I just found this curious little packet in my organic dried apricots today. Needless to say my Aztec mask wasn’t the only one who was shocked. I thought…Wow! I had absolutely no idea that dried apricots were an aphrodisiac! Someone’s going to have fun tonight, I mused. Hehehe. But Alas, that was not to be.
When I looked more closely I noticed that the text said O2 absorber DO NOT EAT! Well since I monitor carefully what I do and do not put in my mouth, some things more meticulously than others ;-), the first thought that came to my mind…well other than that…was DUH! What the heck are you doing in my food?
Not every eloquent, I know, but bare with me. Whoops! Was that a typo? Let’s pull the contents out of that wallet-sized non-edible mystery and get to the naked truth.
What’s inside an O-Buster (as the packet is so marketing-faux-pas named)?
According to the manufacturer the product is designed to “remove the oxygen content inside any packaged environment. The unique O-Busters® blend of absorbents will pick up approximately three times its weight in oxygen, preventing the harmful effects of mold, mildew, bacteria, color change, taste change, insects and toxins. Within the properly packaged environment, O-Busters® help eliminate the need for additives, gas flushing and vacuum packing.”
Really? Gas flushing? I guess they never ate a bowlful of dried apricots before.
Their description of course left me somewhat unsatisfied so I went deeper.
As I surfed the web with various keyword combinations, the same canned information seemed to pop-up until I found out that one of the oxygen vampire’s distributors listed amongst its advantages the fact that it is FDA approved.
Phew! And here I was thinking that it was toxic. Hang a sec. Aren’t GMO crops FDA approved, as well as an exhaustive list of carcinogenic and endocrine disrupting additives and loads of other goodies?
Argh. The plight of every woman. Once again, I remained unsatisfied. So…deeper I went.
Another series of keywords and I finally found a list of ingredients. Yeeehaaa! Frustration was not to be my fate. According to Sorbead India (yes, I had to find my internet research euphoria in the land of tantra) Here they are, stripped of any monkey business:
Iron Powder…requires mining and of course processing (click here for some examples)
Natural Zeolite…requires open-pit mining and the removal of “overburden” – the unfortunate ecosystems in the way of the diggers
Component (A,B,C)…your guess is as good as mine
Furthermore, the procedures listed when accidentally inhaled or ingested are anti-climactic.
If inhaled…remove to fresh air, call a physician.
If ingested…drink 2 glasses of water and induce vomiting.
Hmmm. So I ask more precisely…what ARE you and what the heck are you doing in my food? My ORGANIC food.
If you should find yourself in the same position (try a different one) graced with a little square bonus in your food, realize that it’s not a free O-giver (nudge nudge wink wink) and select a different brand. My guess is that Component (A,B,C) doesn’t belong in the water cycle which is where it will eventually end up after you pitch it, it goes to the landfill, and leaches into the water table.
Do you have any DUH! moments to share?
Photo Credit:
© Karen Lefave. All rights reserved
Hi – I am interested in the story of how you got your Aztec mask – I have spent a lot of time in Mexico and am very interested in the pre-Hispanic culture – Heather