Calcium Carbonate

Another chemical ingredient in Pop tarts is calcium carbonate. The chemical formula for it is CaCO3. Some health side-effects of calcium carbonate are:

• allergic reactions like skin rash, itching or hives, swelling of the face, lips, or tongue

• confusion or irritability

• headache 

• loss of appetite

• nausea, vomiting 

• unusually weak or tired 

Calcium carbonate is formed in nature. In fact it comprises 4% of the earth's crust. Limestone and chalk are both forms of calcium carbonate. They are produced by sedimentation of the shells of small fossilized snails, shellfish, and coral over millions of years. 

Physical and chemical properties of calcium carbonate include: 

• Is non-combustible
• Decomposes at high temperature (825°C)
• Reacts with acids and acidic salts
• White color
• Powder (like chalk)
• Molar mass is 100.09 g/mol

One reason why Kellogg's puts calcium carbonate into Pop tarts is to give their customers their daily dose of calcium. No matter how you look at it or how it sounds the calcium in calcium carbonate still counts.


Lewis Dot Structure for Calcium Carbonate:

Think About It

So there you have it folks. I made this blog to inform the public, my peers, and the Kellogg's company about the tasty food product known as Pop tarts and what exactly is in it. Now with the information that I have given you do with it what you will. Continue eating or don't it's up to you.

Sodium Aluminum Phosphate

Pop tarts have leavening in them. Leavening is what causes dough or bread to rise. So it's used in many other bread products. Inside leavening is the chemical ingredient called sodium aluminium phosphate. The chemical formula for this is AlNaO4P+. (4 is a subscript of Oxygen)

Sodium aluminum phosphate is a food additive often found in in food products such as processed cheese and instant pancake mixes. Some worry that this chemical ingredient can lead to the development of Alzheimer's disease. Aluminum is absorbed and may accumulated in different organs in both adults and infants. However there are claims that the aluminum comes from the water more so than the food. So in the end it doesn't cause the need for major concern. Although if the powder gets in the eye it will cause minor irritation.

The chemical ingredient can be made in both the oven and by man. More so by man I should say. Like I mentioned before sodium aluminium phosphate is the things that makes the bread rise. You know what else makes bread rise: BAKING SODA! Any baker (amateur or professional) knows that baking soda is needed to make the bread rise in the oven while baking. Without this ingredient then the cookies, cake, or whatever pastry would be flat and have no fluff. Sodium aluminum phosphate is like baking soda.

It looks like baking soda too. In it's physical form it is a white powder or white crystals. It is normally odorless and has a molar mass is 144.943 g/mol. Some of it's chemical properties include it flammability NFPA rating being 0 (meaning that it is not a fire hazard), it is soluble in oncentrated hydrochloric acid, and is stable under normal conditions.

Once again the overall purpose of sodium aluminum phosphate in Pop tarts is to made the pastry crust rise when baking.

Thiamine Mononitrate

All Pop Tarts have a chemical ingredient called thiamine mononitrate (AKA: vitamin B1). The chemical formula for thiamine mononitrate is: C12H17N5O4S. Vitamin B is an important supplement for the human body. It helps the body convert fat to energy. Thiamine is water-soluble but thiamine mononitrate is fat-soluble. The difference being that thiamine mononitrate makes the body have a harder time driving out any excess thiamine. This is bad because if the body has too much it can result in liver disease. With thiamine mononitrate the excess thiamine collects in the liver or other fatty tissues. Accumulation of any vitamin will cause cellular toxicity and will lead to severe liver damage. Also because the chemical ingredient is a synthetic it can lead to you having potential allergic reaction. If you experience itchy skin or a rash then you should go seek medical attention. These are some of the health effects of thiamine mononitrate.

Thiamine mononitrate is a man made ingredient. Which means that is is formed in factories.
Some chemical properties of thiamine mononitrate are its dispersion properties: see solubility in water physical properties of thiamine mononitrate are its molecular weight: 327.35948 g/mol, melting point: 196-200° C, and its physical state is a white crystal power (it's a solid).

Thiamine mononitrate is included into Pop Tarts because it's the preferred source of Vitamin B1 and is used as a nutritional supplement.

Pop Tarts!

Pop Tarts!

You know when your running late and haven't eaten any breakfast. Just grab a Pop Tart and go! Pop Tarts are those rectangular pastries that have a sugary filling sealed inside two thin pastry crusts. They are fast, cheap, and convenient. That's why they are so popular. Well that and also the fact that they taste good. Plus their commercials are always airing and are humorously appealing to the audience. All in all I'd say that they're a pretty good product. I mean I choose them for this assignment because it was the first food item I had thought of that wasn't already taken by another student. Also I buy Pop Tarts frequently at the store because my mother won't allow me to put Oreo's or Nutella in the shopping chart.  I'm making Pop Tarts sound like they were my last option but the biggest reason I choose them was because I love Pop Tarts. Especially the s'mores flavor. They make great snacks and I can always rely on them to be there when I'm dying of hunger after school.