Stupid warning

[Alessandro Bottoni <albo -at- CADLAB -dot- IT>]

I received the following "poison in food" message from someone who is
probably using the mail list's user list as a starting point for his/her
shady busynness.

As an (ex) environmental chemist, I think that this message is very suspect
and I suggest you to be extremely careful with this people. Most likely,
they are just tring to get some easy money out from suggestible people.

In detail:
1) There are always several toxic substances in any kind of food, so why
worry about a particular one?
2) The concentration of these toxic substances are always very very small.
There is no reason to worry about them as an imminent threat for you life.
They can cause cancer, though.
3) In any case, there is no known method to "clean" contaminated food. Just
do not eat it.

If you are worried about contaminated food, have a look at a few of the many
web sites that deal with this topic from a scientific point of view.

I hope this will avoid  you some trouble

-----Original Message-----
From: uk4u -at- uk4u4o -dot- net <uk4u -at- uk4u4o -dot- net>
To: You -at- ALL -dot- mit -dot- edu <You -at- ALL -dot- mit -dot- edu>
Date: lunedì 24 novembre 1997 17.20
Subject: Poison in food we all eat (e.g., fruit, meat, cheese)


>
>To: Scientists and non-scientists
>
>In most countries, law requires us to offer help to
>anyone whose life is in danger.
>
>An extremely poisonous "substance" may infest the very
>common - basic - types of foodstuff.
>
>It causes cancer and destroys the immune system. There
>is no known antidote, no cure. Cooking or freezing do
>not destroy it. Death by it may be slow and painful.
>
>              ------------------
>In the USA, danger is minimized thanks to rigorous and
>frequent tests by FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
>              ------------------
>       -There is no cause for undue alarm-
>              ------------------
>
>THE ANSWER
>----------
>In order to further reduce the risk, the chairman of
>SIPEC, a Consumer Protection nonprofit society in
>Athens, has prepared a guidebook on
>
>a) How to detect - and thus avoid - the said poison.
>
>b) How to make, with no tools, an inexpensive instrument
>   that will immediately render the poison "visible."
>   (said instrument is small, highly portable, materials
>   can be bought for about 12$ from any relevant shop)
>
>c) A natural substance, that might benefit those already
>   exposed to small amounts of this lethal agent.
>
>d) Foods detrimental and harmful to your health.
>
>
>                      ---------
>These instructions are impartial and unbiased, because
>SIPEC is in no way connected to - or financed by - any
>government or business corporation.
>                      ---------
>
>
>You will also get good advice on certain other "hot"
>issues, such as
>
>-credit cards,
>-junk mail,
>-counterfeit currency
> (instructions for making a detector), etc..
>
>                       ---------
>This guidebook is available by e-mail for 10$ (US).
>
>                       ---------
>SIPEC does NOT accept any donations by individuals or
>other entities, for we intend to remain independent.
>                       ---------
>
>"All persons may be sellers in their field but, in all
> other transactions, they are CONSUMERS (Buyers)."
>
>-Educating - informing the consumer is the single most
> realistic way to protect each and every person.
>
>To remain independent, we'd rather receive a little
>from many than a lot from a few. Furthermore, instead
>of accepting a donation, even a small one, we would
>rather "sell" some very useful information for a very
>small fee.
>
>
>                 --------------------------
>                        HOW TO GET IT
>                 --------------------------
>Just fill in the form below and send it to us by airmail,
>(registered).
>
>PLEASE, use a printer, if possible, often hand writing
>is illegible and we get frustrated for not being able to
>reach the person contacting us.
>
>Regards,
>
>Society for Information, Protection,
>Education of Consumers (SIPEC)
>
>                            ---------
>
>PS We respond on a "first come - first served basis".
>This letter contains no exaggerations. The danger is
>real, well documented and disputed by no one. -Only
>the obvious solution remained so far unnoticed. Let
>us send the material at once. With your support, this
>information will be made available for free, as soon
>as we can pay for a web presence and the"advertising"
>of its existence. We need to be our own ISP, (so as
>to address issues that might conflict with those of
>certain "politicians" - or business companies) and
>that costs and we can afford it only with your help
>and support.
>
>Persons with a suppressed immune system (e.g., those
>having received a transplant, HIV positive, seniors)
>will especially benefit.
>
>                 --------------------------------
>                            ORDER FORM
>                 --------------------------------
>
>To: Denis Vaden, (chairman - SIPEC),
>    Box 30135, Gr10033 ATHENS - HELLAS ("Greece")
>
>My name is:____________
>
>My e-mail is:__________
>
>Send me by e-mail the instructive guidebook mentioned
>above. The format I prefer is .TXT  .RTF .DOC MSWORD,
>. HTML .WPD Word Perfect - Corel Word Perfect
>(Leave the one you want, erase all others)
>
>I include 10$ (US) (cash, otherwise bank commissions
>                 are greater than the amount itself)
>OR
>I include the equivalent amount in any major currency.
>
>----------------------------------------------------
>Send the above information by registered air mail to:
>
>Denis VADEN
>(chairman - SIPEC)
>Box 30135
>Gr-10033 ATHENS
>HELLAS ("Greece")
>
>    N O T I C E:
>------------------------------
>(THIS IS A ONE TIME MAILING
>YOU HAVE already BEEN REMOVED)
>------------------------------
>------------------------------
>
>

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