I just received the monthly newsletter that the local UU Church sent to me and it contained the below article. I thought it was worth sharing. I know that I, for one, am going to be more careful in reading the label when I buy vinegar again!
Check Your Vinegar Labels!
In addition to being an essential ingredient in salad dressing, vinegar is widely recommended as a “green cleaner.” However, some vinegars obtain their primary ingredient, acetic acid, from natural gas or petroleum, rather than fermented corn or apples. Who knew? Our source went right to the FDA, which in turn consulted the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which said: “Presently, we authorize the manufacture of vinegar from ethyl alcohol synthesized from natural gas or petroleum derivatives. It is our opinion that most of the distilled spirits used in the production of vinegar are derived from natural gas and petroleum… “When alcohol is used in the production of beverage products, our regulations require that the source of the alcohol be shown on the label except for cordials and liqueurs. Incidentally, I might add that most of the alcohol used in the production of medicinal preparations and flavors is synthetic.”
For complete story see http://tinychoices.com/2008/05/07/is-vinegar-made-from-petroleum/
