Tommy Thompson announced that he is resigning from his cabinet position in the Bush government. He also announced that the terrorists have a wide-open shot to poison our food supply and kill American citizens.

This statement was calculated to get a response from the White House and sure enough, on December 6th it was announced that food suppliers have to keep a paper trail on where they buy the food and whom they ship it to.

I guess we can then catch some of them after the event if we do this.

Several days ago, I had the taste for Clam Chowder Soup. I opened a can of Campbell's Select Clam Chowder and enjoyed one serving. Then I read the can ingredients and discovered it has MSG (monosodium glutamate) in it as a flavor enhancer. I guess Campbell Soup can't make a good soup without it.

I called their 1-800-257-8443 customer service number and ask if they knew how much MSG, I received in the serving. The answer was that because it was less than 2 percent of the ingredients, they didn't have to measure it according to the FDA regulations. In other words, if a cook put too much in, we would never know. It certainly reduces Campbell's liability when they make mistakes.

The next day for lunch, I had the second half of the can of soup.

I never had a problem with MSG, although my wife had serious problems when we were first married, and by process of elimination, we determined that the MSG was causing all her health problems. That night at bedtime, I had a migraine headache, which is extremely unusual for me.

I finally realized I'm aging and my tolerance for chemical food additives is diminishing. And I realized that my Campbell soup episode is a wake-up call to read all food labels before I consume the product.

Last night, I also viewed the documentary film called "Sweet Misery" which recites the 25-year saga of Aspartame (Nutrasweet, Equal) and it's development by the G.D. Searle Company. You won't find it at Blockbuster but it is available via the Internet. www.mercola.com The basic problem is that the chemical composition interferes with many metabolic processes in the body and causes all sorts of health problems. There are over 5,000 products marketed in the US that contain aspartame and the cumulative effect can be devastating. Diet pop is the major user of the chemical. Many mothers allow their kids to drink it. Could this chemical be a major factor in Attention Deficit Disorder?

The FDA approved it through a politicized manipulation of the Review board at the FDA.

The FDA says that any food additive that is safe for 999,999 people out of a million is OK to market. In other words, if it kills 250 to 300 people a year in this country it is OK. Coincidentally, Donald Rumsfeld was the President of Searle at the time that the FDA approved this sickening chemical. Go to www.dorway.com to learn why you should avoid this sweetener.

I now realize that we are doing a great job of making Americans sick and in some cases dying from what is in our current food supply. I should also mention that unwashed fruits and vegetables (salmonella) from Central and South America, as well as our domestic meat suppliers (e-coli & etc) also contribute to this experience.

Frankly, I don't think we need any help from terrorists outside of this country. We have enough domestic sources that are legitimately terrorizing our food supply with the approval of the FDA.

Tom Braun RPh

tbran@wans.net

Retired but not senile yet!

Copyright © 2005 Thomas Braun

T. Braun, Pharmacist, Buyer, Marketing Executive for a Major Drug Chain. Active for over 45 years in Pharmacy.

Legal Stuff: Disclaimer - This document is informational in nature. Medical advice should be secured through your physician.

TOM ADVISES IN HIS MOST RECENT COLUMN, "Take charge of your body by understanding what you are taking and why." Read "MINDING YOUR MEDICATION"

READ HIS OTHER RECENT COLUMNS OF INTEREST, "MEDICAL & BUSINESS ETHICS & GORILLAS," "DOESN'T THE FDA EVER LEARN FROM THEIR MISTAKES?" "WHY WE CAN'T WIN THE WAR ON CANCER" AND "OUR MEDICAL CRISIS & ITS IMPACT ON SENIOR."

ALSO HIS COLUMN ABOUT STATINS AND IMPOTENCY, "HOW PFIZER'S LIPITOR CAN BE DANGEROUS TO YOUR SEX LIFE, BUT PFIZER'S VIAGRA FIXES IT ALL UP."