Jenay
Grant
English
102
Professor
Merrifield
June
2012
Sorting Through the Isles: Raw Food
Introduction
Choosing food in the
great span of a super market can be difficult, especially when you are just
coming to a point of independence, and trying to develop your own eating habits,
or are deciding to shift your eating style.
The new technology in the food industry, such as bio-engineering and
synthesized chemicals, presents an even greater challenge in sorting out what
to buy. One must question whether these
new developments are safe? Should you
feel guilty for opting for less expensive foods, and what are the
tradeoffs? My main issue is “Is the low
cost of food today worth it?”
Join
me as I guide you through the isles of this research paper. My research paper thoroughly examines these
issues in a simple to understand way by first bisecting the broad category of
raw food into the produce and the meats.
In each category, there are three aspects that must be analyzed:
nutritional content, risk evaluation, and ethical implications. I have found that there is no direct and
simple answer to this question. I do not
believe the answer is a cut and dry every raw food you buy should be
organic.
Organic food is a two
edged sword. On one side it is new and
trendy in the health food world, and on the other side it raises questions in
critical consumer’s minds. The
popularity of organic food is illustrated in this quote; “According to the
Organic Trade Association’s Organic Industry Survey (2011), total organic food
sales accounted for $6.1 billion in 2000 and more than quadrupled in the past
10 years to $26.7 billion in 2010” (Van Loo, Alali, & Ricke 204). Its
rising popularity can be accredited to the fact that, we, the public tend to
believe that organic food is “healthier” and that it poses less risk. On the other side some such as John Goodman,
the President of the National Center for Policy Analysis, see it as simply a
marketing ploy used to get money (The Organic Scam). For many of us the idea of simply going
completely organic is ideal but unrealistic.
The way I see it, we don’t have to go completely either way. In order to get the most for your money, a
varied and open approach to choosing vegetables and buying quality natural
organic meats is best.
Vary
Your Produce
Remember
sitting at the dinner table and your parents or guardians telling you to eat
those veggies or hearing in school that they are good for you. Yet, for so many adults they are the most
difficult to get enough of. A study
conducted by doctorate students, at John Hopkins University showed that “only
11 percent of adults met USDA guidelines (equal to or more than two servings
fruit and… three servings vegetables)” from 1999 to 2002 (Casagrande et.al. 260). I believe that in order to get the most for
your money you should purchase and eat as many vegetables and as many different
types as you can. The truth of the
matter is that with so many processed alternative foods out there we rarely get
enough produce. When it comes to produce
it really makes no difference whether it is organic or not. Just buy and eat more.
When
you analyze the nutritional content in both organic and non-organic produce you
will find that there is no significant difference. In fact when you look at a bag of produce it
typically contains no nutritional information.
This is because the makeup of fruits and vegetables vary. Each one is a unique individual with its own
make up. But the FDA has created sheets
that can be found online with the average nutritional values found in produce
(FDA). On these sheets there is no
distinction between organic and non-organic produce. This is because “USDA makes no claims that
organically produced food is safer or more nutritious than conventionally
produced food” (FDA). Just because a
product says organic does not make it any more nutritious. However, as whole vegetables tend to be more
nutritious regardless of whether they are organic or not. Our dietary needs require a large amount of
fruits and vegetables, and the use of bio-technology allows producers to keep
up with this demand without sacrificing nutrient value.
With the use of genetic
modifications scientists are able to make plants more resistant to
environmental changes so that they can be more successful. Typical plant yield
is often greatly reduced because of pests, conditions, and the variability of
plant survival. The use of these
pesticides which the plants become resistant to prevents bugs and disease from
infesting your produce. In addition, “Biotechnology
has helped to increase crop productivity by introducing such qualities as
disease resistance and increased drought tolerance to the crops” (Wieczorek 2).
These changes allow crops to survive better than before. These changes often seem scary yet they
really are helping to make fresh produce (which we need more of in our diets)
more readily available to the public.
It
is true that there are risks associated with conventional farming techniques
and the use of pesticides and inorganic fertilizer. However, when it comes to vegetables, the
product is well worth the risk. Modified
plants have been on the market for about two decades now, and no conclusive
studies have proven that they are unsafe, which is why the USDA can make their
claim. It is important to remember that
there are also risks associated with organic farming. Since organic produce use fewer techniques to
synthetically control the environment (“Food Label…”), this could lead to a
greater chance of contamination. There
are risks on both sides. It is advantageous to vary the source of your fruits
and vegetables. Varying the source of produce reduces the likelihood of
succumbing to a particular risk.
I
believe that the key to revitalizing the health of our nation is for the public
consumer to wake up and see that it does not matter what the type of vegetable
or fruit is. We need to eat more of
them and more frequently. According to
research done in the study at John Hopkins University, “Consuming a diet high
in fruits and vegetables is associated with a decreased risk of certain chronic
diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes” (Casagrande
et.al. 260). This indicates that the
need for us to buy more raw vegetables goes beyond the fact that they contain needed
nutrients; it also may reduce the chance of contracting chronic disease.
As a society we need to eat more
fruits and vegetables, whether or not they are organic. Don’t feel guilty if you purchase vegetables
at a lower price. Modifying vegetables
so that more can be produced is a process that does not diminish the integrity
of the plants as individuals. Plants are
meant to be grown in one place and to flourish under care. Even with the changes made to them they are
able to live successful lives, and this poses little ethical consequence. It is worth it for the consumer to purchase
more vegetables and fruits at whatever cost they like. Buying a wide variety also helps decrease the
risk of overproduction of a certain type. This stimulates the market with our demand so
that even more vegetables and fruits can be produced.
Eat
Limited Quality Natural or Organic Meat
Meat
on the other hand is a totally different issue.
Americans tend to eat 20 percent more meat than necessary according to a
news article that claims to get this data from the USDA (Guteierrez). Unlike plants we have a tendency to over
indulge in meats. This is bad because
the fat found in meat (especially red meat) is highly saturated which can cause
clogged arteries, heart disease, and lead to cancer (Harding). This is the opposite of the unsaturated fats
typically found in plants. Over eating
meat in turn can lead to problems beyond getting an excess of nutrients. It is no coincidence that, with the easy access
of meats, heart disease was the number 1 cause of death among Americans in 2008
(“Heart Disease Facts”). Low meat prices
give the illusion of value but in reality we as a people are losing. It is worth it to pay the extra price for
quality, natural, or organic meat.
Let’s
begin with the nutritional value: there is a higher occurrence of high fat meat
among non-organic, unnatural meats. When
meat is brought up in a way that is not specified as “natural”, “free-range”,
or “organic” there is less emphasis on regulations that say animals should be
allowed to roam freely and should be fed quality food (Van Loo, Alali, & Ricke
205). Because it is not required for
animals to have land to roam on, animals raised in conventional conditions are
often crammed into dark facilities with little room to move. They also
eat high calorie feed that may even include by-products of other animals (Van
Loo, Alali, & Ricke 221). This high
fat, sedentary life style of the animals leads to the production of more meats
with higher fat content. Although this
may not always be seen directly on food labels, it makes logical sense that if
an animal is not walking around and getting exercise there is less quality
muscle dense meat on it. This means there is more cheap-fatty meat available
because of the non-organic market.
With
a careful analysis of the risk it is evident that the low cost production of
meat is not really worth the low cost.
Unlike a pesticide or genetic alteration in plants which can be cleaned
off or alters only one gene, the changes being made to meat may have a greater
negative impact. Anti-biotic elements given to the animals do not always break
down when digested. One key example of
this is that, often when cows are given penicillin, people allergic to
penicillin have allergic reactions to their milk (Van Loo, Alali, & Ricke 220).
Also the animal
by-products included in the animal feed of non-natural animals can be linked to
spreading disease. One major example of
this is the breakout of mad cow disease which was caused by animals “ingesting
livestock containing… contaminated animal proteins” (Van Loo, Alali, & Ricke
221). The mad-cow disease could cause “Creutzfeldt-Jakob
Disease” in humans upon ingestion (Van Loo, Alali, & Ricke 221). This reveals that the methods and techniques
used in animals pose greater risks to humans because the changes can directly
impact us. Also, it shows that producers
trying to cut corners, by forcing animals such as cows that eat plants to eat
by products of other animals is not always good for their health or ours.
Finally,
the methods that come along with the complex issues within the low cost
production of meat are unethical for both the producer and the consumer. For the producer the view is that the demand
for cheap meats outweighs the importance of preserving the integrity of the
animals and keeping the consumer informed.
For the consumer, you and I, we have fallen victim to a lack of
compassion due to the fact that buying cheap may be habitual.
Producers
of unnatural meat have forgotten that, unlike plants, animals are not meant to
be stuck in one place and grown. In the
past, meats were quite possibly the most difficult food to obtain because the
animals roamed freely and we had to go out and catch them. Now many producers have the animals contained
indoors, away from their natural environment, crammed in barns, unnaturally
close to one another, and suffering the consequence of disease and muscle
atrophy (The issues: animal welfare). Conventional
farmers know that the public would not like to see the image of birds crammed
into wire cages and pigs shoved in barns. This may be why unlike organic meat,
conventional meat origin is not publicized.
It is not a pretty picture, but many large-scale conventional meat producers
have become too numb and money hungry to recognize the fact that the essence of
what the animals are is being destroyed.
However,
as the consumers we should feel slightly guilty too when we buy those cheap
meats. We are caught without compassion
and in habit. There is a major sense of
detachment that has happened between consumers and their food. Many people get into the habit of wanting
food fast but not thinking of the consequences.
If a product does not claim to be USDA organic standard, or free range
then the animals most likely had no access to the outside and if it is not
“natural food” then it may possess added ingredients (Van Loo, Alali, & Ricke
205). In today’s market place we must
put in effort search for these labels and pay the price to be sure of the
product we are receiving. We must wake
up and, not only realize, but also CARE that the lifestyle of the animals that
give us cheap, easy, unnatural meat is unhealthy. Those animals are suffering. When we eat their meat, we eat the suffering
too.
Reconnect
with your meats. Understand that our
dietary needs do not call for the over production of fatty meats. The risks are not worth it because of this. Also realize the process of obtaining the
cheap meat diminishes the integrity of the animal. Even if you don’t care about the “animals
feelings” you should care that its conditions have a direct impact on you.
Conclusion
A completely
organic, natural lifestyle is typically unrealistic for most people unless they
live on an organic farm. With jobs,
school, and the fast paced lifestyle that we each face it can be difficult to
sort through the aisles of the grocery store and to avoid the processed
“junk”. I applaud you for taking an interest
in my essay and reading my researched arguments on buying raw food. If I convince you of nothing else, I would
like to imprint in your mind that as a consumer it is your demand and control
that can make a difference. Buy varied
fresh produce because your body needs it in abundance. Buy organic meats because your body does not need
an excess of “junk” meat, and neither does the food market.
Works Cited
Casagrande, Sarah S., Youfa Wang, Cheryl
Anderson, and Tiffany L. Gary. "Have Americans
Increased
Their Fruit and Vegetable Intake? The Trends Between 1988 and 2002." American
Journal of Preventive Medicine 32.42 Dec. (2006): 257-63. Web. 24 July
2012
Gutierrez,
David (Staff Reporter). "Americans eat too much
meat, not enough fruit, says USDA
research." NaturalNews.com Real News
Powered By the People 30 Aug. (2010). Web. 24 July 2012.
"Food Label Helps Consumers Make
Healthier Choices." U.S. Food and Drug
Administration:
Protecting and Promoting Your Health. US Department of Health and Human
Services, 6 June 2012. Web. 3 July 2012.
Goodman, John. "The Organic Food
Scam." HealthWorks Collective: The world's best thinkers
on
health care. Webcast. Siemens, 24 May 2012. Web. 24
July 2012.
Harding, Anne. "Study: Too much red
meat may shorten lifespan." CNN Health. Health.com, 13
Mar.
2012. Web. 24 July 2012.
"Heart Disease Facts." Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). U.S. Department of
Health
& Human Service, 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 24 July 2012.
"The issues: animal
wellfare." Sustainable Table: educate, advocate, cultivate Sept.
(2009).
Web.
24 July 2012
Van Loo, Ellen J., Walid Alali, and
Steven C. Ricke. "Food Safety and Organic Meats." Annual
Review
of Food Science and Technology 3 Apr. (2012):
203-25. WVULibraries. Web. 3 July 2012.
Wieczorek, Ania. Use of
Biotechnology in Agriculture— Benefits and Risks. Honolulu: College
of
Tropical Agriculture and Human Resource, 203. 2-5. Web. 24 July 2012
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