Yogurt-like Substance

California-based Frozen Yogurt chain Pinkberry, often referred to as Crackberry or Soylent Pink, had to release its ingredients list last week because of a lawsuit. The suit claimed that Pinkberry misrepresented their products as "frozen yogurt", "all natural", "healthy" and "nonfat", when, in fact, their product is only borderline yogurt and has a long list of additives. Pinkberry addicts are justifiably outraged - they were led to believe that they were eating a more wholesome form of crack. As it turns out, what they were eating is a less wholesome form of crack (well, less natural, in any event).

Pinkberry (not unlike methamphetamine) is an epidemic that started in California and is making its way out east. As such, I haven't had a chance to try it yet, though I did pass by a store the last time I was in New York. Pinkberry was well on its way to world yogurt domination as the suit was brought forth. I wonder if they will keep expanding at the same rate, or if there will be backlash because of the additives.

The complete ingredients list can be found here. It includes some of the usual food additive suspects - artificial color, guar gum, mono and diglycerides, and the 'natural and artificial flavors' catch-all. It also included some chemicals that I am familiar with, but not in the context of food. The most surprising find was magnesium oxide - I had no idea that the powder you get from that lovely white flame could be used as a food additive. According to this site it can be used as the following: "Alkali, Anticaking Agent, Buffer, Drying Agent, Neutralizing Agent" Who knew MgO was so useful? I'll have to save some the next time I do that demo.



While I was looking up the uses of propylene glycol esters, another Pinkberry ingredient, I came across a laundry list of uses for polyethylene glycol:

"Antisticking Agent, Binder, Carrier, Carrier Solvent, Coating Agent, Disintegrating Agent, Dispersing Agent, Filler, Film Former, Flavoring Adjunct or Adjuvant, Formulation Aid, Glaze, Lubricant, Plasticizer, Polish, Release Agent, Surface-Finishing Agent, Tableting Aid"

Astonishing. It's ok to eat polyethylene glycol?! Should I have known that? I guess since ethers are fairly unreactive it can't do much damage. In the lab we use polyethylene glycol to make things that don't want to be water soluble water soluble. Polyethylene glycol is the polymer of ethylene glycol (better known as antifreeze) - the sweet, poisonous liquid that dogs and children can't get enough of.