Dear Listers:
Last week I received a copy of a letter David Weston wrote to this group
concerning the anti caking additive YPS used widely on sodium chloride
through out the world in the processing of food. As an anti caking agent it
is recognized as being very inexpensive to use and if handled correctly
represents no health hazard. Millions of metric tons of food grade salt have
been treated with YPS safely for many years. The Salt Institute publishes
many very good articles on this very topic and they can be easily viewed on
their web site.
However, since I read David's letter, I have been looking more closely at the
literature on sodium Ferro cyanide. The more I read about this anti caking
material the more concerned I become about the possible hazards.
YPS is also used an anti caking material on rock salt as a DE icing chemical
on roads throughout North America and Europe. The suppliers of these salts
are very specific on how YPS treated should be stored and used. One of the
most important requirements is that YPS treated salt must be stored away from
sunlight. Sunlight will break the iron cyanide bonds and release free cyanide
very quickly. Other precautions are mentioned in the literature with respect
to YPS exposure to weak acids, temperature fluctuations, ammonia, and heavy
metals.
The responses to David's letter to the present have been superficial. I am
concerned that if smoked fish, brined in sodium chloride containing YPS, are
exposed to sun light or similar artificial light sources that free cyanide
concentrations could occur and form potentially dangerous cyanide
compositions.
Packaging and labeling requirements seem to be related to this topic as well.
All of the food salt that I have observed lately that contains YPS are in
cardboard boxes or packaged in bags that prevent sunlight from contacting the
salt crystals. If my fish are brine processed with a YPS additive should they
be packaged in special containers to prevent exposure to light? Should I
consider listing YPS on my label with precautions?
It would be very helpful to me to see if anyone has more information on this
topic especially in the area of potential free cyanide and its behavior in
processed fish.
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