (generally recognized as safe) - use in food presumed safe based either on a history of use before 1958 or on published scientific evidence; specifically permitted as optional ingredient in a standardized food.

There are many things on GRAS list I would not touch with a 10 foot pole...

http://www.codexalimentarius.net/gsfaonline/additives/details.html?id=257

GSFA Online
Updated up to the 29th Session of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (2006)

Food Additive Details

Calcium Hydroxide (526)

Huge table with generalized list of foods you will find calcium hydroxide in.

http://www.answers.com/topic/nixtamalization

Mesoamerica and North America

Earliest evidence of nixtamalization is found in Guatemala's southern coast with equipment dating from 1200–1500 BCE. The ancient Maya and the Aztecs used lime (calcium oxide) and ashes in creating alkaline solutions, while the tribes of North America used sodium carbonate(??), which occurred naturally, or ashes. It is noted that contemporary Maya use the ashes of burnt mussels. The process has not really declined in usage in the Mesoamerican region though there has been a decline in North America. Many North American Native American tribes, such as the Huron no longer use the process; however residents of the Southeastern United States still produce and eat hominy. The U.S. version of hominy is produced by whole maize grains, preferably white when eaten in the form of grits, mixed with scalding water mixed with a chemical solution, such as a mild lye or slaked lime (sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide solution), traditionally derived from wood ash, until the soaking forces the kernel to expand so the hull and germ split. The kernel is removed and dried. After drying, the whole kernels are soaked in water and a solution mixed with limestone or wood ash is used to expand the kernels, which are then boiled. It is also prepared into grits which are dried ground hominy.

Maize was introduced by Christopher Columbus in the 15th century, with it being grown in Spain as early as 1498. Europeans accepted maize within a generation, but they did not adopt the nixtamalization process, perhaps because the Europeans had more efficient milling processes and so did not need to remove the pericarp. However, without the process maize is a much less beneficial foodstuff, leading to outbreaks of pellagra and kwashiorkor in areas where it became a staple grain, such as certain regions of Italy and Africa. Because of this lack of understanding of the importance of the processing, maize suffered the stigma of being an unhealthy grain that could stave off starvation but lead to malnourishment. For example, this is why polenta was considered the poor person’s food in Italy until its more recent increase in status as gourmet food.

Interesting that without some form of shell, rock, or ash alkalizing agent the people became malnurished on corn in Europe.

http://www.food-info.net/uk/e/e526.htm

E526 : Calcium hydroxide

Origin:
Prepared from the natural salt calcium oxide.

Function & Characteristics:
Strong alkali used as acidity regulator, for example in wine. A solution of calcium hydroxide can be used to preserve eggs. A solution of calcium hydroxide and Sugar (1:3) is used to regulate the acidity in frozen products. In strengthens the structure of vegetables during processing.

Products:
Cheese, cocoa products, wine, nutmeg, sweet frozen products, dried fish

Acceptable daily intake (ADI):
None determined

Side effects:
None known.

Dietary restrictions:
None. E526 can be used by all religious groups, vegetarians and vegans.

http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop/PublicComments/Sunset/Handling/FloridaCrystals.pdf

1. Calcium Hydroxide, Ascorbic Acid, Carbon Dioxide and
Enzymes have been determined by the National Organic
Standards Board (NOSB) to be consistent with the Organic
Foods Production Act (OFPA), its implementing regulations
and criteria for substances allowed in organic production
and handling.

European approved food additives ...

http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/elist_numbers.pdf

E526 Calcium hydroxide

There is tons more info out there, but this will do for now...

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