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sacross30
Sep 13, 2012, 10:57 AM
I have a question regarding plants: Can you help me come up w/ some products that are sold at the grocery store that are NOT plants or derived directly or indirectly from plants. Exclude glass and metal.

ebaines
Sep 13, 2012, 11:19 AM
How about: water, ice, table salt, epson salts, detergent, ammonia, peroxide, and rubbing alcohol (isopropyl acohol)? Although strictly speaking these items are typically sold in plastic containers, and plastic is derived largely from petroleum products which in turn comes from decayed biomass (algae and such).

Wondergirl
Sep 13, 2012, 11:29 AM
Meat?

ebaines
Sep 13, 2012, 11:39 AM
meat?

Almost all meat comes from animals who in turn either eat plants or other animals. Follow the food chain and in all cases it starts with plants. Hence they are derived indirectly from plants, and so don't qualify.

However, keeping in mind that fungus is not a plant (it's a separate kingdom) - we can add mushrooms to the list. And also red or brown seawood like kelp. Now if we can think of any animals that feed only on fungus and/or red & brown seaweed (no plants) and that are sold as meat in a grocery store we could add them as well. But I can't think of any.

Wondergirl
Sep 13, 2012, 12:00 PM
Almost all meat comes from animals who in turn either eat plants or other animals. Follow the food chain and in all cases it starts with plants. Hence they are derived indirectly from plants, and so don't qualify.

However, keeping in mind that fungus is not a plant (it's a separate kingdom) - we can add mushrooms to the list. And also red or brown seawood like kelp. Now if we can think of any animals that feed only on fungus and/or red & brown seaweed (no plants) and that are sold as meat in a grocery store we could add them as well. But I can't think of any.
What about certain fish or seafood that may not eat plants.

ebaines
Sep 13, 2012, 12:12 PM
What about certain fish or seafood that may not eat plants.

If you can think of a fish that eats only fungus, red or brown seaweed, or bacteria - or feeds on other animals that eat only these things - you would have a good answer. But it seems to me that most of the fish at the low end of the food change feed on plankton and such - which contains algae and hence is plant-based. I just can't think of any animals that qualify. For example shrimp eat plankton, which includes algae and hence plant materials; crabs are scavengers that eat pretty much any other dead animals, and lobsters are omnivores.

Wondergirl
Sep 13, 2012, 12:15 PM
What about a carnivore? Would the carnivore's eating animals that eat plants not count?

ebaines
Sep 13, 2012, 12:30 PM
Would the carnivore's eating animals that eat plants not count?

I think that's the premise - yes. I interpret "indirect" to mean that the animal doesn't eat plants but the animal he eats does. Which is why I think we have to leave off carnivores like tuna, salmon, trout, etc.

It's interesting that the OP said to not include glass and metal - which makes me think that we can include other non-food items that are sold in grocery stores and that are not petroleum based (i.e. not plastic). Thinking cap on:

Talcum powder - it's a mineral and not a metal.
Helium gas for balloons
Club soda (I had already suggested water - just add CO2)

joypulv
Sep 13, 2012, 12:52 PM
My favorite, YEAST, a single cell fungus of the kingdom Fungi, separate from the other kingdoms of plants, animals, and bacteria.

sacross30
Sep 13, 2012, 01:07 PM
Great! Thank you for your help!