The Sun in Taurus is making a conjunction to Ceres, the goddess of agriculture (as well as some secret rites), exact tomorrow. Speaking of secrets, Eric pointed out to me recently that “the composition of food is becoming a kind of secret rite of the chemical magi” – and yesterday I had a reason to pipe up about that.
I’d just read a newsletter from my awesome, neighborhood market, which offers local produce, meat and dairy as often as possible as well as organic as much as they can. They began as a bakery, and sell their own baked goods, soups and a selection of better-than average prepared meals — all with a full listing of ingredients. The newsletter proudly declared they would soon begin using a locally made butter in all of their baked goods. Exciting news — it’s great butter — except for one thing: I had discovered a few months ago that their unsalted butter (the kind most bakers use) contains an unnamed “natural flavoring.” Their salted butter is just sweet cream and sea salt.
I wrote an email to the manager of the market, who writes the newsletter, explaining how I noticed this ingredient — and that it might be a problem.
A few months ago I had a conversation on Facebook with a friend who has some dietary restrictions. She had posted a comment complaining how frustrated she was that an “all natural” butter seemed to be the key ingredient that was making her feel sick when she ate her own baked goods. I don’t know all her sensitivities, but I do know she bakes gluten-free and cooks from scratch because of her sensitivities.
I suggested this great, local, all-natural butter. My friend said the butter causing the reaction was that very brand and that she was going to have to go back to a national brand – which bummed her out.