Inaccessible Ingredients
Living in the first world, food is all around us, it is not only plentiful but also relatively inexpensive depending on the product. A lot of times we take our diet for granted, and because of this, we do not always realize what it takes to actually produce the food we are eating, or what is actually in it. Chances are, if you are like me, you go to the kitchen when you are hungry and whip up some macaroni and cheese then wash it down with a nice refreshing soda, or something similar, but do you really know what it is you just consumed? If the answer to the question is no, then you are like 76% of Americans who take into consideration the price of the product over the knowledge of what is actually in it (SWNS). Over
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In the span of a day I consumed Tilapia, Idahoan Instant Mashed Potatoes, milk, butter, and of course some delicious Kraft Mac & Cheese with a budget of less than $10. After recording all 51 of the ingredients in these items, in what I thought was going to be around 20, I then set out on the journey of finding what these ingredients were, where they came from, and how they were made. When doing this project, I came to realize the fresh unprocessed food I was consuming, such as the milk and Tilapia, was extremely easy to identify. On the back of the package of my Tilapia it labled one ingredient, the fish itself, as well as where it was from and how it was produced. I learned it was farmed raised in China before I picked it up at the grocery store in Iowa. The milk was just as easy to research as the Tilapia, and thanks to the code on the milk jug itself, I was able to find out by a quick search on the web that my gallon of milk was farm raised locally in Dubuque, Iowa (“Where is My Milk from?”). The processed food that I usually consume, due to a high quantity compared to the price, was very difficult to find information on the ingredients inside. The instant potatoes, mac, and butter all contained the majority of the ingredients on my data sheet. Most of these ingredients are not only difficult to pronounce, but also difficult to find information about. Due to the complexity …show more content…
After calling Lora Bar in class, and Kraft myself, these companies were not able to say where their ingredients were derived from. How is the consumer supposed to know this information, if the company itself does not know? Some companies may do this deliberately because they know much of their food is filled with chemicals, that are supposedly safe in low dosage according to the FDA. For example, a chemical known as phthalates found in various now banned toys for infants decades ago are still present in many of the foods we eat today. Phthalates were not listed on the box of my Kraft Mac & Cheese I ate for my data, but it is still known to be in it due to this chemical seeping in through the packaging that is used. Other cheese products, many that are processed, are known to have these chemicals as well. While this is deemed as safe in low dosage, research has indicated that this chemical can affect hormones resulting in cognitive impairments as well as birth defects (Rabin). Other ingredients in many of the foods we eat, that is also in my data, are also not healthy in large consumption. Common food items are loaded with ingredients such as corn syrup, sodium, and sugar which results in obesity problems. With an alarming increase in obesity, there has been an increase in heart disease and diabetes (Barclay
In the documentary, Food Inc., we get an inside look at the secrets and horrors of the food industry. The director, Robert Kenner, argues that most Americans have no idea where their food comes from or what happens to it before they put it in their bodies. To him, this is a major issue and a great danger to society as a whole. One of the conclusions of this documentary is that we should not blindly trust the food companies, and we should ultimately be more concerned with what we are eating and feeding to our children. Through his investigations, he hopes to lift the veil from the hidden world of food.
You’ll see most people do not read the labels of the food they are buying. This is because they don’t care, it takes time and people nowadays are very busy. Like Berry said, “they buy what they want-or what they have been persuaded to want-within the limits of what they can get.” People are accustomed to buying what they have been taught to buy by their parents or caretakers as they were growing up. We learn to eat what we have been given as children and we tend to follow that same pattern of eating, which, for most people, is what we can
In a large pot of boiling, salted water cook the pasta to al dente and drain.
In “Damon and Pythias” by Fan Kissen and “Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas” by Disney Dreamworks, they both have their fair share of similarities and differences. These two selections share both similarities and differences.
In the article “The End of Food,” Lizzie Widdicombe describes an advancement in our food culture through a new product developed by three young men living in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. After failing to produce new inexpensive cellphone towers on a hundred seventy thousand dollar investment, the three men went on to try and develop software with their remaining funding. While trying to maximize their funding’s longevity, they realized that their biggest budget impediment was food. In fact, it reached the point where their diet comprised mostly fast food, and eventually they despised the fact that they had to spend so much time and money on eating. Due to this hardship, Rob Rhinehart, one of the entrepreneurs, came up with the idea that he could eat in a healthier, more cost effective manner by simply buying the necessary nutrients for survival rather than buying the food.
Therefore, our food is not highly processed and we are aware of what we are putting in our body. Pollan urges his audience to be aware of food that contains ingredients that are “unfamiliar, unpronounceable, and more than five in number “ (Pollan). This is most likely because these types of ingredients are harmful when consumed. My mother’s home cooked meals ensure that there is little to no ingredients that we are unfamiliar with. This is especially because my family has a garden in our backyard. I usually do most of the planting and watering and caring of the plants, therefore I am knowledgeable in what’s being put in the
There are a lot of components to it and not all the components are easy to understand. One way this could be fixed is to make it simpler to understand. If it is simpler to understand, it takes less steps, therefore, less time to come to your decision when faced with this
Due to the advancements in the food industry, produce and other products have since became brimming with additives. This shift in authenticity sparked the award winning author Michael Pollan to compose “Eat Food: Food Defined”. Pollan educates readers of methods they can use in order to avoid harmful additives. Through the effective use of comparisons, logos and exemplification, Pollan encourage his audience to take responsibility with what they are eating.
Most people do not spend their days wondering where their next meal is going to come from, but as the economic situation gets worse and jobs get harder to find it is becoming an every occurring issue in the United States today. Not only will some of us have to worry about with what money will we buy our food, but now we will all start having to worry about where our food is coming from and is it safe for us to consume. We are moving toward a safer tomorrow every day by regulating certain parts of our food supply system. No matter how long it takes, it is clear that there is always opportunity for improvement in making our Nation healthier and safer.
In our fast pace society, we base everything on time and money. This need to save money and time has transformed the way we see food and purchase food. Food is an essential part of all cultures. It plays a role in every person’s life. The population has the power to choose what we eat and how the food industry is shaped. There are many important questions that we need to ask ourselves in order to keep the food industry in check. These questions are: How do we know our food is safe? What should we eat? How should food be distributed? What is good food? These are simple yet difficult questions.
In his article “No food is healthy. Not even kale,” Michael Ruhlman insists that food companies are advertising food products with incorrect word selection. Meaning that we are allowing food corporations to think for us and are not truly educated on what we are consuming. Even though this is not a debate on what we should and should not consume, Ruhlman suggest, Americans are not getting the appropriate information to make informed choices about what they eat due to nomenclature which causes confusion for the consumer. For example, When Rulman was in a grocery store he watched a woman buy a carton of Land O
Too much information on a food label might have caused a lot of painful headaches for consumers, but it's all worth it, due to many health and nutrition problems. By law, manufacturers must abide by the standard code terms of what is put on their food label. By this, a food label must have no false claims or information, be in English, legible and easy to see. Also must contain a barcode, name of food, list of ingredients in descending order of weight, net weight, any additives in the food, country of origin, use of imported ingredients, name and address of manufacturer, date marking and nutrition panel if any claims are made. Food and Health claims Food claims seemed to be marketing to a manufacturer, but now it is a warning to a consumer's health.
Warner, Melanie. McDonald's to Add Facts on Nutrition to Packaging. N.p., 26 Oct. 2005. Web.
On every food product there is a table of nutritional information that states the exact health contents of the food. There is also a list of ingredients that provides consumers with details regarding the food. In today’s times, consumers are flooded with choices of seemingly similar products. I do not know the difference in nutrition amongst these products. Food labelling is often misleading and deceptive, and I feel as if I have been left in the dark, but also that there is a hidden shadow side that may exist as consumers’ ignoracne may lead to naive incorrect choices.
Food is “composed of synthetic chemical additives, such as colorings, preservatives, sugar substitutes and trans-fats” (Fitzgerald, 2006, p.72). Fitzgerald reported that by the “1970s most meats and dairy products that were factory farmed were laced with growth hormones, antibiotics and a range of pesticides” (p.72). Furthermore, food that is frozen, packaged and canned is considered processed food. A brief explanation of the chemical additives in processed food. 1.