The Truth About Our Food Industry

The article “Not in my fridge” by Jeffery M. Smith elaborately discussed the health hazards of genetically modified (GM) products. This article has opened my eyes and revealed my ignorance of how unmindful of what I have eaten for years. I was very alarmed by many of the things I have learned in this article. After learning the side-effect of GM food, I was certainly concerned for our health. Moreover, learning that the biotech company’s strong stand in advocate of GM products as well as the United States governments and the Food and Drug administration (FDA) cover up of serious safety issues of GM highly disturbed me.

“Should We Care About Genetically Modified Foods?” by John N. Shaw appeared in Food Safety News issue of February 1, 2010, as a feature under the health section on the controversy between the pros and cons of genetically modified foods (Also known as GMO, genetically modified organisms). The main idea of this article is to inform people of the benefits of GMOs . The author, John Shaw received his Bachelor of Science degree in Finance with a minor in Marketing from the University of Arkansas in 2007, where he was a “leadership scholar.” In addition to his studies, he has worked as a research assistant with Food Law LL.M. Director Susan Schneider, interned with Wal-Mart Government and Corporate Affairs division, the Arkansas Attorney General Public Protection Division, and with United States Senator Blanche Lincoln. John has a passion for Food Law, sports, and outdoors. In the article, he states, “ I submit that I am no scientist; merely an interested student.” According to the article, he is passionate and has done sufficient research about the topic to support his argument.

A new kind of foods called the genetically modified foods has been creating a quiet revolution in the American market for the past several years. Scientists are able to produce these new foods by transferring genes from one organism into another across species boundaries. This new technique has been developed to improve the shelf life, nutritional content, flavor, color, and texture of foods. Since 1994, about 45 genetically modified foods such as tomato, corn, soybeans, canola, and potatoes have been marketed in the United States. About two-thirds of foods that are processed in U.S. contain genetically modified ingredients. So, we the people are consuming these foods without realizing the fact that they are not produced naturally.

After watching GMO & OMG, Fix Foods, Fed Up, and reading “ If you pitch it they’ll eat it”, I realize that I need to make changes to my eating habits and that there needs to be a humongous change in our food industry. For an example many of us don’t really pay attention to what we eat if it looks good or smells good we're going to want more. As they said in GMO & OMG “ The Supermodel Foods”. Us people we tend to buy the food that looks best to our preference and not if it’s actually good for us. In the documentary GMO & OMG by: Jeremy Seifert he argues and tries to bring to our attention that there’s Genetically Modified Organisms has been put in our food without our knowledge. But even when knowing this we still continue to buy the genetically

It was our normal routine during the week, driving through the drive thru to get the kids a bite to eat. One day it could be Jack n the Box, another day it could be Mc Donald’s or Carl’s Jr, which ever fast food was voted on amongst my daughters is where we went. This past summer what seemed to be just another trip through the drive thru became a nightmare after eating hamburgers at our usual Carl’s Jr. Not so long after we ate, my older daughter began with severe abdominal cramps, diarrhea, fever, chills, nausea and vomiting. I was immediately concerned and rushed her to the hospital to find out that she had food poisoning. There wasn’t much the doctor could do other than tell her to drink a lot of

Consumption of fast food in America is at an all time high. The low prices and addictive flavors have made us Americans ignorant to what actually goes into this food. Americans are constantly trying to save money on food and as a result, turn to fast food. If we really knew what was going into this food, how many of us would continue to eat it? The book, Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All American Meal by Eric Schlosser not only uncovers the truth about how bad fast food really is for us but it also discusses how fast food has shaped America. A numerous amount of issues having to do with the food production are addressed throughout the book.

In every company, they deal with internal and external factors that affect every day business. External factors include oil price change, new laws and regulations for building codes, food distribution and many more. Companies that wish to succeed in their business should try and anticipate these internal and external factors. By identifying a companies opportunities and threats, a company can protect themselves from future harm and take advantage of opportunities that they have prepared for. Analyzing the opportunities and threats can be crucial for a company to turn a profit, expand the company across the country, and bring in and keep new and old customers.

The food that you are eating maybe is "fake" food. The food industry owns to its consumers a clear nutritional label that is easy to understand especially if the food is genetically modified. GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms) have been around in the markets for the last 20 years GM crops can be engineered to be naturally pest-resistant, undermining the need for pesticide chemicals. GM crops can be engineered to tolerate extreme weather conditions, such as cold fronts or droughts, allowing for a geographically diverse range of growth sites. GM crops can be engineered with added vitamins and minerals, which is especially beneficial in third world countries dealing with malnutrition "( Rachel). However, the topic of the food that us Americans eat has many aspects and points of view the following are just some of those aspects.

When walking down the aisles of Giant or Safeway, what individuals usually look at are the amount of fat or the number of calories a product contains. Others just pick up whatever looks good for dinner that night. But what many of those individuals don’t look out for, or even know about, are Genetically Modified Organisms. Even if they wanted to, the products in grocery stores don’t contain the proper labels that make the consumer aware of what they’re actually consuming. Many people are still in the dark about what GMO’s (Genetically Modified Organisms) are and our government does not do much to inform its people about these products and the companies that produce them. Genetically Modified organisms are animals or plants that have been inserted with genes that scientists have pulled from several different species and inserted into one to create a super animal or plant. The creation of genetically modified organisms was supposed to be the answer to human advances in agriculture and world hunger, but unfortunately it has more potential to harm our animals, our environment, and most importantly ourselves. The corporations that produce these products must be fully regulated and tested by the government to determine if safe enough to grow and consume. The companies creating this abnormal food only have money in mind, without thinking about the consequences. These super food maybe be seen as magic seeds to some, but the thing that is supposed to be

“Today we use the term ‘genetically modified’ to refer to food produced from plants or animals which have had their genes changed by scientists in the laboratory rather than farmers in the field,” said by Nick Middleton (51). Genetically modified foods have become a hot topic in the world. People have still not been able to label it as a “Frankenstein food or a weapon against starvation” (Middleton 51). Genetically modified foods should be allowed for public consumption because it helps deal with the issue of world hunger, it improves overall quality of food, and it helps the environment.

The late nineteenth century brought forth some of the most breakthrough scientific discoveries. One such breakthrough were Genetically Engineered (Modified) Organisms which were initially meant to reduce world hunger by being able to mass produce crops and also allow the produce to have a longer shelf life and be more ripe. However, the increasing methods of germinating crops and new, more compelling evidence from thorough scientific research has led to the conclusion that foods with Genetically Modified material can lead to dangerous diseases and side effects. In 2011, every eight in ten Americans did not know that the foods they were consuming contained Genetically Engineered Organisms, because about 90% of popularly consumed crops in the United States were made using Genetic Engineering (D 'Ambrosio). Although this relatively new scientific discovery can possibly help to end world hunger, it has not made any progress since the early 2000’s when the European Union made it a law to label all foods that contained Genetically Modified Organisms, which led to more consumers switching to organic foods. The United States has no such law making it mandatory for companies to label their products as not natural which gives consumers misleading nutritional facts. The issue of mandatory labeling of all GM foods has become a heated debate and has quickly become an important issue for many large companies. Advocates of mandatory labeling

Food is essential for life. This is a simple fact that leaves no room for inquiry. Not only does food provide sustenance, but a large part of community and culture relies upon the consumption of food and meals. Since the beginning of time food has been grown, cultivated, cooked, served, purchased, and consumed. The types of consumed foods are a large part of cultures all over the world. For food to be such a big component of life, humans have the right to know what they are eating. As food becomes more commercial and accessible, the source may not always be known. Genetically modified food (GMOs) are becoming more widely used. Consumers have the right to understand what they eat, and GMOs should not be forced into consumption. To increase awareness of GMOs, the source, health risks, and environmental effects of genetically modified food deserves to be known.

There has been a tremendous amount of progress being made in genetic engineering. Genetically Modified Organism’s (GMO) are one of the most important issues around the world today. GMOs are organisms in which the genetic material is changed for advancing productivity and product quality. This leads farmers and scientist into changing the way food is grown and processed. It is clear that there hasn’t been enough evidence that proves genetically modified food is harmful. Although, these articles have added to the investigation being done that will hopefully lead to these products being taken off the market.

Have you ever been sitting at home enjoying a huge cup of fruits or vegetables and think to yourself that you’re eating habits are healthy? You may be wrong, not knowing where your food comes can come with a big health hazard, yes even with fruits and vegetables. The reasoning for this is the upcoming biotechnology of Genetically Modified Foods. These modified foods are supposed to help with the up and coming population that should rise by 10 billion in 2050.Plus with all the technology coming in, it makes it easier for farmers to do their harvest a lot quicker, which means they have more time for family. Although many people believe the Genetically Modified Foods will be the future, Genetically Modified foods should be closely watched by the government and should be evaluated thoroughly before it is put on the market, Genetically Modified Foods have been tested individually and evidence shows health risks, the number of risk it brings to our environment and ecosystem is not worth with progressing, Genetically Modified foods don’t label their products which gives great superstitions to people on why Genetically Modified Food corporation are trying too hard to keep these labels off.

“Leading customer brands opposed to GMO labeling aren’t fighting for you and your health- they’re fighting for themselves and their personal interests, which are billions of dollars at stake.” (boycott). Food corporations and manufacturers are experimenting with genetically modified organisms in foods sold around the world for simply their benefit. 67% of the general public is uninformed on what these organisms are and how they can be hazardous to the human body (Neuman). The genetically modified organisms within the attractive foods can generate possible health complications. Fortunately, there are ways to avoid these organisms by becoming aware of certain food companies and ingredients. Throughout the years, food industries have been improving the affordability and appearance of their foods to be more attractive through genetically modified organisms which may be negatively affecting our health.