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general News No earthworms in food The slimy, little earthworm rumor is raising its head once again. People are calling McHenry County Extension food specialists wanting to know how food companies dare put ear­ thworms in their hot dogs! The answer is that they are not putting earthworms in any food, according to Nancy Moore, University of Illinois home economist. There are no ear­ thworms in anybody's hot dogs, she said, at least not in the USA. So where's the fuss coming from? It starts when people read labels, and come across the big words ."sodium erythorbate" (say: air-i-THOR-bate) in the ingredient list, Ms. Moore said, and think that "erythorbate" sounds like "earth". "It may sound like earth, but it has no relation to earth or earthworms at all," she said. "Erythorbate is actually very closely related to vitamin C (ascorbate). Chemically, the two substances are almost identical. Both have a chain of six carbon atoms, with hydrogens and oxygens stuck along the sides." The difference between the two is that, on one of the car­ bons, the hydrogen and oxygen changed places. This little difference is important enough to our cells that erythorbate only has one-twentieth the vitamin activity of vitamin C.' So what's erythorbate doing in your hot dog? For one thing, erythorbate and vitamin C have been used for years to improve the quality of meat cured with salt and nitrates. Nitrates in cured meat give the meats their typical pink color, prevent the development of "warmed over" flavors when you reheat cooked cured meat, and prevent the growth of botulism-causing bacteria in vacuum-packed meats like hot dogs and hams. Then in the 1960's, researchers discovered that nitrites, par-/ ticularly in meats, can reaj with other compounds of meat protein and form nitrosamines. And in the '70's, they found out that nitrosamines might cause cancer. "The immediate reaction was to say "Let's take the nitrites out of meat," Ms. Moore said. "But if we do that, then other kinds of spoilage, particularly botulism, can occur. Which is worse, the possibility of botulism or cancer? No one can really answer that question, when either one can kill or 'cripple you." In the search for compromises - ways to have safe meat products that don't cause cancer or permit botulism - scientists found that nitrite, when com­ bined with certain anti-oxidants, increase or prolong the activity of the nitrate, which means we can use less of it for the same final effect," Moore said. Erythorbate is a very good anti-oxidant, she said. So is vitamin C, but it is a lot more expensive because it is more difficult to make than erythorbate. After a lot of testing, there are now combinations of less nitrite and more erythorbate that are as effective as the previous higher concentrations of nitrite alone in preventing spoilage. So, when you buy a package of hot dogs and the ingredient list has "sodium erythorbate," you are getting a good, safe product that's not likely to spoil or to increase your chances of developing cancer. V Jewels of the Christmas season > - Just a tiny speck among the vastness of the universe wasthte one world of ours-the only planet whose people chose to sin. Wonder of all wonders that God would bend so close to this little world in its rebellion to offer it hope and a way of rescue. Only one word and He could have sent this world into oblivion. But we were important to Him and He sent the Christmas B*61<T •WW"' up among us and show us the happy way to live. To Him we are treasured. "They shall be mine," He says, "in that day when I make up my jewels." For His birthday, let us give Him all the praise and honor due His name and find true peace this Christmas season. SECTION 2 - PAGE 7 - PLAINDEALEE - WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 14. 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