• nakal@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    Is this something like “Na is toxic. Cl is toxic. NaCl is tasty.”?

    • TWeaK@lemm.ee
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      1 year ago

      It’s more things that the US would call “Generally Recognised As Safe” or GRAS. Stuff that was tested in the 70s and written off as fine, in spite of the fact that it does have some negative effects. Typically the effects don’t occur immediately in small doses, only very large doses, however at the time there was no real study done on the effects of continuous low doses over a long period. More recent research has determined that they are in fact harmful in this way.

      However, getting businesses to change is hard, because money, and it sounds like they’ve managed to get the EU to back off. Shame.

    • BombOmOm@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It also could be something along the lines of how lead is toxic, but is useful in electronics. Therefore, it makes more sense to tell people to not eat their computer than it does to ban lead.

      • letmesleep@feddit.de
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        1 year ago

        Well, we did ban lead in computers in the EU nearly a decade. Afaik it’s not much of a problem for industrial processes because those can control solder temperatures precisely. For private usage you still can buy solder with lead.

        That said, I do agree with you that there needs to be a distinction regarding how likely the PFAs are to actually end up in someone’s body. Not just based on the type of product but also based on the buyers. Professional equipment sold in specialized stores may be much more dangerous than stuff you can get in the supermarket.

    • NickwithaC@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Unrelated but you just reminded me of CJ from The West Wing:

      I’ve been seated next to a chemist tonight.

      23 Nobel winners, I couldn’t get literature or peace or something?

      They speak in letters that don’t spell anything but end up meaning table salt.

      • nakal@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        Hmm… it is probably not toxic in traditional sense. Otherwise everything can be dangerous, even water.

        Also some people noted that general products are in focus here, not only food. This is a subtle but huge difference.