Happy Fathers Day!
JUNE 2014
iNSiDE
let’s eat out! NEW • earth talk • calendar dad’s eye view • money matters • movie time SUMMER 2014
Too Processed or
Not to Process? That is the Question
O
nce upon a time all food was fresh. Produce, meat and dairy items were grown, farmed, slaughtered, or purchased from supermarkets, but they did not come out of a can, box or even a bag. Think of how massive our nation’s refuse problem has become over the last 50 years. We generate more trash, because less and less of our food waste is biodegradable. The processing of food, to the extent that it is, has gradually occurred over the last almost 75 years, since the 1940s. Processed Foods Defined Any food changed from its original form is processed. The orange that is peeled, the broccoli that is steamed, or the radish that is cut are all processed foods. However, they are all still healthy contributions to one’s diet, despite their mechanical processing. The issue is when food is chemically processed. Foods are typically chemically pro cess ed for three primar y reasons: to prolong their shelflife, to enhance their taste, or to make them convenient. According to Melanie Warner in her book Pandora’s Lunchbox, “processed foods are, plus or minus, 70 percent of what most of us eat.” These foods typically contain artificial flavors, artificial colors, preservatives, extra salt and sugar, MSG, partially/ fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, high fructose corn syrup, and a variety of bleached, enriched, emulsified, or refined items. Despite this, there is a place for processed foods and they have
by Kim Green-Spangler
helped grow the national and world economy through trade, and helped feed people throughout the world. As a society, we can enjoy a variety of foods, whether they are in or out of season. We can prepare meals for our families in a relatively short amount of time each morning, afternoon, or evening. Most processed foods can also be stored without the fear of consumers being contaminated by bacteria, bugs, rodents, or other products (cross-contamination.) However, the problems come into play due to the over consumption of overly chemically processed products. What makes a product
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as overly processed? To name a few, foods that go above and beyond a reasonable shelf-life, like prepackaged baked goods that never seem to spoil, or canned soups that contain enough sodium for a full-day’s nutritional supply along with and added dose of MSG for flavor enhancement, or muffin mix that should and looks like it contains fruit – but doesn’t, foods that should not contain added sweeteners like spaghetti sauce and salad dressings, or frozen foods with lengthy lists of ingredients that cannot be pronounced. There are thousands of additives that go into foods today. In many cases, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) cannot even disclose exactly what each food contains, due to proprietary information. A particular flavor, or process used to arrive at a certain consistency, or an easily identifiable color for an item can all be labeled under artificial flavors or colors, without the specifics being made public knowledge. The color or flavor can contain an additional dozen (or more), chemicals unbeknownst to the consumer, making an already lengthy ingredients list, alarmingly long. Not to mention the fact that unsuspected products are chemically enhanced.
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The Stats The U.S. has an alarming rate of obesity that has been steadily climbing for decades. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), in 1990 the obesity rate was at 12%, in 2012 the rate was at 27%. Between 2009 and 2010 the number of obese children between 2-5 years of age was 12.1%, between 6-11 years of age were 18% and 12-19 years of age were 18.4%. The statistics from the National Center for Health Statistics concluded that 69% of adults were overweight or obese. Roughly 2/3 of the American population is struggling with weight issues and it directly correlates with the increasing over processing of foods that has occurred over the last several decades. The Draw There are c u r rent ly ent i re generations of people who have been raised on processed foods. In fact, most Americans spend almost 90% of their food budget on processed food items. The reason is - processed foods taste good! They appeal to the body’s natural inclination for sweet, fatty, and salty foods – the items needed for fuel and nourishment. Advertisers capitalize on the body’s natural cravings and enhance them with visually appealing commercials, continued on page 2…