Bad Bad Hexane

Thanks to a good friend of mine bringing this up, I want to talk about Hexane today.  Most of you probably don't know what this is, so I am going to inform you and hopefully your exposure to it is already minimal. 

What is Hexane?
It is a chemical that is produced through the refining of crude oil.

What is Hexane used for?
It is used thinks like glue, leather, roofing, cleaning products and textile manufacturing. However, the focus of this article is to discuss how they are used in extracting oils from seeds.

Where is Hexane found in food?
It is heavily used in the processing of soy, however, not in soy that is 100% organic.  About 80% of the soy on the market is genetically modified and therefore not organic and has the potential of also containing hexane.  Woof!  What a bad combination.  Check out this article. 
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2010-04-14/entertainment/27061743_1_veggie-burgers-organic-soy-organic-ingredients

What's so bad about Hexane?
Here is a link to OSHA's guidelines.  Check out in particular the Evaluation section about 1/3 of the way down.  Does this sound like something you want to be consuming?  I certainly hope not. 

I can't believe that a human being decides that using chemicals like these in processing food is OK.  It is done from a business perspective to increase revenue as all businesses are run, but at the cost of the health of the consumer.  That just isn't right. 

Read up on the things you eat.  The Internet is a huge source of free knowledge and knowledge will make you healthier.  Who wants to get a cold or have to visit the oncologist.  No one.  So do yourself a favor and learn about the ingredients in your food.  Don't know what something is, just google it and odds are you won't like what you are reading.  Best of all, stay away from the aisles of the grocery store (where the most processed foods are) whenever possible and it becomes really easy. 

Have a great day!!