Serious response: I was sloppy in my wording. I did not mean to suggest that “If you can eat it, you can vape it” as being my golden rule of thumb that is as reliable as gravity. And I can see the misunderstanding as I did not elaborate.
It is ONE of many considerations. Consider: What would happen if you ate a tobacco plant?
The FDA does not propose any theoretical guidelines for predicting whether or not something is safe to vape. I certainly don’t know the answer. I’m in the brainstorming phase.
Does FlavourArt, Capella, LorAnn, etc. claim to know? Yes they do. But that info is proprietary.
The eat/vape analogy definitely breaks down when one considers lung tissue vs. the digestive system. So yes, I did understand what you meant.
Nice to see the ‘clarifications’…as well as things getting back on track. (Thank you!)
Oi. lol
I wouldn’t go that far. In fact, I’d say that’s a bit of a leap. At least, unless you can show me some marketing I’ve missed somewhere along the line.
I think it’s just the normal corporate mentality that accomplishes a few things in one fell swoop.
By keeping things proprietary, it minimalizes risk against having other competing entities trying to clone their product.
Because the arena is so new (and as yet, scientifically unproven [chemically speaking] in many respects), I’m 100% certain that the majority who withhold such information on components, are doing so to effectively minimize opening up themselves to legal liabilities.
While it’s not going to make a difference… My opinion is that #1 is a bit futile in the modern age (to large extent). Simply because, with modern equipment being continually refined, in sure the hardware (and software) for GCMS equipment has come further than ever (and is more accurate than its ever been. And most of the “kids” in the pool who are able to meet the level of the Major Players (including Flavorah, Inawera, and all of the others who went unmentioned) are more than able to afford such. However, I also believe that the point of pride in development by the TRUE flavorists (read as ‘chemical engineers’ in the labs; aka the Super-tasters/Super-smellers) also provides an obstacle to those financiers with the desire to ‘clone’, but lack the technical ability to execute such! (A kind of nice, but “accidental” safe-guard built in. One which we should generally be thankful for IMO.
Regardless, the bottom line for me is, while yes, it would be nice to have a known list of “safe” compound, etc… We’re in a BRAND NEW arena. So there’s little we can do but exercise best practices with the obvious.
Much like when the first cars were being built, things are in their infancy. And we assume some degree of risk by default. This industry does not have all the features, functions, safeguards and refinements of an industry that’s been established for 75+ years (in the case of cars). There’s no ceramic disc brakes, no air bags, no shatter-resistant glass, etc etc.
There’s also no 75+ years of scientific data to pull from to scientifically show that the intentional and DIRECT inhalation of these compounds causes cancer etc, as there is with smoking.
This is HARM REDUCTION from current known risks. And I think that’s the bottom line.
I found lots of info regarding vaping Xanthan Gum. My semi-educated guess is in agreement with most of the opinions I’ve read: The Xanthan itself will never make it to your lungs. But it could gunk up the coils.
Yes, we don’t know 100% if it is safe. But same for most of the chemicals that have popped up on available lab analyses of flavorings. If vaping oils is in fact the culprit of the issues, then Xanthan gum is our friend not foe.
This ‘gum’ in this case, is added to the flavorings not for it’s thickening properties but for it’s emulsifying properties. This is actually very good going by the oil model. As everyone is probably aware, an emulsion chemically changes oils and fats to have a oil-like head and a water like tail, thus eliminating the presence of any oils.
Xanthan is actually profoundly non-toxic, non-reactive, and non-invasive when compared to any other emulsifier. Given that it’s already 0.5% - 1.0% at most just in the flavoring, if one uses 10% of that flavoring mixture, that brings the total presence of Xanthan down to 0.01%. I would still opt for a flavoring without it, but a warning in my public recipe, IMHO, is sufficient.
Links:
I tried thickening my taco meat with Xanthan Gum last week, my wife no likey the gutens, and I just winged it… made a slurry with olive oil, drizzled in about a tablespoon… Instant Taco Meat Blob!
No amount of added water and salsa could un-blob that mess!
I am always up for learning more, I have been mixing about 6 months now, thanks to this forum and some you tubers I got off to a decent start but still I am all ears and with my limited resources I am grateful! Most companies won’t even ship hardware to ma even though we have a flavor ban. It’s ridiculous
I love that, I was thinking about getting a po box in nh or ri, then just taking the ride because the stores that border ma are insanely expensive! You know why, because they can! other people have no choice. I couldn’t believe the inflation on the products within 8 months
So I’m in Somerville. There’s a store in Cambridge with a very cool owner. He found a [perfectly legal loophole. His shop sells everything, flavored juice included
flies at Midnight) 
I love that, I was thinking about getting a po box in nh or ri, then just taking the ride because the stores that border ma are insanely expensive! You know why, because they can! other people have no choice. I couldn’t believe the inflation on the products within 8 months