Propylene Glycol, Are You Being Fed Antifreeze

To start lets first try to figure out what exactly propylene glycol (PG) is, it is a synthetic chemical that is made by combining propylene oxide and water, and essentially has temperature regulating properties (1). So the next thing to know is what exactly this is used for, basically there are a couple of things that it is used for including; it is used as a type of antifreeze as a substitution for ethylene glycol especially when it comes to adding it to food due to the fact that ethylene is much more toxic than propylene glycol which has been approved by the FDA as a “Generally Recognized as Safe” which means that they believe that is it safe enough to be used as an additive to food (2)(3) but ethylene glycol has not. It can also be used to stop food from freezing or forming ice crystals, this is a key ingredient in ice creams and other frozen foods so that it can be transported in low temperatures. The next thing it is known to be used for is stop food from freezing or forming ice crystals, this is a key ingredient in ice creams and other frozen foods so that it can be transported in low temperatures (3). Finally, the last and possibly most interesting thing is the fact this it is used for now is in e-cigarettes and used for vaping.

So, if so many different agencies are so okay with the chemical why are people still afraid of it? One issue that has been found with the product, especially when it used to smoke or if it is found in beauty products, it leads to irritation and allergic reactions for people that have skin conditions such as eczema or psoriasis or sensitive skin in general (4). The other argument around PG is the fact that it is technically antifreeze and many people believe the consumption of it could lead to harm done to your body long term regardless whether or not the FDA, European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) (6) and WHO have deemed it safe as well as other agencies such as the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals who recommend even buying PG based antifreeze if there is a small chance your pets might ingest the product by accident (5) which mainly indicates that while a chemical might have antifreeze properties it can't exactly kill you

    https://pixabay.com/en/ice-cream-cone-melting-hot-1579124/

So if you have sensitive skin or you're just not a fan of the idea that you are consuming something that is known to be harmful there are options out there for you, if you’re looking for an alternative for the anti freeze in food products and beauty, there is a company called Zemea that makes a planted based product called 1,3-Propanediol which is thought to be less toxic and less likely to pose health threats (6) or simply propylene glycol free products. In regards to it being used in e-cigarettes and vaping, an alternative is vegetable glycerin which extracted from vegetables and therefore is more natural and safe (7)


References:

(1) What are propylene glycols? - Propylene Glycol Sector Group. (2017). Propylene-glycol.com. Retrieved 3 March 2017, from http://www.propylene-glycol.com/what-is-propylene-glycol

(2) Propylene glycol.. (2017). Gpo.gov. Retrieved 26 February 2017, from https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2016-title21-vol3/xml/CFR-2016-title21-vol3-sec184-1666.xml

(3) Select Committee on GRAS Substances (SCOGS) Opinion: Propylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol Monostearate. (2017). Fda.gov. Retrieved 28 February 2017, from https://www.fda.gov/Food/IngredientsPackagingLabeling/GRAS/SCOGS/ucm261045.htm

(4) Lessmann, H., Schnuch, A., Geier, J., & Uter, W. (2005). Skin-sensitizing and irritant properties of propylene glycol. Data analysis of a multicentre surveillance network (IVDK*) and review of the literature. Contact Dermatitis, 53(5), 247-259. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.0105-1873.2005.00693.x

(5) Position Statement on the Use of Taste-Aversive Additives in Antifreeze. (2017). ASPCA. Retrieved 1 March 2017, from http://www.aspca.org/about-us/aspca-policy-and-position-statements/position-statement-use-taste-aversive-additives 

(6) 1,3-PROPANEDIOL | C3H8O2 - PubChem. (2017). Pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 1 March 2017, from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/1_3-propanediol 

(7) PG vs. VG-based E-Liquid Mixtures - Perfecting Throat Hit, Consistency, and Vapor Production. (2017). Learn.eversmoke.com. Retrieved 1 March 2017, from http://www.learn.eversmoke.com/pg-vs-vg-based-e-liquid.html