It's SCIENCE at it's best, my friend. I don't care if it's made out of uranium and the bone marrow of endangered species, I LOVE MY TWINKIES!! (they're even better deep fried)

Mmm, I haven't had a Twinkie since I was a kid, but I do partake in other chemical- laden foods. I am a full-fledged Diet Coke addict.

My mother was and is a health nut. I don't think we've ever had a box of Twinkies in our house growing up. I had to bum them off friends.

Never having been to the States, I've never tried a Twinkie, but the ingredient list is probably no different from the crapola that graces the supermarket shelves in every other country. This book looks excellent - I hope I can pick it up over here (likewise the Jesus Camp DVD that BP mentioned earlier today).

LoriFLA - one of my exes was such a Diet Coke nut that she'd feel physically sick if she hadn't drunk one by about 10am. That cannot be good.

I do partake in other chemical- laden foods.

Are there any foods without chemicals in them? Maybe you're thinking about photosynthesizing?

I hate this kind of scaremongering. As if something is automatically bad for you because it's artificial or it's a 'chemical'. And on top of that you get stuff like this:

Cornstarch is a common thickener. But it's more often used to make cardboard and packing peanuts.

Except it's also a perfectly natural product that's been used in baking since time immemorial. But I suppose since it's also used in cardboard and packing peanuts, that must mean it's bad. I suppose we should steer clear of water as well, since I hear that's used in a bunch of industrial processes too.