NUTRITION - LOCAL AND GLOBAL FOOD ISSUES

Political influences can affect our food choices.

Eating habits are not personal feelings, but rather the result of a social and economic environment that does not support making healthy food choices.

Over the past century, the Food Industry has helped move whole plant foods away from the customers, replacing them with a highly processed, animal product centered diet that is rich in salt, sugar, fat, and chemicals. This is causing a worldwide epidemic of diet-related diseases such as heart disease and diabetes, ecological devastation stemming from unsustainable agricultural practices, and the widespread exploitation of farm and food industry workers. Because of these troubling social, public health, and environmental costs, a diet based on whole, unprocessed plant foods, and policy reforms that would make such a diet accessible and affordable to all, are what’s needed.

Because of their enormous financial and political resources/influence, corporations and the government agencies that regulate them have a huge influence over our food choices and the information we receive about them. With their huge advertising budgets and conspicuous presence in schools, entertainment media, and civic life, today’s giant food companies have had an easy time ingraining their products into our culture and transforming our way of eating, in an unhealthy direction. At the same time, the government agencies charged with regulating the food industry have been more concerned with protecting their own financial interests than protecting the public health.

In the documentary, SuperSize Me, that was watched in class, When Morgan tried to contact Mcdonalds owners to book an interview in order to understand why they are promoting such products that can prove to be fatal for human health. It took a long time for him to get a hold of the corporation, but once did, he could not get an interview with her. The food corporations are guilty of destroying human health, and they know it, which is why they do not want to be interviewed.

ADDICTION

Some scientists and food experts wonder if the food industry is using the science of food cravings and taste to make people want to eat and buy more food, even though they are very unhealthy.

Manipulating customers:

Advertising is used to make people want to buy and consume products that are not nutritious. The trend to “supersizing” portions of certain types of foods — mostly unhealthy pop, snack foods and fast food meals.
The food industry's deliberate manipulation of the taste and texture of food to make people want to eat more.
increases in diabetes, heart conditions and other health concerns.

- This was seen in Cloudy Of A Chance Of Meatballs, when Flints machine began getting popular, and everyone in town started consuming its food much more, and became obese.
- Also, in Super Size Me, when Mcdonalds was supersizing their products.

If customers are continued to be exploited by food industries, it can lead them to become Obese, be at risk for heart disease (Coronary heart disease), as well as many typed of cancer.

A measure of the availability of food and individuals' accessibility to it, where accessibility includes affordability.

Factors that affect food choices

Religious

Some religions have dietary restrictions on them, which means that the followers of that religion must comply with the restrictions. (Ex: cannot eat meat)

Family

Family heads could decide on what to feed the rest of the family, and be their own judge of what might be healthy or unhealthy. (If a food is too sugary, they might not buy it).

Social

Food choice is influenced by attitudes and habits that develop through interacting with others, such as friends, etc. (Ex: A friend tells you that she loves to eat a specific food from a restaurant, which will make you want to eat it).

Time/Convenience

If someone has a busy schedule, they are more likely to skip a meal, or eat a smaller amount. Also, they might choose to each something that is easier to be accessed. (Ex: If McDonalds is closer than a farm, a person is more likely to go to McDonalds, since they are everywhere because of globalization and industrialization).

Allergies/Intolerance

If someone is allergic to a food, they cannot consume it, even though it has vital nutrients and vitamins. For example, many people are allergic to milk, fish and eggs, which are extremely prevalent in almost every food and provide excellent nutrition. However, these people cannot consume it.

Trends

A trend is a general direction in which something is developing or changing, to be popular. Some people go on different types of diets, to reach their health goals. (Ex: veganism, keto diet).

Food Miles

The distance a food travels from its source
(Food travels from the farmer who grew or produced it, to the consumer who finally eats the food).
Includes the journey from farm to processor, from processor to retailer, and from retailer to consumer
- The average North American meal travels 2400 kilometers from field to plate!
- 500g of lamb from New Zealand, you would generate 8 kg (8000g) of CO2!

Carbon Footprint

A measure of the impact our activities have on the environment, especially climate change.
Relates to the amount of greenhouse gases produced from burning fossil fuels for electricity, heating, transportation, etc.

Solutions: Eat Local. WHY:

Environmental: Locally grown foods travel shorter distances, Generates less CO2 emissions and other greenhouse gases
Benefits Local Economy: small farmers and stores

Sustainable national food supply: no imports/exports

Better food quality: fresher, tastier food

Better health: health benefits. Concern over foods produced in countries with low health, safety and environmental standards. Canada’s food safety regulations “tough” in comparison to many other countries. Management of pesticides, facility inspections, etc.

Crop rotation: the system of varying successive crops in a definite order on the same ground, especially to avoid depleting the soil and to control weeds, diseases, and pests.

Intercropping: to grow one crop between the rows of another(different crop), as in an orchard or field.

Hydroponic farming: to grow plants in a nutrient solution root
medium. It is a growing area of commercial food production and also used for home food production by hobbiest.

Genetically modified foods: are foods produced from organisms that have their specifici changes introduced to their DNA using the genetic engineering.

Integrated pest management: an ecological approach to pest management that combines understanding the causes of pest outbreaks, manipulating the crop ecosystem for pest control, and monitoring pest populations and their life cycles to determine if and when the use of pesticides is indicated.

Sustainable farming: the quality of not being harmful to the environment or depleting
natural resources, and thereby supporting long term ecological balance.

Organic foods: farming practices that do not use petroleum-based synthetic chemicals.

Foods that contain an added gene sequence, Foods that have a deleted gene sequence, Animal products from animals fed GM feed, Products produced by GM organisms. This was seen in the films watched in class. The film,

Created by inserting DNA from one organism into another (I.e. fish genes into apples) OR modifying an organism’s DNA to attain a desirable trait. (I.e. a tomato with reversed DNA to slow down ripening).

Sequences that code for proteins can be moved from one organism to another:
1. Find an organism with the desired trait
2. Isolate the gene sequence that codes for the desired trait
3. Insert the gene sequence into the genome of the plant cell
4. Allow the genetically altered cell to grow into a plant
5. Allow the plant to propagate

Golden rice – enriched rice containing beta-carotene (Vitamin A). This vitamin is not found in normal rice.

Bt corn – corn containing a chemical normally found in bacteria (Bacillus thuringiensis). This is toxic to insects, not humans. Insects try to eat the plant and die.

Herbicide resistant plants (roundup ready corn). These plants are immune to a certain herbicide, so they live while all the other plants in the field are killed.

OTHER EXAMPLES: Vegetables, Tomatoes, Potatoes, Rice, Cheese, Meat

WHY

Genetic engineering offers a rapid and precise method of altering organisms as compared to traditional methods that are slow and inaccurate.

Benefits:

Increased Crop Productivity: This includes herbicide tolerance, pest and disease resistance. E.g. “Roundup ready” crops, and BT corn. Could mean using less spray

Cold Tolerance: plants developed to tolerate cold temperatures & withstand unexpected frost. could destroy seedlings

Drought & salinity tolerance: currently inhospitable regions can now be cultivated

Improved nutrition: crops like rice are a staple in developing countries (nutritionally inadequate!)

GM "golden rice": is high in beta-carotene (vitamin A). Reduces eye-related problems like blindness due to malnutrition

Phytoremediation: plants like poplar trees clean up the heavy metal soil contamination. GM plants with higher tolerance for heavy metals like mercury.

Other Benefits:
Food without allergens; (I.e. anyone could eat nuts)

Grains, fruit & vegetables with improved nutrition (multi-vitamin potatoes=healthy fast food french fries!)

Longer shelf life and better taste (reduced food waste due to spoilage)

Rice enhanced with iron (prevent anemia)

Foods used as vaccines (bye-bye needles)

Statistics

70% of processed foods in Canada contain GM ingredients.

Most common are corn, soy, canola and cotton.

2001 the area of genetically modified crops grown globally was 52.6 million hectares. That is an area the size of France or Spain. This includes food and non-food crops
4 countries produced 99% of the world's genetically modified crops. These are:
USA (68%) Argentina (22%) Canada (6%) China (3%)

More than 80% of canola grown in Canada and a high proportion of the country’s soybean and corn crops are genetically modified.

More than 80% of canola grown in Canada and a high proportion of the country’s soybean and corn crops are genetically modified.


IMPACTS:
1.4 billion farmers in developed countries depend on “saved seeds” and seed exchanges (50% of crops)

1998 Monsanto sued 100 US soybean growers and hired “Pinkerton” agents to track down “seed savers
“Pineland Seed Company” was granted patent in 1998 for “terminator technology” seeds do not germinate if planted for second time

GMOS In Canada

Health Canada groups GM foods into a category called “Novel Foods”.

Foods resulting from a process not previously used for food;
Products that have never been used as a food; or
Foods that have been modified by genetic manipulation, also known as genetically modified (GM) foods, genetically engineered foods or biotechnology-derived foods

Potatoes, corn, canola, tomatoes, squash, soybeans, flax are all examples of crops processed into the goods in grocery stores.

(Fries, cakes, oils, sugars, sauces)
Without mandatory labeling.

ISSUES WITH GMOS

Environmental: Potential risk of harm to non-target organisms, e.g. a pest resistant crop that produces toxins that may harm both crop-damaging and non crop-damaging insects. E.g. The pollen of BT corn on milkweed is thought to affect (slow or kill) the larvae of Monarch butterflies. Further studies are underway.

Pesticides become less effective: Pests become resistant to modified crops. Different varieties and strengths of pesticides will be needed once weeds have adapted to the existing effective pesticides.

“Superweeds”: Gene transfer to non-target species where herbicide tolerant plants crossbreed with weeds potentially creating herbicide resistant weeds. Some Western Canadian farmers are calling Monsanto’s roundup ready canola a superweed.

Human health risks: Introducing a gene into a plant may create a new allergen or cause an allergic reaction in susceptible individuals. For example, inserting genes from a nut into another plant could be dangerous for people who are allergic to nuts

Economic Hazards : (Elimination of competition) GM seeds are patented (must buy each year). This presents problems for poor farmers in both the developed and developing worlds. Large companies like Monsanto have resorted to suing small farmers found to be using their seed without paying.

Suicide seeds: Plants with sterile seeds that are infertile are created. Farmers are forced to buy seeds every year. However, some companies have reduced costs or donated GM seeds to impoverished nations.

HORMONES

All animal products contain hormones since all animals produce hormones naturally. Growth hormones are frequently added in the commercial production of beef. Not allowed in organic agriculture.

WHY: Development of more lean meat, which is healthier; More growth using less feed, which is good for the environment; and reduced costs for cattle producer and less expensive beef for consumer.

Approved by Health Canada. Beef cannot be sold if it exceeds the regulated levels.

Hormone use is not approved for dairy cattle, pigs or poultry in Canada. No hormones are allowed in milk or milk products.

1. INPUTS: HUMAN, NATURAL, AND OTHER RESOURCES

Numerous inputs are required throughout the food system
in order for it to function.

Human resources include labour, expertise, research, and
education.

Natural resources include soil, water, seeds, animals,
fertilizers, pesticides, compost, and fuels.

Other resources include infrastructure such as buildings,
machinery, and financial support

2. FOOD PRODUCTION

Generally there are two general categories of food
production:

The conventional approach which is also called the
dominant approach

OR

The industrial model of agriculture (which also includes
alternative approaches that have developed in response to
issues of sustainability, food security, and food justice.

3. FOOD PROCESSING

Food processing is any deliberate change or transformation in a food
that occurs before it is available for us to eat. It can be as simple as washing carrots and putting them into bunches or as complicated as adding sweeteners, spices, oils, flavors, colors, and preservatives.

The next step is the cooking, baking, or dehydrating; and then packaging of the food item.
Each step of the food value chain adds economic value to the product.

4. FOOD DISTRIBUTION

Food products and ingredients are often transported from the site of production to a different size from processing and packaging, moved to warehouses for storage and organization, moved again to distribution centers, and then to retail outlets or food service facilities.

Finally, shoppers transport them to their homes.

5. FOOD ACCESS AND CONSUMPTION

Most of us obtain from retail outlets such as supermarkets, convenience stores, and
specialty stores, or from restaurants, food vendors, or cafeterias.

Other options such as farmers’ markets and community-supported agriculture are available to some people and others grow their own food.

Food consumption includes eating already prepared food and preparing and eating food in your own home.

By choosing some foods and not others, the consumer plays a role in the food system.

6. OUTPUTS

Food is the most important output of the food system.

Other outputs such as manure and compost can be re-used within the system. They become inputs to the food system when they are used as fertilizers and soil enhancers.

The food system also has many unwanted outputs, such as food waste, packaging, and air and water pollution.

According to the David Suzuki Foundation, In Toronto, single-family households discard about 275 kg of food waste each year (although the city’s expanding composting program captures about 75 percent of that).

WHAT IS A FOOD SYSTEM

A sustainable food system is one that is considered to be environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable.

Environmental sustainability: Food systems must be
ecologically sound, meaning that they must not deplete natural resources. They must also protect and conserve the natural environment-especially soil, air and water

Economic sustainability: Food systems must ensure that farmers obtain a price for their farm products that covers the cost of production and allows them financial well-being. Also, agriculture must be a profitable industry that generates employment.

Social sustainability: Food systems must be socially responsible and
make nutritious food available, accessible, and affordable to all. They
must build farmers and workers throughout the system. They must
also contribute to the vitality of rural communities, villages, and small
towns, and they must be humane and just.

Why They Get Popular

Fulfills some perceived need by society (Ex. Convenience foods= women entered workforce)

Seem to address a “health concern” (ex. Low carb diets and obesity)

Cultural foods = maintain heritage after immigration (ex: many South Asian foods in local grocery stores)

Vegetarian Diets
-Vegan; consumes no animal by-products e.g., honey & rennet.
-Lacto-vegetarian; may consume dairy products.
-Lacto-ovo-vegetarian; may consume dairy products & eggs.
-pescatarian; may consume dairy products, eggs & sometimes fish or seafood.

WHY: Animal welfare, Health considerations, Environmental concern, Economic factors,Religious tradition.

Organic Diets
-Food labelled organic must meet the standards set out by the -Canadian Organic Standards of the Government of Canada.
-The food must be grown & produced without the use of synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, hormones or genetic modifications.
-Antibiotics can be used on organic livestock only in the case of a health emergency.

WHY: Health & safety, Nutrition, Taste, Concern for the environment, Concern for animal welfare.

Gluten Free Diet
-Gluten is a protein found in some carbohydrates e.g., rye, wheat & barley.
-Gluten is also found in many processed foods e.g., soups, sauces & salad dressings.

WHY: Many individuals choose gluten-free diets due to Celiac -Disease or gluten sensitivities that cause bloating, constipation, headaches & fatigue

Convenience Foods / Fast Foods (cheaper)

Heart Healthy Products (omega 3, salmon, walnuts, berries)

Soy products (Meat substitute; soy milk, miso, tofu)

Functional Foods/ Super Foods (enriched with added nutrients or other substances that are considered to have a positive influence on health.)

Sports nutrition Products (protein shakes)