This article introduces a new way to label expiration dates on food: using gelatin stickers that expire/decay at the same rate of the food! The different phases of the gelatin sticker represent the current condition of the food; once it is finished decaying, the gelatin returns to a liquid state, and it is time to dispose of that food. The concentration of gelatin affects the rate at which it expires, allowing this method to be used for all food products. As current expiration dates are mainly for benefit of the manufacturer, this method of labeling will cause people to think twice before throwing out food, and will decrease the amount of food unnecessarily disposed of in landfills.
Category: Uncategorized (Page 7 of 10)
Food industry giants such as Cargill and General Mills have recently made announcements addressing climate change and their environmental initiatives, which is surprising because these companies usually ignore these issues for obvious reasons. The change in weather associated with climate change poses huge risks for these businesses, so it makes sense for them to be worried. It’s ironic because Cargill supports Republicans, the group that leans towards outright climate change denial. There is an array of climate change predictions out there, but the science doesn’t lie- we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions significantly. The chief sustainability officer of General Mills explains that they are simply a food company, not climate scientists, but mother nature has to do well in order for them to do well. Even though we are a far way from making climate change a key issue on the political side, it is a good sign that climate risk analysis is leading food companies to make important changes, and maybe this will draw the general public’s attention more towards climate science.
This article discusses some primary concerns Europeans seem to have with American farming. Germany and France stated that agricultural trading with America is important for both economies, however, the European nations were very skeptical about the GMO’s and pesticides that are being used on the American-grown crops. Many of the chemicals that are being used on crops in America are already banned in Europe. Therefore, by importing such chemical-infested crops, theses European nations are still not successfully avoiding the issue at hand.
The author also mentions that he feels the European agricultural system is different than that of America because it is older and therefore more traditional. Do you agree with this statement? Do you feel that this “more traditional” reasoning could contribute to Europe’s disapproval of GMO’s/pesticides?
A new study has shown that while growing, plants in fact can sense fear. At the University of Missouri, scientists found that the Thale Cress (a plant related to broccoli, kale, and cabbage, sends out vibrations when a caterpillar tries to eat it. These vibrations cause the plant to produce mustard oils and send them throughout the plant. This only works if the plant is still on the vine, but it’s quite a dynamic discovery showing that plants aren’t simply sedentary organisms.
Vegan because plants don’t have feelings? You’re going to need a new reason.
http://www.vox.com/2014/10/17/6988377/threats-to-americans-ranked-ebola-isis-russia-furniture
This may not seem like a food related article at first, but I would like you to take a gander at what this article says is the fourth biggest (actual) threat to Americans and the number one biggest (actual) tied threats to Americans. Determined by actual statistical and academic analysis, not media hype, these three threats are respectively, climate change (fourth), heart disease, and cancer (tied for first). Notice that these three threats are all connected very deeply to the problems with our food system. Many of the issues we discuss in class contribute to the deteriorating health of Americans which can explain that heart disease and cancer are the number one and two killers of Americans. Food marketing, diet confusion, inability to access healthful foods, and poor working conditions in farms and production centers all are factors that play into the extreme rates of obesity and cancer that we see in the US. Heart disease and cancer are responsible for over half of all American deaths and definitely have far more of a chance of affecting you than does ISIS or Ebola.
Many of the issues we discuss also cause immense greenhouse gas emissions, deplete the water supply, contribute to deforestation and ecosystem loss. All of these problems that our broken food system has played a part in creating have helped to make climate change the fourth most real threat to Americans. In the words of the article, climate change is a “potentially dire” situation and “if you care about the world your kids and grandkids will grow up in, [you should be] pretty freaked out”.
So this raises an obvious question: Why is Ebola plastered all over the news while threats related to our broken food system are exceptionally more legitimate?
This article discusses yet another energy wasting difference between the US and many other countries: our less than necessary refrigeration of eggs. Since American food purchasing seems to revolve around aesthetics and much food legislation aims to tackle food health concerns that our culture seems to find the most scary, it is law that egg producers wash their eggs in standardized machines. The scary health concern I’m talking about is salmonella; and the law I’m talking about was created in 1970 when the USDA perfected “the art of wash.” Interestingly enough, this washing actually gets rid of a thin layer on the egg that naturally exists to keep water and oxygen in and keep bad bacteria out. Predictably, we have stepped into a natural process and said “we will replace this perfectly fine natural adaptation with our own technology that requires electricity and therefore, in most cases, use of fossil fuels.”
Although salmonella can be a valid threat, many European countries just vaccinate their egg-laying chickens instead of wasting the electricity. It turns out that the rate of egg related food safety issues is about the same. This is yet another example of how culture surrounding food can be misinformed and we waste valuable resources because of it.
Insects are used in many countries as a reliable source of protein, and are much more environmentally sustainable than other forms of protein such as chickens, cows, and pigs. The snacks described in this article raise the questions: “What is food to me? What do I consider food?”
If Americans are able to overcome their taboo against eating bugs, we have the potential to develop a more sustainable food system through this adaptation to our diets. We can shift from factory farming of livestock, which requires much energy and resources, to insect farming. Personally, I will need a significant period of time to adjust to using bugs as a main source of protein, but I believe this change in diet can be achieved within a generation or two.
This article from Grist (see link below) is a good follow-up to our seafood consumption and fisheries decline discussion in class today. Port Orford, OR is located right on the Pacific Ocean, which would lead us to the faulty assumption that they have an endless supply of delicious, fresh fish. But, this place is ironically a food desert for fish because none of the fish caught in this area is retained in their community- it is processed, packaged, and sold elsewhere. The director of Port Orford Sustainable Seafood started a community-supported fishery program to combat this issue. The POSS now buys fish from a third of the fishing boats and then distributes it to customers within the region. I think that this is a very effective way in making the consumer more connected to the fish. Most fish we eat is from farms overseas while we export our domestically caught wild fish, breaking our connection and making us always wonder what kind of fish we are actually eating. The article also includes a interview with members of the POSS where they talk about how fishermen view climate change. There are a large number of fishermen who view climate change as an elaborate hoax, which is surprising because you would think that they would be the most concerned about it due to sea level rise, ocean acidification, etc. The interviewees then discuss some strategies that may change the fisher’s behavior to make fishing a more sustainable process.
http://grist.org/food/how-one-oregon-town-got-its-fish-back/
After talking about the flawed American food pyramid in class today, I did a little more research regarding what specific differences exist between the “healthy” Asian diet and the “unhealthy” American diet. Dr. McDougall does an excellent job of highlighting a few key difference between the two diets and the effects such diets have on human health in the video linked below. Regardless of what food pyramid continues to dominate in America, if more human beings were aware of how such a diet is affecting their health and how other diets have proven to be more beneficial, a change in American food consumption may begin to make itself apparent. Eating more whole grains, fruits, and vegetables should not be challenging. In fact, there are a wide variety of plant and grain-based dishes that can be extremely delicious if prepared correctly. With this in mind, we as Americans can hopefully head towards a brighter, more healthy future regarding food and the American diet.
Link to Dr. McDougall’s Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXMsYj4RRJ0
In today’s Philadelphia Inquirer, there was an article about how a recent farm bill is cutting off small businesses from providing food stamps to poor families. The goal is for the government to save money (154 million over a decade) but puts many everyday people in trouble. What’s going on is that the government does not want to pay for the EBT machines that allow food stamps to be processed, meaning that these mom and pop stores will have to pay $1000 a year for them, and then they barely make profit as is off these customers. This means that small grocery stores will either stop accommodating for SNAP or will go bankrupt more quickly. Either way, it’s a bad path for small business and the country’s poor.
What I find interesting is how interconnected everything is, since a farm bill is connected to a machine that connects to the downfall of small business and the increase in the wealth gap. It’s unbelievable how almost inhumane policy is, when it is supposed to be written for the people.
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