Reply to Is it rude to serve guests something ‘shelf safe’

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]We have guests visiting from the uk (I am also from the uk originally) and for desert the kids had made brownies from a mix, mainly just so they could be involved in making the dinner. Guests refused the dessert and said it’s bc it was ‘shelf safe’ and America does not regulate such products like Europe (eg emulsifiers). I am aware of this fact but genuinely open to being told that making anything from a prepared mix is no longer ok - I guess I didn’t realize? [/quote]

Am also a US resident from another country that regulates food and make up more Are they worried about the preservatives or GMO ?  In my experience, people from EU and Australia worry more about GMO and additives in food products. I think your guests over-reacted though and showed very little grace.

FYI

Brownie mixes may contain preservatives like potassium sorbate to extend their shelf life and prevent mold and bacteria growth: common additives in brownie shelf safe mixes are:
Potassium sorbate
Sodium propionate
Calcium propionate

Potassium sorbet
May cause allergic reactions, headaches, migraines, asthma, gastrointestinal upset, and hyperactivity.

Sodium propionate
Inhaling sodium propionate can cause coughing and a sore throat. Contact with the skin can cause irritation, and contact with the eyes can cause pain and redness.

Calcium propionate
May cause headaches, migraines, allergic reactions, and skin rashes. One study found that children who ate bread containing calcium propionate daily experienced irritability, restlessness, poor attention, and sleep issues.

I doubt eating the brownies once would have caused severe symptoms. Though I suppose they may be more sensitive to additives if they don’t eat foods containing then often.

I wouldn’t worry about your friends being (uncharacteristically for the British) rather blunt and rude. They may have food sensitivities and life is too short. Enjoy your guests. 
[/quote]

Most PPs seem to have misinterpreted OP’s question as to being whether the guests were rude rather than the host for serving potentially unsafe food product.

I think OP responded that one of the guests lives in US and they are not that picky

I think Americans just don’t worry about food additives and food supply issues as much as many Europeans and Aussies/ Kiwis. The laxer US food chain oversight also gets a lot of bad press in other countries so many non Americans western folks worry about what they consume when they are here.

However many poorer countries have even laxer food chain oversight so everything is relative.

[u]OP it is not rude in the US to serve desserts made from shelf safe packet mixes. However, guests from other countries may be much more concerned about the additives. So I think the question is off - it more a mismatch of food quality expectations between US and most other Western countries.[/u]

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/us-food-additives-banned-europe-making-americans-sick-expert-says/

“London — From baguettes to focaccia, Europe is famous for its bread. But there's one ingredient conspicuously missing: Potassium bromate. It's a suspected carcinogen that's banned for human consumption in Europe, China and India, but not in the United States.”

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/banned-ingredients-in-other-countries/amp/

Banned Ingredients 
#1 — Dough Conditioners
#2 — Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO)
#3 — Propylparaben
#4 — BHA and BHT
#5 — Synthetic Food Dye's
#6 — GMOs
#7 — Roxarsone
#8 — Ractopamine
#9 — Herbicides, Insecticides, Fungicides
#10 — Olestra
#11 — Synthetic Hormones

[/quote]

Potassium bromate, bvo, some parabens, red #3 will be banned in 2027.

https://www.npr.org/2023/10/10/1204839281/california-ban-food-additives-red-dye-3-propylparaben-candy[/quote]

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