> whereas "cheez" is made of toxic waste and artificial flavouring and colouring...
>
> Probably just as well. The natural flavour and colour of toxic waste is probably even less appealing than you make this sound.
>
> winter"Aha! It IS made of plastic!"mute


Not quite, but close. I understand that one of the milk-protein stabilization agents used in Cheez-Whiz is carboxymethylcellulose, or purified wood pulp. Processed carboxymethylcellulose, along with all the other common preservatives like Sodium Phosphate (a detergent), can vastly increase a product's shelf-life from weeks to years. I think the wood pulp is listed on the label under the nutritional description of "Modified Milk ingredients".

Great. Not only does the massive feed-lot meat industry give processed wood pulp to the cattle and sheep and chickens etc. as a bulk feed product, they feed it to *us*, too.

I've no idea what's in the dry powdered 'cheez' flavouring. Although I'd hazard a guess that it's something like powdered milk shavings, salt, and some bright colouring like FD&C Red Dye #40 and Yellow #5.

Incidentally, the dyes themselves are known as azo dye derivatives, which were once made from coal tar, but now from petroleum. They are frequently used in the food, cosmetics, and clothing industries. However -- even if we used only food colorants and preservatives derived from natural sources (like plants, animals), these 'natural' chemicals would not be necessarily safer or healthier.

Lack of artificial preservatives and colorants explains why kiln-processed and sun-dried Organic foods often look as appetizing as doggie doo-doo. There isn't any other alternative except going back to raising one's own meat and cultivating one's own fresh vegetables and grains in a farming co-operative of some sort.