200 replies to this topic

[David Meadows]

Wait -- there's such a thing as explosive dust?

[Steve Sensible]

Wait -- there's such a thing as explosive dust?

Flour dust can be highly combustible.

[al-x]

Hello:

I learned that Coke uses high fructose corn syrup to substitute
sugar in the US but the Mexican Coke still uses sugar.

Imported Coke anyone?



Al...

[David Meadows]

According to the can, it uses sugar in the UK too. (That's something I've just learned.)

[Arjan Dirkse]

I'm not sure normal sugar is that much better than high fructose corn syrup.

[David Meadows]

It's not much better, but it is better.

Though anyone who really cares about that sort of stuff shouldn't be touching coke of any variety anyway.

[garjones]

in malaysia i had my luggage put through the scanner, then handed back to me to check it in to the plane and then I got scanned. I was like 'uh guys, you're not supposed to let me have my luggage back after you've scanned it - why don't I just put it on the plane and then you check me??'.

Yeah I've never quite understood that one, that's not consistent either, they do that in Penang and the KL low cost terminal but not in the main KL airport. I can't work out if it's deeply flawed or an extra check. I know a guy works for Malaysian Airlines so may ask him.

I'm not sure normal sugar is that much better than high fructose corn syrup.

It's probably cheaper, they dish out Coke in the US like it's water.

[craggy]

Wait -- there's such a thing as explosive dust?

loads of dust is. I learned about this in school. In both craft & design and chemistics (one of the sciences I took). It's something to do with the fact that there are these combustible elements (fuel, in the form of all the dust) and a lot of oxygen. All it needs is the right application of heat and: KABLOOEY!

[Chris Fenton]

Yeah it is pretty much any dust with the right % mixture with oxygen. My mum worked a few shifts at the local silver spoon sugar factory and everyone had to be grounded to ensure that static shocks wouldn't cause explosions due to all the sugar dust in the air.

[brucegray666]

I learnt that Marcus Fenix from Gears of War and Bender from Futurama are voiced by the same guy.

[craggy]

I had been sort of surprised to learn that when I first did, many a moon ago. Today, I learnt that today Bruce learned that. And also something else, work-related.

Yeah it is pretty much any dust with the right % mixture with oxygen. My mum worked a few shifts at the local silver spoon sugar factory and everyone had to be grounded to ensure that static shocks wouldn't cause explosions due to all the sugar dust in the air.

air filled with sugar?
like breathing candy floss!!!!

[Martin Smith]

I'm not sure normal sugar is that much better than high fructose corn syrup.

I had a can of imported American Vanilla coke not long ago and you really can taste the difference. The American one is a lot thicker and has a sort of gloopy sediment.

[Arjan Dirkse]

I had a can of imported American Vanilla coke not long ago and you really can taste the difference. The American one is a lot thicker and has a sort of gloopy sediment.

But in the EU coca cola uses HFCS as well, right?

Still I mean regarding health, not taste. I'm not sure the health difference is that profound. It's almost gotten to the point that "real natural sugar" is touted as a health product or some kind of superfood compared to HFCS...but sugar will still get you fat, and addicted, and it rots your teeth.

On a related note, I noticed stevia is now accepted as a sweetener in the EU. That could be good news, but I bought some sweetened fruity milky drink to sample it, and it definitely tasted iffy...it had an unpleasant slightly bitter aftertaste. I'm not sure if the weird taste was caused by the stevia or any other ingredient though.

Edited by Arjan Dirkse, 24 March 2012 - 05:04 PM.

[garjones]

But in the EU coca cola uses HFCS as well, right?

Still I mean regarding health, not taste. I'm not sure the health difference is that profound. It's almost gotten to the point that "real natural sugar" is touted as a health product or some kind of superfood compared to HFCS...but sugar will still get you fat, and addicted, and it rots your teeth.

I think it's mainly a cost thing. The US has tariffs against sugar imports and produce a lot of corn, which it subsidises, which is no slight on the US as agricultural subsidies exist across the developed world, I think France abuses them most but we all do it. If you go to countries like Cuba or Mauritius (as I have) where sugar is a plentiful crop then you buy bottles of rum for around a dollar while vodka and beer cost 10 times as much. It would make no sense for them to use HFCS.

I don't have any information on the exact makeup of EU Coca-Cola recipes but the overall intake of sugar is way higher than the US which suggests they don't use it to the same degree.

[Martin Smith]

Still I mean regarding health, not taste. I'm not sure the health difference is that profound. It's almost gotten to the point that "real natural sugar" is touted as a health product or some kind of superfood compared to HFCS...but sugar will still get you fat, and addicted, and it rots your teeth.

Actually, while sugar's not great for your teeth, it's not that bad. It dissolves in saliva quite quickly, so doesn't cause as much damage to tooth enamel as say crisps, which clog on the teeth and take longer to dissolve.

[Christian U]

It'd still be better not to eat it, though.



I don't drink cokes or any of that stuff (except on very rare occasions), but I do take sugar in my coffee, which is a stupid habit, but one I can't stop.

[steveuk]

Coffee with sugar tastes better. It's flavour not stupidity.

Try honey. it's even better.

[Christian U]

I sometimes do take honey, that's lovely, too.


But I dunno about flavour... apparently once you're weaned off the sugar, everything you used to take with it tastes better somehow because its own flavour had been covered up with sugariness. Or so ex-sugary people tell me.

[Steve Sensible]

But I dunno about flavour... apparently once you're weaned off the sugar, everything you used to take with it tastes better somehow because its own flavour had been covered up with sugariness. Or so ex-sugary people tell me.

That's not something I'll ever know. Life without sugary things would not be worth living.

[steveuk]

Meanwhile, in my kitchen, right now....

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