Realities of Food Labels
Interesting!
This author, Melanie Warner, spent a year and a half researching the modern manufacturing of food. Her quote “much of what we now eat is not so much as cooked as it is engineered into finely-tuned, nutrient-deficient creations of science.” is very insightful. I know I have been guilty of being too busy to read labels and choose a more nutritious food for convenience, price, or limited selection options. In doing so, I feel part of the problem of letting food manufacturers get away with this practice.
Her idea of creating a "Food Museum" in her pantry is brilliant! How many of us have unwittingly done the same thing? Only she did it on purpose! You probably have heard that Twinkies can last forever in the cupboard. What else can last that long? More than we realize I am sure.
Because of her book that came out in 2013, Pandora's Lunchbox: How Processed Foods Took Over the American Diet, the idea of "Clean Labeling" has caught on with the leading food manufacturers. Her book brought attention to the practices the manufacturers use in their labeling and manufacturing of foods. It also influenced the trans-fats, artificial coloring and flavoring additives being removed from some of our more popular brands of foods.
However, I agree with her point of view that the manufacturers will only change if the public speaks, and then only kicking and screaming all the way. The FDA is also to blame. Politics, funding sources, and lobbyists for the big companies are against removing food additives and harmful substances from the food they manufacture because of the profit/loss ratio. If they want to change the ingredients in a product, they have to research a replacement. Sometimes, the replacement ingredient can be worse! They then have to change the manufacturing and labeling on the products. That all costs money.
With this thought, I hope our voices will continue to be heard through general and social media channels. It is cheaper than you think to buy healthy. Speak up and be heard! We can only benefit in the long run!
This author, Melanie Warner, spent a year and a half researching the modern manufacturing of food. Her quote “much of what we now eat is not so much as cooked as it is engineered into finely-tuned, nutrient-deficient creations of science.” is very insightful. I know I have been guilty of being too busy to read labels and choose a more nutritious food for convenience, price, or limited selection options. In doing so, I feel part of the problem of letting food manufacturers get away with this practice.
Her idea of creating a "Food Museum" in her pantry is brilliant! How many of us have unwittingly done the same thing? Only she did it on purpose! You probably have heard that Twinkies can last forever in the cupboard. What else can last that long? More than we realize I am sure.
Because of her book that came out in 2013, Pandora's Lunchbox: How Processed Foods Took Over the American Diet, the idea of "Clean Labeling" has caught on with the leading food manufacturers. Her book brought attention to the practices the manufacturers use in their labeling and manufacturing of foods. It also influenced the trans-fats, artificial coloring and flavoring additives being removed from some of our more popular brands of foods.
However, I agree with her point of view that the manufacturers will only change if the public speaks, and then only kicking and screaming all the way. The FDA is also to blame. Politics, funding sources, and lobbyists for the big companies are against removing food additives and harmful substances from the food they manufacture because of the profit/loss ratio. If they want to change the ingredients in a product, they have to research a replacement. Sometimes, the replacement ingredient can be worse! They then have to change the manufacturing and labeling on the products. That all costs money.
With this thought, I hope our voices will continue to be heard through general and social media channels. It is cheaper than you think to buy healthy. Speak up and be heard! We can only benefit in the long run!
Comments
Post a Comment