Food colouring....

[Dee]

Went to the local supermarket today to buy some food colouring for the transpiration prac with celery.
No big deal ...you'd think
Food colouring has been removed from the shelves in woolies and I suspect other supermarkets along with all the essences.

This is due to teenagers buying up big on essences now that alchopops are so expensive - when they come back on the market you will have to show id to purchase them and be over 18.

Come on this is a bit much - I jokingly said to the girl behind the check out - will they be put in locked glass fronted cabinets and we will have to get someone to unlock and dole out to us.
She laughed and hesitantly said .... well I wouldn't be surprised

As this is going to solve binge drinking, as if it isn't bad enough that many adults that moderately drink alchopops are being "punished" for underage teenager drinkers. As if the tax has stopped them - now they buy the large bottles and a bottle of soft drink and make drinks twice as strong and get drunk twice as fast.

I know that this is a huge issue, but when it starts to encroach on everyday people in such a way I think it is going way to far.

I warned all the teachers doing the pracs today to NOT let their students drink the remainder of my food colouring - and will need to add this to the risk assessment...lol

[J]

Hi Dee

I bought some powdered food colouring from Q Stores. I just bought red, blue and yellow and mix colours as needed. Enough to last a lifetime in our small school, and as we are not making food for consumption it doesn't matter if it gets out of date. The colours are quite strong and it's easy to use and mix. Haven't had to buy liquid food colours for ages.

Works for me
Julie

[Labbie]

Gosh this is taking things a little too farrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.

Thanks for the warning.

[Sassi]

Is this a joke

[lada]

I had the same problem. Went to Woolies and they did not have any, but coles still had 4 boxes. I never knew, they were not replacing them, it is food colouring for heaven sake, not alcoholic essences

[Slartibartfast]

We buy the powdered stuff from Q Stores also.

Now that the media has broadcast what a few dropkicks have figured out they will have to lock it up as all the other easily influenced types join the bandwagon.

They've done it with cough mixture, metho, cold and flu tablets etc etc.

[Labbie]

Good point Richard, time to lock up the food colouring. life can be strange.

[bindi]

Sorry Lada, that was me I cleaned out Woolies on Friday bought all the red, blue and green.
We were dry but good to here you can buy the powered version from Qstores, never noticed.
Do you need any?? I can drop a few bottles in?

[Lyn]

This explains why I couldn't find a single skerrick of food colouring in Woolies this past week. I rang Woolies this afternoon and spoke to the grocery manager telling him that they were creating havoc nationwide amongst lab techs in high schools and he informed me that the food colouring and essences are now back on the shelves. It is just that when you buy the essences you will need some proof of age. It still won't stop the five finger discount though, by some of the charming cherubs out there. Are there any underage labbies out there?
Lyn

[lada]

Bindi, you have long arms, did you buy up in Darwin, too?
I found some at Coles, thanks.
lada

[Lis]

Im sorry, Im sure I live in my own little bubble sometimes, but I had no idea that food colouring had alcohol in it, is that right, or have I misunderstood? I knew that essences did, but I thought that changed years ago.
Lisa

[Lyn]

No, food colouring does not have alcohol in it. I checked the ingredients yesterday on the bottles I have in stock. Apparently everything was recalled and then put back on the shelves. Bit silly really and very inconvenient when you go to stock up for that important prac that the teacher wants first thing in the morning.
Lyn.

[Ocean Breeze]

Sounds like a bit of a panic! Its not april 1 , is it?
I mean, really, who on earth is going to get away with drinking that stuff without leaving a few colour traces!?
It would stain your mouth, teeth, tongue and inards for a week! And if youre a messy drinker it would leave dribble trails on face and clothing. Bright Blue lips and chin are a bit of a giveaway! Not a good look for clubbing
How do you explain that one! Surely was not going to happen!!!!
Goodness knows what it would leave the toilet bowl!

[Lis]

Hi Barbara

I am in fits, all the visuals, not so pretty, but how funny, can just see all these underagers, trying it out, :cheesy:It would be a real give away

Lisa

[Lyn]

Went shopping in Woolies this morning for Science and while browsing found the food colour. Thought I'd stock up before they pulled the plug again.Grabbed the last of the red, blue and some yellow. Checkout lady looks puzzled when scanning the colour and says she needs proof of age. I looked at her and said how much proof of age do you need as I ran my fingers through my whitening hair and gave her a wrinkled grin. No problem. Turns out the culprit was Cochineal (red in colour) and 18% alcohol. Be a dead giveaway drinking the stuff. So my previous post about non-alcoholic colour was not quite right.
Lyn.

[RosalieM]

Just out of curiosity, what labels do you use on your dropper bottles for food colouring? At the moment I just have the colour, but should there be extra information?

Rosalie

[Dee]

I guess - "don't drink" lol

I don't have labels on them as they are already labelled from the shops - in box with 4 squeezy bottles or in the larger purchased bottles sent out with droppers - but I only have Seniors so they generally are more sensible (for the most part) - but now I have to worry about drunken year 12 students with coloured tongues after downing 10mls of food colouring -so I think a red teacher only dot may be the way to go hehehe


I wonder if we now need MSDS for them? Are they now classified as hazardous? Must check chemwatch, oops just checked appendix D can't find them listed at all, so we probably aren't even allowed food colourings in schools. There goes the transpiration prac......

[Labbie]

Yes their would be more to it than just the colour. Check with Chemwatch, and after you have gone through all the different brand names, perhaps you will find the one you are after.


So are they banned

[RosalieM]

Queen brand is not hazardous according to Chemwatch (I looked up the blue one before I read these replies), but I didn't look for the brand I am using. I bought some larger bottles from Q Stores which is why I don't give out those ones - can you imagine what would happen if 500ml of each colour went out?!

[Dee]

Just checked out chemwatch for fun - 3,400 odd results for food colourings, food dyes

some had moderate risk and 5,000 ingrediants, some had low risk, all had very bizarre first aid, fire fighting, protective gear warnings etc etc

I didn't realise food colouring was such a dangerous item - and I let my children use playdough coloured with it and eat rainbow cake - what a bad mother I am

I found a listing for cochineal - but we don't have that and didn't find a listing for Queens brand - so I am sorry the food colouring has to go *very much tongue in cheek*