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Octopus milk

Not for vegans
  (+9)(+9)
(+9)
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Dairy products are of course vegetarian rather than vegan. Cephalopod ink is potentially in a similar category, in that although squid, cuttlefish and the eight-tentacled members of that class whose plural is obscure can produce ink without being killed, i strongly suspect that they are in fact killed to provide ink. This is unnecessary if it can be harvested from them, but there is an additional ethical problem of having to scare them to get them to release it, and the quantities would be fairly small anyhow.
One solution might be to breed cephalopods to secrete larger than usual quantities of ink and release it without being alarmed. They could then be milked in special cephalopod dairies like cows, and vegetarian cephalopod ink would then be available.
This would be a good thing because sepia would then be easily available without killing cuttlefish and it would also be easier to produce vegetarian blue food without artificial colouring. Also, what is the nutritional value of the ink? Is it high in iodine or bromine? How blue is it?
nineteenthly, Jul 03 2005

Catecholamines in the ink gland of the cuttlefish http://www.biochemj...j/378/bj3780785.htm
About what you'd expect of a secretion born of panic, memory, and maturity. [reensure, Jul 03 2005]

Octopamine http://www.greatvis...als/octopamine.html
[reensure, Jul 03 2005]

[link]






       So many questions that need, nay, demand answers! +
reensure, Jul 03 2005
  

       Aha! Sepia *officinalis* - so it's been used medically in the past. Intriguing - thanks for the link.
Can catecholamines be absorbed via the digestive tract? I ought to know that. If not, there's no problem, but if they can be, there's possibly another use that may or may not correspond to some kind of medical benefit. However, i know that squid ink at least, and i think also octopus ink, is eaten.
nineteenthly, Jul 03 2005
  

       Popular additive in pasta. +
sartep, Jul 03 2005
  

       Cow ink?
wagster, Jul 03 2005
  

       That would involve genetic engineering, and we're not allowed to do that here, unless cow ink is invisible.
nineteenthly, Jul 03 2005
  

       Can catecholamines be absorbed via the digestive tract? Yes, but not always are the absorbed products as active as when ingested. Most dopamine in circulation is the sulfated form, produced in the gut when enzymes act on incoming catecholamines. That form won't make you symptomatic of an overdose, but further metabolism can begin the activation of sympathetic nerve stimulation. I'm unable to locate a direct warning or citation to the effect, but I would avoid sepia if I were using a monoamine-oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) drug for high blood pressure or for depression. As circumstantial evidence, see the Octopamine link.
reensure, Jul 03 2005
  

       I'm not sure why, but your idea reminded me of the Bloom County scene where Oliver Wendel Jones and Binkly are trying to extract sweat from Bill the Cat:   

       Milo: President Quayle.
Binkly: He's sweating!
OWJ: I'm sweating!
ato_de, Jul 03 2005
  

       Thanks, [reensure]. As well as that, i understand that there are tyrosinases in squid ink, but would these not be denatured by heat?
There do seem to be things in it with various fairly strong physiological effects. As far as the link is concerned, [reensure], thanks a lot, that's actually very relevant to my profession, and i'll have to think through how to apply this. Ephedra's been under a bit of a cloud over here recently thanks to abuse by people trying to lose weight and being harvested unsustainably.
nineteenthly, Jul 03 2005
  

       "Yes maam we do carry octomilk."
"Will that be homoctogenized, eight percent or cephelopowdered?"
  

       In octohedral cartons perhaps?
nineteenthly, Jul 04 2005
  

       +
CloakedBeauty, Jul 04 2005
  

       Ink I think, is made from zinc,
and harvested by thirsty mink,
These mink they drink and sink much ink,
They really don't mind the wrinkly stink,
So if you want a lot of Ink, Get yourself a ink drinking mink......
Minimal, Jul 05 2005
  

       Hot ink, cold ink
New ink, old ink
Ink kerf, is work
Ink plane, is art
Ink a line
or ink design
Ink alighted life
Ink soaked demise.
reensure, Jul 05 2005
  

       Poetry scares me.
nineteenthly, Jul 05 2005
  

       ... Rumti tiddly dee.
pertinax, Dec 28 2017
  

       YIKES!
nineteenthly, Dec 28 2017
  

       //eight-tentacled//   

       Sp. eight-armed
EnochLives, Dec 28 2017
  

       I once thought   

       Forewarned is half an octopus.
beanangel, Dec 28 2017
  

       Cephalopods are quite intelligent . I'm sure some sort of bartering system can be set up if communicated in the right way.
wjt, Dec 29 2017
  

       //Forewarned is half an octopus.//   

       I don't think I've ever wanted to bun a comment quite as much as I want to bun this one. Happy New Year, [beanie]!
Wrongfellow, Dec 31 2017
  

       Quadrapus.
nineteenthly, Dec 31 2017
  
      
[annotate]
  


 

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