Jolly Ranchers hard candy has mineral oil in them.
Most often, mineral oil is a liquid obtained from refining crude oil to make gasoline and other petroleum products … like a liquid version of petroleum jelly. Source
AFAIK mineral oil and petroleum jelly are considered food safe. In the food industry they are used as lubricant on machinery that comes into contact with food (like meat slicers or even soda machines). Petroleum jelly is also found in a lot of skin care products, like Vasoline, vapo-rub, makeup -removing cream, and is also used in lip balm.
That being said, oil & gas extraction has and is wreaking havoc on our environment and health. So, while these products may be safe for human contact, they have a cost.
The UK doesn’t deem them safe for human consumption tho, because they err on the side of caution instead of allowing big oil and/or corps to do what they want.
Also google the things that cause cancer. Anything causes cancer because cancer is just something DNA does. I understand the fear of it and you should avoid things that cause it but your eyeballs aren’t gonna melt.
The sun causes cancer, sunscreen causes cancer, not enough sun probably causes cancer.
You’re gonna die one day my friend but it won’t be because of mineral oil.
In the U.S. it is commonly found in phamacies and sold as a laxative. It is excellent for cutting boards and wooden spoons since it does not go rancid. It is usually the only approved oil/grease to use on food processing equipment. Commercial and home espresso machines use it to lubricate seals and gaskets.
If everything around us and inside us isn’t somehow related to the oil industry, we Americans would wither and die immediately. Don’t you know?
Serious answer though: The FDA is slow, inefficient, and likely paid off from banning chemicals, but every once in a blue they do. States like California take a more proactive role in banning chemicals, and since California has an economy larger than some nations, they tend to have a lot of pull, so all is not lost. America is more like the EU these days than a cohesive nation. Some states are cool, some are ok, some are Texas…but…yeah, we really suck as a whole.
Not sure about all that as mercury is a liquid at room temperature and I’m unfamiliar with the history of Santa Cruz, but I wasn’t necessarily trying to say California was a guardian of the future. Just that, in this example, they’re large enough in economies of scale that occasionally their decisions have enough weight to help others elsewhere, and that US states sometimes are able to effect improvement via this scale that the US Federal government is incapable of due to it’s Star Warsian ineptitude. Much like how the EU is forcing the Apples of the world to embrace standards like USB-C. Also most of Silicon Valley is basically a giant superfund site, so they got a lot of 'splainin to do.
We classify mineral oil as food safe. It’s a powerful laxative and you really wouldn’t want to get a lot of it in your food but I use it on my cutting boards to keep them from drying out and cracking.
sugar, corn syrup and water will make hard candy. after that, it’s just a matter of dialing in the amounts of flavorings and citric acid for some tartness
not really, at least not that I know of. the formation of hard candy kinda depends on how sugar acts once you get it above certain temperature points. there’s probably a materials engineer somewhere that can offer you a sol’n that mostly does what you want but in the traditional world of candymaking sugar does a lot more than just sweeten.
Jolly Ranchers hard candy has mineral oil in them.
And America allows companies to sell this shit.
AFAIK mineral oil and petroleum jelly are considered food safe. In the food industry they are used as lubricant on machinery that comes into contact with food (like meat slicers or even soda machines). Petroleum jelly is also found in a lot of skin care products, like Vasoline, vapo-rub, makeup -removing cream, and is also used in lip balm.
That being said, oil & gas extraction has and is wreaking havoc on our environment and health. So, while these products may be safe for human contact, they have a cost.
The UK doesn’t deem them safe for human consumption tho, because they err on the side of caution instead of allowing big oil and/or corps to do what they want.
Yes only the peers are allowed to do that.
i actually can’t find this being true anywhere.
the uk afaik calls it liquid parrafin and sell it at drug stores
From the article …
Still not illegal in the UK?
Also google the things that cause cancer. Anything causes cancer because cancer is just something DNA does. I understand the fear of it and you should avoid things that cause it but your eyeballs aren’t gonna melt.
The sun causes cancer, sunscreen causes cancer, not enough sun probably causes cancer.
You’re gonna die one day my friend but it won’t be because of mineral oil.
I’ve added the previous paragraph.
If you need more info please read the article.
Okay but no UK laws I find list mineral oil as banned. It is liquid parrafin, you can buy that in the UK.
In the U.S. it is commonly found in phamacies and sold as a laxative. It is excellent for cutting boards and wooden spoons since it does not go rancid. It is usually the only approved oil/grease to use on food processing equipment. Commercial and home espresso machines use it to lubricate seals and gaskets.
Unrelated: it is great for rejuvenating Bakelite
Hey thanks for that tip!
If everything around us and inside us isn’t somehow related to the oil industry, we Americans would wither and die immediately. Don’t you know?
Serious answer though: The FDA is slow, inefficient, and likely paid off from banning chemicals, but every once in a blue they do. States like California take a more proactive role in banning chemicals, and since California has an economy larger than some nations, they tend to have a lot of pull, so all is not lost. America is more like the EU these days than a cohesive nation. Some states are cool, some are ok, some are Texas…but…yeah, we really suck as a whole.
Santa Cruz California is built around a old Mercury mine with literal Mercury red rocks just being normal rocks all around the city
Nature is cancerous for the uneducated
I don’t know about you but I don’t eat random rocks
Not sure about all that as mercury is a liquid at room temperature and I’m unfamiliar with the history of Santa Cruz, but I wasn’t necessarily trying to say California was a guardian of the future. Just that, in this example, they’re large enough in economies of scale that occasionally their decisions have enough weight to help others elsewhere, and that US states sometimes are able to effect improvement via this scale that the US Federal government is incapable of due to it’s Star Warsian ineptitude. Much like how the EU is forcing the Apples of the world to embrace standards like USB-C. Also most of Silicon Valley is basically a giant superfund site, so they got a lot of 'splainin to do.
Deregulation, baby! 🇺🇸🦅
That reddish-black stuff you’re coughing up is liquid freedom!
you absolutely consume mineral oil. it is a lubricant often used for food related equipment
Somehow the jolly rancher story just got even worse. Better? Worse.
We classify mineral oil as food safe. It’s a powerful laxative and you really wouldn’t want to get a lot of it in your food but I use it on my cutting boards to keep them from drying out and cracking.
Is there a way to make homebrew Jolly Ranchers without chemical bullshit? Anyone know of a recipe?
sugar, corn syrup and water will make hard candy. after that, it’s just a matter of dialing in the amounts of flavorings and citric acid for some tartness
🤔 I wonder if there’s a way to make them with natural sweeteners and not sugar.
I sense an opportunity
get out of your own arsehole, do you know what sugar is made of? Sugarcane. Do you know what Sugarcane is? It’s a fucking natural plant.
not really, at least not that I know of. the formation of hard candy kinda depends on how sugar acts once you get it above certain temperature points. there’s probably a materials engineer somewhere that can offer you a sol’n that mostly does what you want but in the traditional world of candymaking sugar does a lot more than just sweeten.
Fair enough. It’s nice to know that chemical-free options exist regardless. I ought to give making some a try sometime
that depends on how you define “chemical”. You are still adding flavorings.
It’s also got C12H22O11 in it
I love how you used the term “homebrew” and not “homemade” lol.
There’s even a wikiHow, if you use a search engine you can find it ❤️