Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: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?

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.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they were very rude (surely they could have just said “no thanks I’m full” or something?!) but I have also experienced that sometimes people from other countries have heard things about food here and are genuinely scared of it, maybe rightly or wrongly. I had friends visit from Germany and they asked me a million questions about milk (they have toddlers who would be drinking it) and were really scared about hormones and antibiotics and the various different labels. I’m also from the UK and as I’m sure OP knows, box mixes are really uncommon there so I guess they were just thrown by it. I know it sounds odd,
but I also found the concept of box mixes extremely strange when I first moved here.

Had you never been down the correct aisle in Sainsbury?

https://www.bettycrocker.co.uk/product/devils-food-cake-mix/

+1
Come on. Packet foods? Spag bol packet mix? Custard powder and M&S curry kits? Brits feigning surprise and these guests are taking the piss.

THIS. Lecturing Americans on food quality as a brit is hilarious.

Have you noticed that there are no restaurants (besides the pasty place in Vienna) that serve "British food?" It's because British food is bad. They had to invade half the world to get some good food on their plates.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they were very rude (surely they could have just said “no thanks I’m full” or something?!) but I have also experienced that sometimes people from other countries have heard things about food here and are genuinely scared of it, maybe rightly or wrongly. I had friends visit from Germany and they asked me a million questions about milk (they have toddlers who would be drinking it) and were really scared about hormones and antibiotics and the various different labels. I’m also from the UK and as I’m sure OP knows, box mixes are really uncommon there so I guess they were just thrown by it. I know it sounds odd,
but I also found the concept of box mixes extremely strange when I first moved here.

Had you never been down the correct aisle in Sainsbury?

https://www.bettycrocker.co.uk/product/devils-food-cake-mix/

+1
Come on. Packet foods? Spag bol packet mix? Custard powder and M&S curry kits? Brits feigning surprise and these guests are taking the piss.

Anonymous wrote:"America does not regulate such products like Europe"

hows that?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your guests are idiotic. Most of those substances haven’t actually been shown to be harmful, just suspected to be harmful (in large quantities and with exposure over long periods). Which means they could have had a brownie.

I’d phase these fools out of your life.

Adding to this… North America (so including Canada) is responsible for 13% of new cancer diagnosis worldwide, Europe is responsible for 25%. NA responsible for 7% of cancer deaths, Europe 20%

Perhaps some additives account for our obesity… far from established in the literature.. the main concern is cancer and we have less of it.

My guess is that’s due to smoking and drinking.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they were very rude (surely they could have just said “no thanks I’m full” or something?!) but I have also experienced that sometimes people from other countries have heard things about food here and are genuinely scared of it, maybe rightly or wrongly. I had friends visit from Germany and they asked me a million questions about milk (they have toddlers who would be drinking it) and were really scared about hormones and antibiotics and the various different labels. I’m also from the UK and as I’m sure OP knows, box mixes are really uncommon there so I guess they were just thrown by it. I know it sounds odd, but I also found the concept of box mixes extremely strange when I first moved here.

I mean, box mixes are gross. But these guests were rude beyond belief.

Box mix brownies have a better texture than from scratch. Same for cakes. To each their own.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:They were rude but that’s the kind of thing where as a host, if you like them, I would just apologize and move on. Now you know, treat it like a food allergy for them.

Honestly I would be so insulted that it would definitely affect the friendship. But while you’re hosting, you’re not in the business of policing them or arguing. Just say “oh” or “it sounds like you know a lot about it” or something like that if they lecture. You can still eat the brownies yourself. Offer fruit or something to the guests or just apologize that there’s no dessert.

I would try to sleep on it and get to a place of understanding that it can be hard to travel with anxiety and to vow to just support them and accommodate them while they visit. I would probably get 80% there which would be enough.

Op - one of them lives here.
I don’t think they are anxious. And I don’t think they are that picky (one is obsessed with Nutella).
Part of what makes it such a weird hill to suddenly die on. Like they were trying to make me feel dumb about it. Was so odd

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think they were very rude (surely they could have just said “no thanks I’m full” or something?!) but I have also experienced that sometimes people from other countries have heard things about food here and are genuinely scared of it, maybe rightly or wrongly. I had friends visit from Germany and they asked me a million questions about milk (they have toddlers who would be drinking it) and were really scared about hormones and antibiotics and the various different labels. I’m also from the UK and as I’m sure OP knows, box mixes are really uncommon there so I guess they were just thrown by it. I know it sounds odd, but I also found the concept of box mixes extremely strange when I first moved here.

I mean, box mixes are gross. But these guests were rude beyond belief.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Your guests are idiotic. Most of those substances haven’t actually been shown to be harmful, just suspected to be harmful (in large quantities and with exposure over long periods). Which means they could have had a brownie.

I’d phase these fools out of your life.

Adding to this… North America (so including Canada) is responsible for 13% of new cancer diagnosis worldwide, Europe is responsible for 25%. NA responsible for 7% of cancer deaths, Europe 20%

Perhaps some additives account for our obesity… far from established in the literature.. the main concern is cancer and we have less of it.