The production of food rely more on chemicals and synthetic products. The Nutritional value in food has been lost in the past decades. Synthetic products in food have been associated with difficulties ranging from congenital disabilities to terminal illness in people who consume a large amount of the synthetically produced food. The health of fetuses, infants, and women within the child-bearing age group are at risk by inorganic food products manufactured by pesticides (Whole Foods Market 1). The extensive consumption of these harmful chemicals result in biological mutations. Consumers should know that healthy food nurtures the mind, increases people’s life span, and lifts their spirits. To counter any further impact on the health of inorganic food products, governments, media houses and health officials should ensure that restrictions are given to the production of synthetic and genetically modified food, the public is well informed of the dangers of consuming the food and appropriate labeling is done on the food sold to consumers in the supermarkets. By avoiding canned food, buying whole food instead of fragmented food, avoiding processed and concentrating on seasonal food, consumers can reduce their non-organic food intake.
Buying whole food instead of fragmented or partitioned food could be a start. Whole food is one that is regarded as complete as it is found in nature. Most of the food that is likely to be fragmented includes chicken, fish, and meat among others (Lindos Group of Companies n.pag). In most cases, these foods have undergone processing to keep them much longer in the supermarkets or other grocery stores especially when the consumers don’t buy them that often. In the process of refining, the food companies use many preservatives, which in most cases are harmful to human life, removes the flavor from the food, and completely destroy the needed nutrients in the food. Research suggests those whole foods are more likely to be natural than fragmented food. An example of a whole food would be whole grain brown rice. This type of rice is much better than the other types because it contains both soluble and insoluble fibers. However, not all fragmented foods are unhealthy.
Consuming more organic food is the best way. All organic foods sold in grocery stores are certified and labeled. The Whole Foods Market directs that an organic label must point out that the food is made up of more than ninety-five percent of organic ingredients (n.pag). The remaining five percent has to contain non-agricultural products that are approved appropriate health and food body in a particular country. The name of the organization or body that certified the food as organic must be recorded clearly on a food product for the consumer to know it organic. Organic foods contain little to no herbicides and the various chemicals used for food production or preservation (HelpGuide n.pag). The food is also fresh because they do not require preservatives to stay fresh in the groceries. Beverages must be free from hydrogenated fats, artificial flavors, sweeteners or any form of coloring. A good grocery store would have its products labeled to allow consumers make a choice from the available food products. Through the media, the public can eliminate the lack of knowledge on the difference between healthy and unhealthy food.
People should purchase more seasonal foods. Seasonal foods are food that dominates the market or grocery stores during a particular time of the year. The groceries are always aware that these foods last for only a particular period and therefore avoid using preservatives on the food as they might stay longer than the actual time in the stores. When they are persistent in the groceries past their time, the consumers would be alert. The demand for these foods during their specific period is also high thus eliminating the need to use preservatives. Seasonal foods are high in flavor and nutrients because they are natural in most cases. An example is tropical fruits or vegetables. McNelly notes that seasonal food should be produced within one’s region of residence (2). In some cases, seasonal food might be obtained miles away from the next consumers. In such cases, the food vendors will have to travel miles to avail the food to the consumers. The possibility of the food undergoing preservation through the use of synthetic preservatives is high because of the long period it takes to reach the consumer in this case. Therefore, seasonal food should be dominant in one’s region of residence and should always be fresh. Seasonal foods are more likely to be more affordable because their supply is high during the high seasons.
People should consume natural and non-irrigated food. Natural foods are those that are produced by Mother Nature. These foods include plants, fruits, and roots. Research shows that organic food is more expensive than natural food. The natural foods are thus a better choice for average spending consumers who are seeking to stay healthy (Trisha 1). The foods are high in flavor and nutrients. Irrigated foods are produced under high electron beams. Gamma rays are often used especially for thicker food. The gamma triggers the cancerous cells in the human body. Irrigation has been established to destroy the natural nutrients and enzymes in the foods. Irrigated foods are generally hard to digest because they lack the natural enzymes that break down the food during the digestion process.
People should also avoid purchasing meat products from supermarkets.The supermarkets tend to buy food products in bulk relative to their projected customer base. The foods end up being stocked in the supermarkets longer than the projected duration. The majority of the supermarkets, therefore, use preservatives to maintain the food fresh. Canned or frozen meat lacks flavor or nutrients because of the exposure to the high temperatures and use of preservatives to can the food (Product Sustainability Forum 7). Consumers can focus more on vegetables since this is also a way of limiting the reduction in killing animal species to ensure that the global population is sustained daily.
Consumers should read labels on foods and fruits to establish if they are genetically modified. Genetically modified food products have their DNA altered in the process of production and lack the natural nutrients needed or healthy bodies (University of Washington 1). Genetically modified food products tend to be more attractive in appearance, lean, and appealing to the consumer’s eye. These foods, however, contain a lot of toxic products that are unhealthy for humans. To determine if the food is a product of GMOs, Whole Foods Market provides that the consumer can use the label numbers on the food product to help them avoid making the wrong choice of a fruit or vegetable. In a detailed provision, Kahn provides the procedures for establishing if a food product is genetically engineered. According to the research, a food product in a grocery store has a four-digit PLU code. For example , a yellow banana has code #4011 (Kahn n.pag). An extra digit is added to the code to establish whether it is organic or inorganic. The number 8 added on the code (#84011) means that the fruit or vegetable is genetically engineered. Number 9 (#94011) on the other hand indicates that the fruit or vegetable is organically produced.
In conclusion, Inorganic food products are fast damaging the health of the global population and biodiversity. The proposed actions in this research present significant benefits for the world at large. The benefits to be drawn may be long-term in terms of realization. However, every effort made should consider the well-being of today and tomorrow’s generations. The recommended actions in this research can be taken by every consumer irrespective of their financial status. The majority of the consumers might argue that the inorganic food products are associated with affordability and thus are more comfortable purchasing them because after, al the effects are merely long-term that might dominate years later. The impacts of these food products are, however, severe as they are associated with cancer, which often shows up late but in its final stage where treatment is impossible. Inorganic foods destroy the future of an unborn fetus, which is the next generation the world should prioritize protecting. The majority of the public is ignorant of the severity of these food products because they lack the necessary knowledge. The government, the media and health organizations need to take up the first step to ensure that people are living healthy lives through informed nutritional decisions.
Work Cited
- HelpGuide. “Organic Foods: What you need to know.” (2019).
- Kahn, Mike. “Food Labeling: How to Identify Conventional, Organic, and GMO Produce.” KQED(2012).
- Lindos Group of Companies. “Choosing Healthy Foods: Principles of Healthy Food Selection.” (2019): n.d.
- McNelly, Aiobhan. “Seasonal Food: A new menu for public health.” (2017): 1-4.
- Product Sustainability Forum. “Hotspots, opportunities & initiatives: Canned Meat.”Improving the Environmental Performance of Products(2013): 1-28.
- Trisha, Calvo. “The Difference Between Labels on Organic and ‘Natural’ Foods: A new Consumer Reports survey shows Americans are confused, and the FDA needs to know it.” (2016).
- University of Washington. “Genetically Modified Organisms.” The Center for Ecogenetics and Environmental Health(2013): 1-2. .
- Whole Foods Market. “Organic Food FAQ.” (2019): n.d. .
