tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post139181799391947596..comments2024-03-29T03:15:16.064-04:00Comments on Just Like Cooking: Some Thoughts on BVO WriteupsSee Arr Ohhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09464185815368499346noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-70046526647780819722013-01-27T18:44:20.305-05:002013-01-27T18:44:20.305-05:00Sorry, but BVO is really a "weighting agent.&...Sorry, but BVO is really a "weighting agent." That's not a metaphor. It's described that way in textbooks, and the function fits that description: You mix BVO with lower-density orange oil to create a flavored oil with the exact density of sweetened water so the final emulsion (Gatorade, Squirt, whatever) doesn't separate. In other words, BVO literally "weights down" the light citrus oil. Here are some references: http://books.google.com/books?id=N631xMSk-RIC&pg=PA32&dq=brominated+vegetable+oil and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11087519.<br /><br />Why would the "entire phase", if by that you mean the orange oil + BVO mix, "sink" just because BVO is a weighting agent? Ballast is a weighting agent for boats, and boats don't sink. The weighted-down oil is designed to have exactly the same density of what its suspended in, so why would it sink? Of course, BVO alone (like ballast alone) would sink, if it weren't mixed with the citrus oil, just as citrus oil itself would float, if it weren't mixed with BVO to increase its density.<br /><br />Emulsification in mayonnaise is different. Mayonnaise is extremely viscous, so droplets of slightly different density won't float or sink. In a watery emulsion like Gatorade, however, the density of the droplets must match to avoid separation by sinking or floating. ("Orbitz" is an instructive example. While not really an emulsion, it is a product where droplets stay put because of both matched density and some viscosity in the surrounding liquid.)<br /><br />Whatever you contend, it's a fact that brominated vegetable oil has a higher density than unbrominated vegetable oil. Whether that's a general fact about brominated hydrocarbons or not, and whether or not that's due to the higher density of elemental bromine over hydrogen, I don't know, but I will note that Wikipedia mentions the fact that bromination of hydrocarbons tends to increase density: "Addition of covalently bonded bromine tends to increase the density and raise the melting point of organic compounds."<br /><br />Anyway, my point is that calling BVO a "weighting agent" is fine, and journalists shouldn't be criticized for doing that. (Calling it an emulsifier is also fine.) Most of your points here are good, and while the question of whether BVO can be called a weighting agent isn't a huge deal, it does deserve to be expressed clearly, and journalists shouldn't be criticized for something that isn't at all wrong.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920869631724472667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-53626186612381743082013-01-27T18:34:25.493-05:002013-01-27T18:34:25.493-05:00I certainly don't dispute that a brominated pr...I certainly don't dispute that a brominated precursor will have a higher density than one that does not. But if the "weighing down" metaphor were correct, the entire phase would sink, correct? Instead, it emulsifies into the water. Do you believe that 8 ppm BVO is enough to create such a drastic shift in density?<br /><br />When emulsifiers are added to mayonnaise or other sauces, most wouldn't use the weight metaphor, but rather refer to it as "blending." It's more like a detergent than a "dense" additive.See Arr Ohhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09464185815368499346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-17159621264062983662013-01-27T16:57:18.646-05:002013-01-27T16:57:18.646-05:00Good post, but BVO does "weigh down" the...Good post, but BVO does "weigh down" the citrus oil, I think. That's it's point. Unlike most oils, BVO is denser than water, so mixing it with lighter citrus oil creates an oil blend that's the same density as water and that stays dispersed as a cloudy suspension. And while it's probably an oversimplification, it's sort of the case that the higher density of BVO as compared to non-brominated oil is due to the substitution of "heavy" bromine atoms for some of the oil's hydrogen.Stevehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920869631724472667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6010505890506526002.post-39487841779875095632013-01-26T18:44:23.412-05:002013-01-26T18:44:23.412-05:00It'd be cruel, but you could send the girl who...It'd be cruel, but you could send the girl who started the petition an email saying that PepsiCo also hide a very common "fire-retardant chemical" called dihydrogen monoxide in drinks, hiding it under another name. Stick in a few links to the dihydrogen monoxide website, etc, and I'd love to see how far that petition went. You never know, someone might learn something.DHChemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07910801491750830585noreply@blogger.com