Thanks, Dale. Well expressed. >I asked for the time and you built me a watch. Thanks for a most >enlightening explanation. > >Jane Frost >"In the Heart of the Ozarks" >----- Original Message ----- >From: <Dwestcw@aol.com> >To: <MOLAWREN-L@rootsweb.com> >Sent: Wednesday, May 17, 2000 9:49 AM >Subject: Re: [MOLAWREN-L] irridiated foods -- 1941 > > >> I do not know if Carnation Milk is still prepared as it was in 1941 with >> respect to the ultra-violet (UV) light radiation. However, the basic >process >> is probably still used. Carnation Condensed Milk is prepared by >homogenizing >> to break up the butterfat particles and evaporating 50% of the contained >> water (they call it "cooking"). Vitamin D is added during this part of >the >> process. The milk is (or at least for years it was) sealed in cans and >then >> the canned milk is sterilized by passing through a steam heated chamber >for >> a specified period of time at a specified temperature. >> >> The effect of UV light on certain organic chemical molecules has been >known >> to chemists for years, and I am aware of recent research at a major U.S. >> chemical company in which UV light exposure was investigated as a means to >> break up an undesired impurity in an industrial chemical. UV light is >> emitted by the sun (that's what causes sunburn) and by artifical lighting. >> It is invisible to the naked eye. However, it is not a subatomic particle >> (i.e. not a particle from an atom) such as gamma, beta, etc. I am not >> familiar with the patent referenced and do not know the reason for the UV >> irradiation other than to surmise that one or more molecules in the milk >> would be changed to another chemical form much the same way heat can break >> down molecules. >> >> My knowledge on the Carnation Milk process is from working two summers in >the >> condensary at Mt. Vernon while in college. >> >> Dale West >> >>