On Sat, 17 Mar 2007 21:03:34 -0700, Karl S
> wrote:

>Albert wrote:
>> I was at the local asian grocery store and noticed they were selling
>> individually sealed trays of rice. You lift a corner and pop in the
>> microwave for 1 minute (no need to add water or anything else). I
>> bought one (99 cents) and it tasted just like regular white rice. I'm
>> thinking these would be ideal for taking to work for a quick lunch.
>>
>> Only one problem. These sealed trays can be stored at room
>> temperature (!) for months, if not years. I expected to see a
>> paragraph of ingredients but it only said water, rice and glucono-
>> delta-lactone. Is glucono-delta-lactone safe to eat? It must be a
>> powerful preservative.
>>
>
>Maybe there was some other form of preservation. Radiation works well,
>as does simple heat sterilization.

GDL is commonly found in honey, fruit juices, and wine. Being acidic,
it adds a tangy taste to foods, though it has roughly a third of the
sourness of citric acid. It is metabolized to glucose; one gram of GDL
is equivalent to one gram of sugar.