larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (08/09/85)
BIZARRE CHEMICALS IN OUR DAILY LIVES: Today's Topic: Cochineal Cochineal is used as a red dye in food products, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics. Cochineal is an FDA-accepted ingredient, and is properly listed in the "National Formulary". Cochineal is made exclusively from the dried female insect, Coccus cacti L., which are found and cultivated in Mexico, Central America, West Indies, Canary Islands, Algiers, and Southern Spain. There are approximately 70,000 insects per pound of cochineal. The "National Formulary" describes powdered cochineal as follows: "Powdered cochineal is very dusky to very dark red. It contains fragments of muscle fibers; portions of the chitinous epidermis with wax glands; fragments of larvae with coiled proboscides; occasional claws and segments of the legs; and fragments of antennae and other parts..." Chemically, cochineal consists of 10% carminic acid, 2% coccerin (a waxy material), 10% fat, and the balance miscellaneous. The carminic acid provides the color. Cochineal, NF is nothing more than the ground insects with no purification or chemical extraction. Testing for purity consists of nothing more than an inspection for the presence of gross contaminents, and a acid/base test for color change. An interesting bit of trivia is that during American Revolutionary times, the British Army "Redcoat" uniforms were all colored with cochineal. The British continued to use cochineal for dyeing their uniforms until well into the 1800's when azo dyes came into use. Next time you ingest candy, toothpaste, food products, medications or use toiletries which colored red or pink, check the package label to see if it contains cochineal. Don't be disappointed if you don't see it labeled - it could still be there since explicit labeling is not required as long as it says 'dye' or 'coloring agent'. Let's start "The Great Cochineal Hunt" and have feedback from anyone who sees cochineal on package labels! +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ | Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York | | UUCP {decvax,dual,rocksanne,rocksvax,watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry | | {rice,shell}!baylor!/ | | VOICE 716/741-9185 syr!buf!/ | | TELEX {via WUI} 69-71461 ansbak: ELGECOMCLR | | | | "Have you eaten your cochineal today?" | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
larry@kitty.UUCP (Larry Lippman) (08/12/85)
BIZARRE CHEMICALS IN OUR DAILY LIVES Today's Topic: Ambergris When is the last time you have admired the fragrence of an expensive perfume? Did you ever wonder what ingredients went into that perfume? Perfumes generally consist of three categories of ingredients: 1. Fragrences which may be essential oils and/or synthetic organic materials. 2. Solvents/Dilutents which are typically alcohol-based and permit the fragrences to exist in a homogeneous solution. 3. Fixatives which retard the volatilization of the fragrences, and which further tend to *equalize* their rate of volatilization. If it were not for fixatives, then multi-component fragrences with different rates of volatilization would result in the perfume changing odor during use. One of the fixatives used in the MOST EXPENSIVE perfumes is ambergris. Ambergris is a waxy substance and is gray to black in color. It melts at about 60 deg C and almost completely volatizes with heat. It is insoluble in water, but is soluble in alcohol, ether, fats, and oils. Ambergris is a complex chemical mixture containing about 80% cholesterol, benzoic acid, fatty oils, ketones, and paraffin oils. Ambergris is a wholely natural product and is quite expensive due to its scarcity and the difficulties involved in obtaining it. What *is* ambergris, you ask? Ambergris is pure, unadulterated whale shit. That's right: WHALE SHIT! Ambergris is a concretion which forms in the intestine of the male sperm whale, and is found floating on the surface of the ocean or washed up on beaches. So next time you sniff some *expensive* perfume, don't forget, you are probably also smelling WHALE SHIT. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ | Larry Lippman @ Recognition Research Corp., Clarence, New York | | UUCP {decvax,dual,rocksanne,rocksvax,watmath}!sunybcs!kitty!larry | | {rice,shell}!baylor!/ | | VOICE 716/741-9185 syr!buf!/ | | TELEX {via WUI} 69-71461 ansbak: ELGECOMCLR | | | | "Have you hugged your cat today?" | +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
michael@saber.UUCP (Michael Marria) (08/14/85)
> BIZARRE CHEMICALS IN OUR DAILY LIVES > > Today's Topic: Ambergris > > When is the last time you have admired the fragrence of an expensive > perfume? Did you ever wonder what ingredients went into that perfume? etc. etc. > So next time you sniff some *expensive* perfume, don't forget, you are > probably also smelling WHALE SHIT. > ....... always heard it was whale vomit. *** REPLACE THIS LINE WITH YOUR MESSAGE ***