Food Processing

1. Food Processing - A photo essay detailing the overly processed food market and the nutritional change we need. Cory Reinecke 12/9/13 Help Received: Images from google

2. THE Problem: The problem we face today is an overly processed food market in which corporations sacrifice nutritional value, for things like cost cutting packing processes that can keep food from going out of date too soon. This ruin the freshness aspect of food and often fills out food with hydrogenated oils which are harmful to our bodies

3. In Season, all year \ In an effort to maximize profits at all costs, food manufacturers are using new packaging systems that allow food to be shipped across country and across the world. These new technologies allow consumers to eat foods at all times of the year even when the foods are not in season in their local environment.

4. Grow them Bigger! The fertilizer used in the large corporate farming business often contains growth hormones to allow plants to be immune to many crop diseases and to allow them to grow larger and more aesthetically pleasing. This method of genetically modifying the food often tricks the consumer into buying a product that looks good while sacrificing the nutritional value.

5. In order to give consumers more food for their dollar, name brand meat and poultry firms have been using things like hormones and steroids in order to have their livestock grow larger. Brands like Tyson and Purdue have been accused of this on multiple occasions and also tend to use large facilities where livestock live on top of one another in order to get the most out of the space the firms use. Roid Rage

6. The effects Diseases such as salmonella and E Coli often plague the food industry as a result of poor health conditions in the workplace. The other common problem facing the food industry today is the rising obesity epidemic. Consumers are seeing a rise in price on whole foods and other fresh items, while seeing price cuts in foods that have been processed. In times of economic downturns, consumers often buy these lower priced, processed foods to save money. Unfortunately, they are also lacking in the proper nutritional value that would normally come with holistic foods.

7. A possible solution? A possible solution has been proposed to overcoming some of these issues is already making its way across the country. The local farmers market movement is already beginning to gain popularity as it promotes nutritional health, benefits local businesses, and builds a sense of community. These markets allow the consumer to directly speak with the people who grow the foods they buy and can get to know them on a personal basis. Also, these markets promote organic growing by refusing to use pesticides and fertilizers. Instead of having a larger tomato for a cheap price, consumers are able to taste a tomato the way it was meant to be. These farmers exclaim that the foods bought in large grocery stores do not taste or have the same texture as a product that has been grown naturally. They say their products are full of taste, color, and and nutritional value. The consumers and producers that decide to participate in this lifestyle are creating a culture for themselves, one that promotes healthy eating and a way that they can come together to show the rest of the world that beating these large food corporations is an achievable goal. The food industry says that without the new technology and processing, we wouldn't be able to have food at such low prices, but can you really put a price on your health?