Unfortunately, food and chemical companies control what is allowed in the food supply. The current policy on food additives was written in 1958 and has not been updated. Food additives that have been Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by the very industries that profit from their use are exempt from review by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The GRAS standard was meant to be applied to certain widely known safe ingredients like vinegar, but the development of food science has introduced many chemicals that somehow fall under this category and are, therefore, not subject to any scrutiny. The industry itself is allowed to voluntarily submit information to the FDA about its additives and conduct its own scientific studies on these ingredients. The FDA accepts the findings of the food and chemical industries and conducts no review of the findings. These studies are conducted by scientists who are paid by the very industries responsible for their manufacture.
One of the most prevalent problems is the presence of pesticides in everyday food. Pesticides are not only bad for the environment but have also been deemed to be carcinogenic. For instance, nearly every brand of oats present in many breakfast foods has been found to contain glyphosate, the main ingredient in the herbicide/pesticide Roundup. This is especially troubling for pregnant women and young children. Glyphosate has been banned in many countries in the European Union due to its carcinogenicity.
Unfortunately, only a very small percentage of packaged foods sold in the US are organic. This can be due to a couple of reasons. One, most people who shop organic are not looking for packaged goods. Another is that most people are not aware of the dangers lurking in the conventional food supply. Even if a food you’re eating doesn’t have a large amount of dangerous chemicals in it, the effect is cumulative. Your body stores toxins in adipose (fat) tissue, so it remains in your body to cause trouble beyond consuming the food it was contained in.
If there is going to be any change made in our food supply, it will require the power of consumer spending. We need to educate ourselves about the danger of eating chemicals that are present in the foods we eat and stop eating those foods that are a danger to our health. The food companies will be forced to respond to consumer demand for cleaner and healthier foods.
Look what has happened in the fast food industry. As more and more people are looking for non-meat alternatives, many of the fast food providers are serving plant-based meat substitutes in their sandwiches. Although I do not recommend eating highly processed plant-based burgers that are artificially made to taste like the meat they’re replacing, this is a clear sign that the industry listens and responds to consumer demand. Your dollars and how you spend them matter. Choose wisely and send the message that you will no longer accept unhealthy, chemical laden foods to be served to your and your family.
As a health coach, I work with women who are facing serious health challenges like heart disease, metabolic syndrome, and diabetes or who have been diagnosed as having a precursor to a serious health issue such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or high blood sugar. I help them make food and lifestyle changes so they can get healthy, live longer, and enjoy a fuller, happier, more energetic life. If you would like to have a free consultation about your health challenges and the improvements you would like to see in your health, click here to schedule a no-strings-attached call.
