TRICLOSAN

Swine flu, swine flu, swine flu! I can't even drop my daughter off at preschool without being scolded for failing to wash my hands before entering the classroom. "We'll be wearing face masks by the end of the year," my daughter's teacher tells me, "Swine flu is coming and we're really scared." Oooooo-kay.

Then, I read this article in the newspaper today: "Hand sanitizers a new schoolroom staple, but ingredients stir controversy." Apparently, the magic bullet to prevent swine flu from plaguing our public schools is hand sanitizer. This article worries about alcohol (!) in the hand sanitizer (kids might try to get their rocks off drinking hand sanitizer...kids these days!), but it neglects to mention an ingredient that worries some savvy parents: triclosan.

To some extent, it certainly makes sense to include triclosan in a hand sanitizer due to its well-known antifungal and antibacterial properties. 'Antifungal' and 'antibacterial' are health-minded adjectives, but these are the same words you would use to describe a pesticide, which is exactly how we would classify the chemical triclosan. Triclosan is actually classified as a "Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Bad Actor Pesticide," which means that triclosan is believed to have the following properties:

• Known or probable carcinogen, as designated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), U.S. EPA, U.S. National Toxicology Program, and the state of California's Proposition 65 list.
• Reproductive or developmental toxicants, as designated by the state of California's Proposition 65 list.
• Neurotoxic cholinesterase inhibitors, as designated by California Department of Pesticide Regulation, the Materials Safety Data Sheet for the particular chemical, or PAN staff evaluation of chemical structure (for organophosphorus compounds).
• Known groundwater contaminant, as designated by the state of California (for actively registered pesticides) or from historic groundwater monitoring records (for banned pesticides).
• Pesticides with high acute toxicity, as designated by the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. EPA, or the U.S. National Toxicology Program.

According to M. Angela McGee, Ph.D., triclosan is "a chemical used for its antibacterial properties, is an ingredient in many detergents, dish-washing liquids, soaps, deodorants, cosmetics, lotions, anti-microbial creams, various toothpastes, and an additive in various plastics and textiles. However, the safety of triclosan has been questioned in regard to environmental and human health. While the companies that manufacture products containing this chemical claim that it is safe, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has registered it as a pesticide. The chemical formulation and molecular structure of this compound are similar to some of the most toxic chemicals on earth, relating it to dioxins and PCBs. The EPA gives triclosan high scores both as a human health risk and as an environmental risk."

But what about killing evil swine flu germs with the hand sanitizer brigade?!? Dr. McGee writes the following: "Employing a strong antibiotic agent such as triclosan for everyday use is of questionable value. Many antimicrobial treatments are toxic and take a shotgun approach to killing all microscopic organisms to which they are applied. However, this approach includes the risk of toxicity to host organisms, that is, the plants or animals (including humans) exposed to treatment for microbial infections. Toxic exposure to living creatures can also occur when food items and objects such as utensils or hard surfaces are treated with disinfectants for microbial contamination. Additionally, the shotgun approach destroys the beneficial bacteria which occur naturally in the environment and in our bodies. These so-called friendly bacteria cause no harm and often produce beneficial effects such as aiding metabolism and inhibiting the invasion of harmful pathogens. Anti-microbial formulas and disinfectants can also cause genetic mutations resulting in drug-resistant bacterial and mutant viruses, producing new strains of harmful microbes for which the human immune system has no defense."

Just what the kids need in school.

Just what you need in your breast milk, too! According to the Environmental Working Group, triclosan is commonly used in 140 different consumer products, including children's toys, undergarments and toothpaste. By presenting so many opportunities for the modern consumer to be exposed to this pesticide, it has become quite common for women to have significant amounts of triclosan in their breast milk. Given that triclosan is often used in diaper cream, mattresses. baby clothes, etc., your average baby has significant exposure to this "antifungal" and "antibacterial" pesticide.

Well, at least I have a retort for my daughter's obsessive compulsive teacher tomorrow morning.

SODIUM TRIPOLYPHOSPHATE

Found this ingredient on the label for Kraft Macaroni and Cheese: The Cheesiest, following four other ingredients (at least).

Here is the basic rundown, via Wikipedia:

• Often referred to as STPP, sometimes STP or sodium triphosphate or TPP.
• The formula is: Na₅P₃O_10.
• This is basically a salt. It is actually the sodium salt of triphosphoric acid (a condensed form of phosphoric acid). Keep in mind that phosphoric acid is often used for rust removal and food-grade phosphoric acid is linked to lower bone density (imagine food-grade phosphoric acid shaving calcium off your bones as it would remove rust from metal).
  
• _{Mostly used as a preservative for seafood, meats, poultry and pet food. Also can be used in toothpaste and as a builder in soaps and detergents, improving their cleansing ability.}
• _{Morover, according to Wikipedia: "}STPP is a solid inorganic compound used in a large variety of household cleaning products, mainly as a builder, but also in human foodstuffs, animal feed, industrial cleaning processes andceramics manufacture. STPP is widely used in regular and compact laundry detergents and automatic dishwashing detergents (in powder, liquid, gel and/or tablet form), toilet cleaners, surface cleaners, and coffee urn cleaners. It also provides a number of chemical functions including: sequestration of "water hardness," enabling surfectants to function effectively; pH buffering; dirt emulsification and prevention of deposition; hydrolysis of grease; and dissolving-dispersing dirt particles."
• Also: "In foods, STPP is used to retain moisture. Many governments regulate the quantities allowed in foods, as it can substantially increase the sale weight of seafood in particular. Many people find STPP to add an unpleasant taste to food, particularly delicate seafood. The taste tends to be slightly sharp and soapy and is particularly detectable in mild-tasting foods. The increased water holding properties can also lead to a more diluted flavor in the food." Great. Adds to the consumer's final cost and makes the final product taste watery, soapy and diluted.
• Since STPP is widely used in regular and compact laundry detergents, it has raised concerns due to its tendency to "irritate skin and mucous membranes and cause vomiting. Is easily absorbed through the skin from clothes."
  

So, this is a salt, commonly used as a preservative and moisture retainer for human foodstuffs. Also, sodium tripolyphosphate is often used in laundry detergents and other cleaning agents. Seems mild enough but has been earmarked as an irritant, which is easily absorbed through the skin....

The questions is: do we really need this stuff in macaroni and cheese? I imagine that its role in the Kraft Mac and Cheese is to retain moisture for the "cheese sauce" mixture. Do my conscientious readers have any good guesses?