The 1906 book The Jungle described a common tactic of using sawdust as an ingredient in sausages, used as cheap filler. People would seem to be eating well, but would still be undernourished. This book helped create the US FDA, which banned such practices.
I wonder if a tasteless filler without calories should be allowed. Perhaps sawdust is a poor choice, but there must be some industrial product that can't be digested yet doesn't cause harm. This could be used as a diet product -allowing for filling, low-cal foods without too much reduction in flavor.-- Worldgineer, Aug 08 2006 (?) Arbocel® Powdered Cellulose http://jrs.venux.ne...ations/pet_food.vml"indigestible raw fiber content of 98%" - I think this is what you're looking for. Except, of course, it's intended for dogfood. [DrCurry, Aug 08 2006] Tasti D Lite http://www.tastidlite.com/pages/faq.htmlMain ingredient: air. Read the "What is Overrun?" FAQ [Worldgineer, Aug 08 2006] Stone diet Seals_20do_20it_2e_...lets_20eat_20stonesHey might work and wont hurt... really... [madness, Aug 09 2006] the nutritional value of lettuce http://www.nutritio...ts-001-02s01wq.html7.2 calories per serving [jutta, Aug 10 2006] Miracle Noodle (konjac-mannan pasta) http://www.miraclenoodle.com/Zero calories, pure soluble fiber. [jutta, Oct 03 2006] Oh look, truth is ahead of fiction. http://shine.yahoo....food-200000107.htmlNumber 3 is wood (cellulose) [ye_river_xiv, Mar 09 2012] food adulteration in the Victorian era http://books.google...v=onepage&q&f=false..care of Karl Marx, of all people... [not_morrison_rm, Mar 12 2012] Cellulose http://www.ukfoodguide.net/e460.htmAlso called E460, it's commonly used in human food. [Voice, Mar 13 2012] Wood Cheese http://www.bloomber...penne-could-be-woodTo serve on your sausages. [Worldgineer, Feb 18 2016] Rusk is used as filler in cheap sausages. Soya protein is used in cheap hamburgers. Admittedly, neither is taste-free, and they do have some caloric value.-- angel, Aug 08 2006 Petrolleum jelly?-- notmarkflynn, Aug 08 2006 One sawdust and stone pizza, please.-- ldischler, Aug 08 2006 Domino's do those.-- angel, Aug 08 2006 Commonly referred to as "fairy food," in science fiction at least.
This is what they stick all those products like Tasti D Llite. It's certainly tasteless (yech!).-- DrCurry, Aug 08 2006 Look on the back of a package of shredded cheese. The ingredient that prevents the cheese sticking together is cellulose.-- baconbrain, Aug 08 2006 Perfect, [DrC]. But what's a Tasti D Llite?
Ah, found it. It's filled with air.-- Worldgineer, Aug 08 2006 Bran?-- bungston, Aug 08 2006 No thanks, I'm stuffed.-- Worldgineer, Aug 08 2006 Something used in food just to make up room, which has no nutritional value at all - what is used in Mcdonalds?-- fridge duck, Aug 09 2006 Tasti D Lite is something that looks like ice cream, tastes like cardboard, and has every woman under 30 in Manhattan addicted to it.-- DrCurry, Aug 09 2006 Bun... These would of course be properly labeled this time, right?-- ye_river_xiv, Aug 09 2006 Put yeast in the sausage. As it's baked, it will expand, giving you a giant sausage with the same amount of meat.-- jellydoughnut, Aug 09 2006 Stone might work --- and hey seals do it...-- madness, Aug 09 2006 Seals also bark madly and some hold their breath for upwards of half an hour. We should all do that too.-- notmarkflynn, Aug 09 2006 [ye] Yes.
[mad] Aren't seals kind of fat?-- Worldgineer, Aug 09 2006 Yeah, but the delicious little pups are worth every calorie. Mmmmm...-- jellydoughnut, Aug 10 2006 I have it on good authority that seal tastes gross, as does cormorant and seagull.-- normzone, Aug 10 2006 Not like albatros, spotted owl, bald eagle and walrus at all.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Aug 10 2006 Good idea...but it will probably end up causing cancer. I waiting to hear that about Tasti D Lite.
lol....
You know lettuce has no nutritional value, and its sort of used as a "filler". Maybe that seemingly useless veggie can be enhanced? I think it is time for a face lift.-- tallbrownie, Aug 10 2006 Hmmm I recomend an epxoy resin for that job --- it will probably accept lettice as a filler and will bond nicely to your face...
Think talcum powder might work better as the filler though. You could just put a light dusting over the areas that need a lift and then apply the resin to bond, seal and make it all shinny.-- madness, Aug 10 2006 Not that kind of filler, [mad]. Though I'm betting whatever's in Miracle Noodle will work for either job.
By the way, great link [jutta]. I think they have my basic idea thought out - just add it to other products to reduce their caloric values.-- Worldgineer, Oct 09 2006 "It's bloody albatros flavor!" Sorry, someone had to say it. Thanks 2 fries for the inspiration.-- discontinuuity, Oct 10 2006 In some european countries, after the first world war, with food shortages, and stuff, the bakers used to substitute sawdust for flour, this is no shit.
"So I'll have the whole grain high-top with blue-gum flavour, and do you stock bloodwood flavour?"-- Stork, Oct 10 2006 Since sawdust would not "bake" in the typical sense, does this in fact make them "halfbakers"?-- Hunter79764, Oct 12 2006 It may turn out that sawdust might have been one of the lesser harmful additives in comparision to Olestra, Partially Hydrogenated X oil, Sodium Earthebate (whatever that is), etc.
I voted against, but It's only me.-- Zimmy, Oct 12 2006 I am thinking that toasted pecan sawdust might have a great flavor for sausages. Seriously. I am getting hungry thinking about it.-- bungston, Mar 09 2012 It was in the news a year ago that Taco Bell uses up to 40% "filler" in their "meat". I don't know anyone who lost weight eating it though.-- DIYMatt, Mar 10 2012 Well, filler isn't necessarily low-cal. Traditionally, the cheapest meatless sausages -- cheaper even than minced organs -- are made with blood. IIRC there was a West-German chancellor whose hobby was inventing new recipes for blood sausage.
<edit> Helmut Kohl, apparently. According to the Goethe Institute, the traditional German food he inflicted on visiting heads of state was actually witty and ironic, but nobody got the joke except Jacques Chirac.-- mouseposture, Mar 10 2012 where it all began see link to Das Capital. See all that tedious reading of the actual book (in English, admittedly) in my student days served some purpose...sort of...-- not_morrison_rm, Mar 12 2012 //Taco Bell uses up to 40% "filler" in their "meat"// It was vice versa - 64% filler.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Mar 12 2012 The "filler" is the safe part to eat. It's the meat part that is toxic and gives you cancer according to the World Health Organisation.-- xenzag, Feb 18 2016 If everything you eat contains sawdust you will soon become board.-- AusCan531, Feb 18 2016 //It's the meat part that is toxic and gives you cancer//
[xen], if you're a good baker I'll give you a new soapbox for Christmas. Your old one is wearing out.
The problem with with using fillers in sausages is that you would still need the same amount of (if not more) fat to give a good mouthfeel and flavour.-- MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 18 2016 [Max] So you've tried this? That mouthfeel you're experiencing are splinters.-- Worldgineer, Feb 01 2019 I agree with everyone - it saves so much time.
Except for bastards taking sawdust away from baby termites, to put in human food.-- not_morrison_rm, Feb 01 2019 You could put the baby termites in there with the sawdust.-- bungston, Feb 03 2019 The stuff with sawdust in it actually tastes like sawdust, so I don't see how they're making money on it.-- FlyingToaster, Feb 04 2019 Because it tastes better than some American food?-- RayfordSteele, Feb 04 2019 To be fair, not all American food is bland, tasteless, textureless uninspiring sludge seemingly produced by blending cellulose, salt and high-fructose corn syrup.
Then again, probably not all members of the SS were arrogant, brutal, xenophobic anti-semitic goose-stepping bullies.
Anyone who's ever suffered Taco Bell's "refried beans", an alleged comestible made from recycled wall insulation, will most likely agree.-- 8th of 7, Feb 04 2019 random, halfbakery