Posted: April 8th, 2010 - 7:41am by Doug Powell

The courthouse where Amy and I got our wedding license  in downtown Manhattan (Kansas) is built of limestone (right, exactly as shown) and featured, along with a picture of the Great Pyramid of Gaza (below, left) on the Wikipedia page about limestone.

Who knew that ancient Egypt and Manhattan (Kansas) were connected in such a manner? And if it’s on wiki it must be true.

Me, I love the limestone buildings all around Manhattan (Kansas) and the bottom half of our house (Notre maisonette en ville -- our cottage in the city).

I want to look at limestone in buildings, not eat the pulverized form into flour.

But, according to media reports, that is exactly what is going on in China in the latest food fraud BS scandal.

Pulverized lime, which can lead to gradual damage to the lungs and eventually the entire respiratory system if consumed, has been added to bleaching agents widely used in flour production in China.

Bleaching agents, usually made from cornstarch, are added to flour to shorten the time needed for whitening. Substituting cheaper and heavier lime for cornstarch cuts the cost of producing the bleaching agent, which is sold by weight.

The price of corn has risen to an all-time high on China's futures markets this year, possibly inspiring the substitution by companies competing to cut selling prices.

Flour is mostly used to make noodles, dumplings and steamed buns in China, especially in the north.