I'm No Chemist

     Copper sulfate: commercially produced chemical compound How is it produced? By mixing various copper compounds with sulfuric acid. Brief definition: a poisonous blue crystalline copper salt used in agriculture. Let me get this straight. It is toxic. It is harmful to living organisms. So why the heck is it an ingredient in the peanut butter that I’ve been eating on a daily basis since I don’t know when? Recently, while partaking of my daily peanut butter fix, I noticed a comment on the label indicating that this “spread” has less fat than peanut butter. I thought I was eating peanut butter. This is when I decided to actually read the label, especially the ingredients. “Copper sulfate” jumped out at me like a thoroughbred in a steeple chase. Now I’m no chemist, but this didn’t sound good to me, so I “Googled” it. I found that humans handling the substance are required to wear protective gear. I also discovered some suggested uses: herbicide, pesticide, fungicide, (in lieu of eating it, perhaps I should apply some to my dog’s ringworm). It is not to be used in waters containing goldfish, or trout. Sounds like an ideal food additive to me! NOT! This substance is also found in dog food. Apparently copper by itself has nutritional value. Okay, I’ll buy that. But what about the sulfuric acid? I have been hearing snippets about unhealthy food additives, but as usual, I am always too busy to really pay much attention. However, I’m thinking this may be the time to start. On my next trip to the supermarket, I purchased a moderate size jar of organic peanut butter. It has four ingredients, none of which could kill the algae in the local pond. Of course, the cost was considerably higher, not that I mind. I'm usually a penny pincher, but henceforth, I am willing to spend more on what I ingest, and save money on things that won't negatively impact my health.