Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Are Flamin' Hot Cheetos really that bad?

Cou - 5-10-2020 at 19:38

Are Flamin' Hot Cheetos really that bad for you? Just because an ingredients list is long, and contains some big long scary names, doesn't mean it's immediately harmful in moderate amounts. I went through all the ingredients in Flamin' Hot Cheetos and reviewed their safety and purpose.

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The worst thing about hot cheetos is that they're mostly carbs and fat. It means they're not inherently toxic in the short term, but if they are a large portion of your diet every day, you'll get the negative health effects from carbs and fat.

[Edited on 10-6-2020 by Cou]

DraconicAcid - 5-10-2020 at 21:10

Cheetos, Cheezies, and other artificially-cheddar-flavoured things are best when literally flaming, because then you can use them to keep a room warm, or ignite a fireplace. I cannot conceive of actually eating them.

Twospoons - 5-10-2020 at 21:29

The artificial colours are probably the worst. I had a colleague who was allergic to at least one of the yellows - gave him nose bleeds.

Cou - 5-10-2020 at 21:53

Quote: Originally posted by Twospoons  
The artificial colours are probably the worst. I had a colleague who was allergic to at least one of the yellows - gave him nose bleeds.


i was disturbed when i found out that red 40 lake is an azo dye, since I learned in advanced chemical synthesis class that azo dyes, such as methyl orange, are often mutagenic.

The point of this post is to rebut those dumb chemophobic health freaks who flip out at the length of an ingredients list, see a few ingredients with big long names like "disodium inosinate", then go on a rant about "chemicals in processed foods" without actually taking time to research every ingredient.

but azo dyes in food might actually be a concern.


[Edited on 10-6-2020 by Cou]

MidLifeChemist - 6-10-2020 at 04:43

Whenever someone mentions Cheetos, I think of food scientists synthesizing foods that will force you to want to eat more due to the chemicals they add and how they react with your taste bads.

valeg96 - 11-10-2020 at 11:49

Azo dyes are not necessarily bad for you. Most are, though, and are thus banned in the EU. Still, I myself don't like to indulge in heavily dyed food... They are really useful in the lab and as reference, and from a pov of a home chemist it's a shame they are banned. I know a chemist that likes to test import foods for illegal dyes and he has a hard time getting pure standards of forbidden azo dyes.

clearly_not_atara - 11-10-2020 at 13:20

recommended reading:
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/24/magazine/the-extraordinar...

BromicAcid - 11-10-2020 at 13:45

Back in high school we did determination of caloric value of different brands of chips by burning them under a cup of a water and measuring the heat differential. It worked remarkably well at the time, however the smoke that was given off by burning foodstuffs caused several people in our class to get sick with chronic coughing throughout the rest of the semester.

Texium - 11-10-2020 at 14:07

I wouldn’t mind at all if Flamin’ Hot Cheetos stopped existing, but the Cheddar Jalapeño ones are to die for. They’re also a much more acceptable orange color instead of the pure Red 40 glow of Flamin’ Hot.

zed - 17-10-2020 at 05:16

I have a weakness for local Dollar Tree, Jalapeno Jack Cheese. Real Cheese. A buck for 5 Oz.. Tastier than any other brand, from what I can tell. I allow myself about an ounce a day. One of my few vices.