Sodium nitrate is frequently added to sausages to make them pink. ββββββββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββββββ ββ βββ βββββ βββ βββββββββ βββ ββ ββ βββββββββ βββ βββββ ββ ββββββ ββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββ βββββββββ βββ ββββ ββββββ βββββββ βββββββββββ ββ ββ βββββββββ βββββ ββ ββββββ βββ ββββ ββ ββββββ βββββββββ βββββββ ββββββ βββββββ ββββββ βββββ ββ βββββ ββ βββββββββ
The author advocates for abandoning the current practice of adding sodium nitrate to sausages. Why? Because of a cost/benefit assessment. Sodium nitrate doesn't contribute to preventing spoilage of the meat (suggesting that there won't be any increase in health risks from getting rid of sodium nitrate from sausages). Furthermore, excessive use of sodium nitrate increases sodium levels in sausages beyond the level required for good taste (suggesting that we can reduce sodium nitrate use without harming the taste of sausages). Also, eating excessive levels of sodium can lead to health problems (suggesting that there might be some health benefit from reducing sodium nitrate in sausages).
Because this is a Flaw question, we know that the conclusion doesn't logically follow from the premises. Is there some reason why we might want to use sodium nitrate in sausages despite what the author establishes in her cost/benefit analysis?
One weakness in the argument is the mismatch between premises about what results from excessive use of sodium nitrate and a conclusion advocating absolutely no use of sodium nitrate. Even if there are strong reasons not to use excessive amounts, we don't know why we shouldn't use small amounts that aren't excessive.
Another weakness is that the argument might be overlooking some benefits of using sodium nitrate in sausages (or costs of abandoning the use of sodium nitrate). For example, although we know that sodium nitrate doesn't contribute to preventing spoilage of meat, perhaps it can help deter flies and other insects from landing on the meat or otherwise contaminating it? Or maybe sodium nitrate can aid digestion? There could be all sorts of benefits provided by sodium nitrate that we'd lose out on by eliminating our use of it in sausages.
Analysis by Kevin_Lin
The reasoning in the argument ββ ββββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββββ ββ βββββ βββ ββ βββ βββββββββ ββββββββ
The argument makes β ββββββββββββββ βββββ ββ ββββββββ ββββ ββ ββββββββββββ βββββββ
The argument does βββ βββββββ ββββββββ βββββ ββββββββββ ββββ βββ ββββββββ βββββββββββββββ
The argument presumes, βββββββ βββββββββ ββββββββββββββ ββββ ββ ββ βββββββββββ βββ βββ ββββββββββ ββ βββββββ ββββββ ββββ ββββββββ ββββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββββ ββββββββ
The argument does βββ βββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββββββββ βββ ββββββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββ ββββββββββ ββββ ββββ ββββββββ βββββββββββββ
The argument does βββ βββββββββββ ββββββββββ βββββββ βββββββ βββ ββββββββ ββββββββββββββ βββ β βββββββ