The nexus between what we eat and how we feel is an important topic: Ouisa D. Davis
The nexus between what we eat and how we feel is becoming an important topic. Food preservation is nothing new — human beings have dried, salted and canned meats and vegetables for centuries. But what are the implications of chemical preservation and artificial flavor enhancement on our health and well-being?
The preservation of meat in our grocery stores has become a growing concern for me. I have noticed a metallic, salty taste in most pork available in grocery stores. When perusing the labels attached to the pork, I note that most brands highlight “tenderizer,” listing a number of chemicals injected to artificially tenderize, preserve and “improve” the flavor of the product.
Look at the color of the beef we purchase in the grocery stores: Was meat ever meant to be so red? Dyes and preservatives have been added to supplement the appearance of the product so that it appears fresh and attractive to the shopper.
Frozen chicken labels, sold conveniently in those huge bags of individual serving sizes, boast a salt-based formula which enhances flavor and contributes to long-term preservation.
The addition of nitrates and sulfates to preserved meats is familiar to all of us. In the 1980s, preservation of hot dogs and lunch meats became an area of concern to healthy eaters in the U.S.
I rarely purchase meat in grocery stores anymore, choosing instead to use a neighborhood butcher in the hope of obtaining a purer product.
Fruits and vegetables, harvested prior to attaining ripeness in order to survive the trek from field to grocery counter, are washed in a wax bath that defies scrubbing. Many vegetables are not necessarily fresh; how many times have you purchased an avocado that seems to be at the perfect degree of ripeness, taken it home and sliced it, only to discover that it is overripe and not fit for consumption? Or bitten into the beautifully red apple which shows inner evidence of artificial coloring in its flesh? Or smelled the briny, gasoline-based spray which turns our bananas yellow in the store?
The recent romaine lettuce and food-related illness scares have heightened our sensibilities to the dangers in our international food production system. Are we seeing some of the risks involved in pre-harvest food processing?
Can we look forward to increased salmonella poisoning because of pre-harvest food preservation? How does globalized food production add risks due to increased travel and storage time from field to counter? What are the long-term dangers of ingesting chemically or artificially treated foods?
Even more telling is the unanswered question of the impact of chemical preservation and pre-harvest food processing on our health. Is the ingestion of foods laced with chemicals, additives and preservatives contributing to our increased level of cancer, heart disease, autism and other physical maladies? Many times, I hear that a cancer diagnosis is related to “environmental issues.” What are the long-term consequences of our food processing and delivery systems?
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In our lifetime, while longevity has increased as a general rule, there has been inquiry into the impact of environment on modern disease processes. While habit and genealogical predisposition to certain medical conditions continue to be helpful, surely modern eating habits, food preservation processes, and the globalization of our food supply increase our vulnerability to serious medical conditions and potential food poisoning.
What are the answers to these questions? I don’t think an attitude of “only time will tell” is a sufficient response. With recent federal budget cuts to the Food and Drug Administration, we should all be very concerned about the purity of our food supply. Serious study of the agribusiness industry and federal regulation of processed foods and vegetable distribution should be undertaken. Our food supply is at risk.
Ouisa D. Davis is an attorney at law in El Paso. She may be reached at Ouisadavis@yahoo.com.