At 06:32 PM 1/16/03 +1000, Phosphor wrote:
>it is neither paleo or neolithic but a cheap product which is now looking
>for a use since it is no longer required in paint.

Well now, this is a bit of a stretch. Flax is still a widely and commonly
used ingredient in painting materials and still considered the most cost
efficient and effective binder for oil based mediums which is still a thriving
industry in the area of home decoration, fine arts, and restoration work.
It may be less frequently used in industrial paints but this has been more
than balanced by the boom in the other industries.

I have know way of knowing if flax seeds have never used a food until
recently. I can say with some authority that it is still a resource as much
needed as ever in painting mediums. As far as I know, the demand for
flax has not been significantly reduced by the switch to industrial latex
paints.

Sorry, to go slightly OT but it makes no sense to me to throw such
statements around carelessly if one is constantly screaming about
the careless and faulty research of others. :/