Terry wrote:
>Thanks to Jeff for his thoughtful essays and thought-provoking
>questions.
It is good to share a thought. Thanks for the feedback.
>I do not think there is any compelling argument that such processed food
>must be junk. I believe that it must be possible to take fresh ingredients
>and create safe, healthy foods that can be --to a certain extent--stored
>and shipped.
Yes, we seem to seek out sweet, fatty, or savory foods. It is
a universal characteristic so must be part of our genetic programming.
As hunter/gathers it probably worked ok, but not today.
The food industry is driven by economics and cultural health never
appears as a topic in corporate board rooms. So.. we buy junk
and the food industry zeros in on something that can be supplied
with a long shelf life and is in demand. The result is lots of
"taste good" products that have little health content.
This goes all the way back to the plant breeders who create
plants with a long shelf life, bug resistance, and uniform
size. It drives a huge packaging industry and large almost
hidden chemical industry. There was a flap once about the
cellulose in some products (sawdust?) but after things got quiet
the cellulose snuck back. For me this isn't a big deal. Someday,
the trend will become onerous and a revised culture may have the
ability to make adjustments.
----
jeff owens, [EMAIL PROTECTED], http://www.xprt.net/~jko
underground house, solar power, self-reliance, edible landscape
eco lifestyle discussion: subscribe ecopath -> [EMAIL PROTECTED]
