|
Five Nasty Things They're Doing To Our
Food...
And Five Things We Can Do About It
by Wendy Priesnitz
Food price spikes and shortages; product recalls; a food
allergy/sensitivity epidemic; e coli and listeria outbreaks; unpronounceable
ingredients on the labels; growing rates of childhood obesity, cancer, and
diabetes…the food-related horror stories continue to pile up. And they come
at us thicker and faster than the average consumer can keep track. Here are
just a few of the issues that are in the news and how we can cope.
1. Pink Slime:
So-called “pink slime” is a good example of industrialized food – and
people’s reaction when they realize what they are eating. The term was
coined a decade ago by a grossed out U.S. government microbiologist to
describe a byproduct created from low quality, high-fat beef trimmings and
connective tissue, treated with ammonium hydroxide gas to kill bacteria. It
has long been used as an unlabeled filler in ground beef products, with its
manufacturers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture spinning it as boneless
lean beef trimmings (BLBT) or lean, finely textured beef (LFTB). Estimates
are that it appears in between fifty and seventy percent of the ground meat
and burgers in the U.S. (Other countries – including Canada – do not allow
the use of ammonium hydroxide in ground beef, although it is considered to
be a safe additives and is widely used in baked goods, puddings, and other
processed foods.)
Pink slime came back into the spotlight in 2012, as a result of
some media scrutiny, helped along by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver and social
media, about its use in school food lunch programs. Within a few weeks, fast
food chains, school boards, and grocery stores were dropping the product
like a hot potato. As a result, its manufacturer Beef Products Inc. had to
suspend operations at three of its four plants pending a PR campaign to
convince consumers LFTB is a fine product.
2. Farm Chemicals: Many scientists, environmentalists, and health and farm advocates are
concerned that the farming industry is using ever expanding amounts of crop
chemicals. As they use more chemicals to boost production to feed the
world’s growing population, and to produce biomass fuel and livestock feed,
they are discovering that they need even more and stronger chemicals to
address the increasing chemical resistance of weeds and pests due to the use
of genetically engineered seeds. Twenty-two U.S. plant scientists
co-authored a letter in early March warning the EPA about a biotech corn
that is losing its resistance to pests and could trigger “escalating use of
insecticides.”
A study released in March of 2012 by researchers at the University of California,
Davis, found that fertilizers and nitrates from agriculture are
contaminating the drinking water for more than two hundred thousand
residents in California’s farming communities. The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) has taken its concerns to
court, filing suit against the EPA in February. The group accuses the EPA of
not adequately addressing the health threats of 2,4-D. The chemical is being
used to fight “super weeds” that resist glyphosate, which is the Roundup in
Monsanto’s infamous Roundup-Ready biotech seeds.
Of course, the pesticide residues are found in our food as well, along with
contaminated municipal sewage sludge, which is spread on fields as
fertilizer in many areas (see my article in Natural Life’s November/December
1997 issue), as well by hormones and antibiotics that are fed to poultry and
cattle. Infants and children are especially sensitive to health risks posed
by pesticides, due to their still developing organs and small size. The
“maximum acceptable levels” allowed by government agencies are based upon
estimates of the harm to adults. But, in relation to their body weight,
children eat and drink more – especially foods like fruit and juice –
possibly increasing their exposure to pesticides in food and water.
3. GMOs: Genetically engineered (GE) foods, also known
as genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are created when DNA from one
species is spliced into the genes of another species, creating transgenic
organisms with combinations of genes from plants, animals, bacteria, and
even viral gene pools. The safety of GE food has not been adequately
assured. Several National Academy of Sciences studies have affirmed that GE
crops have the potential to introduce new toxins or allergens into our food.
Scientists recently found that the insecticide in GE corn is now showing up
in our bloodstream and the umbilical cord blood of pregnant women. However,
there are no mandatory human clinical trials of genetically engineered
crops, no tests for carcinogenicity or harm to fetuses, no long-term testing
for human health risks, no requirement for long-term testing on animals, and
limited testing for allergic reactions.
4. Food Dyes: Some government-approved food dyes are
made from coal tar and other petroleum products. According to Jane Hersey,
Director of the Feingold Association, which works with children’s
food-caused health and behavior issues, Red Dye #3 has been shown to cause
cancer and three other dyes (Red #40, Yellow #5, and Yellow #6) are
contaminated with low levels of known cancer-causing compounds, such as
benzidine. These dyes are regularly found in processed food products and
candy. Studies have shown that these additives can trigger hyperactivity and
attention problems in sensitive children. A recent study from the University
of Arizona suggested that the increased consumption of synthetic food
colorings in the modern diet may be partly responsible for the dramatic rise
in ADHD. Some countries, such as those in the EU, require warning labels on
candies containing these additives.
5. High Fructose Corn Syrup: High-fructose corn syrup
(HFCS) – called glucose-fructose syrup in the UK, glucose/fructose in
Canada, and high-fructose maize syrup in other countries – is basically corn
syrup that has undergone enzymatic processing to convert more or less half
of its glucose into fructose. In North America, it has replaced the more
expensive sucrose (table sugar) in processed foods (even ones that you
wouldn’t think would be sweetened, like crackers, yogurt, and salad
dressing) and beverages, where it can be labeled as “corn syrup.” Its
ubiquity is a problem; in 2005, Americans each consumed, on average, more
than forty-two pounds of high-fructose corn syrup, representing ten percent
of all calories consumed. Although it has long been classified as safe, it
is thought to contribute to obesity and diabetes because the body cannot
metabolize it in the same way as sugar. In 2010, a Princeton University
research team found that in addition to causing significant weight gain in
lab animals, long-term consumption also led to abnormal increases in body
fat, especially in the abdomen, and a rise in circulating blood fats called
triglycerides.
What We Can Do
1. Demand safer food laws and clear labeling: We need to
be able to choose what we eat. For instance, many countries require labels
to identify GMOs in food, but not the U.S. or Canada. The Just Label It
coalition recently commissioned a survey that found ninety-one percent of
American voters favor the labeling of food with GE ingredients. And at least
a million people in the U.S. have signed a petition in favor of labeling.
Due to consumer pressure, about twenty U.S. states have bills in process
about labeling, although some of them are stalled because of lobbying from
the biotechnology industry. When mandatory labeling was introduced in
Europe, the food manufacturers would not buy GE ingredients because they did
not want to put GMO labels on their products. Essentially, it killed the
market for GMOs in Europe. So make your voice heard: Complain to
manufacturers, write to politicians, join advocacy organizations.
2. Grow your own produce organically: That’s the best
way to be sure you’re avoiding pesticides and GMOs. You can also consider
some backyard chickens and bees.
3. Buy products that are certified organic or with “Non-GMO”
labels: Ask your grocer to stock healthy, organic food. “Non-GMO”
is said to be the fastest growing natural food category, with sales of
Non-GMO Project-verified products reaching over a billion dollars. Shop
local farmer’s markets, or join a natural foods co-op or buying club.
Organics can be more expensive, but the value to your family’s health is
worth it.
4. Alternatively, avoid certain conventionally grown produce
items that contain the highest levels of pesticides: Some of these
items are fruits like cherries, apples, peaches, pears, and grapes.
Non-organic vegetables you should avoid are celery, spinach, and sweet bell
peppers. (See this article for more
detail.)
5. Cook from scratch: More than seventy percent of
processed supermarket food contains ingredients from GE corn, soy, canola,
or sugar beets. That also means that animals fed corn, as well as canned
goods, soft drinks (and anything else that contains high fructose corn
syrup), farmed fish, and some dairy products could contain or have been
exposed to GMOs. Cooking from scratch with fresh, organic ingredients will
avoid that exposure. Wash, scrub, and peel produce. Washing fruits and
vegetables in a dilute solution of water and dish detergent (a quarter
teaspoon to one pint of water) can remove most of the surface pesticides,
although not the residues inside the produce. (Peeling fruits and vegetables
also removes much of the fiber.)
Learn More
www.justlabelit.org
www.non-gmoreport.com
http://gmoguide.greenpeace.ca/shoppers_guide.pdf
Wendy Priesnitz is Natural Life Magazine's editor and
co-founder. She is a journalist with over 40 years of experience and the
author of 13 books. This article was published in 2012.
|
