Are Your Groceries Making You Sick?

It is the middle of flu season and college students everywhere are trying to stay well enough to make it through finals. Being sick at school is the worst, causing you to miss assignments, class, and most of all, parties. But do you know that it could be more than just the cold weather making you sick? With the farms of America controlled by a few, and quantity being more important than quality, food tends to start lacking in cleanliness.

 Food nowadays is pumped full of unnatural preservatives and other chemicals which can negatively affect the consumers health. It is ironic that as technology improves and society advances that food becomes worse and worse. Just a few years ago, in 2006, was the largest E. Coli outbreak ever and it resulted from a single grower (Pouliot and Sumner). That is the modern problem with food (which includes meats in addition to plants), that only a few people control it. Imagine that you could get sick at UT while someone else gets sick in New York and both leaves could be from the same plant, mind-blowing.

Courtesy of TwistedSifter

America's highly industrialized food system is not even the worst example of what could happen when people stop caring about the quality of food. Look at China, sometimes you will turn on the news (or, let's be real, if your parents are watching the news) you will see the Chinese people with masks on and then videos of chickens. And since you don't pay attention to the news I'll tell you that the story says that all those chicken, and some of the people, have bird flu. Think about the fact that their food is literally sick before it gets sent to be eaten. You don't want to end up wearing masks, do you? They just don't look good, they clash with the outfit.

Courtesy of Dallas News

If you buy from farmers' markets, though you could avoid all the worry. You avoid being exposed to loads of pesticides and preservatives from factory food, which is healthier. You also get food that is prepared more correctly and, not least of all, tastes better. Buying locally is the best solution to the problem of diseased food because the government seems to do a whole lot of nothing to stop the tainted food until it is already out there, and you get to avoid all the massive recalls (Starmer).

In all if you don't want, yet another way to get you sick besides being around tons of people who have no manners and won't hesitate to sneeze in your face, buy food that wasn't prepared with a factory mindset and buy from around your community. Your health and taste buds will thank you although that college wallet might be in for a bit of an awakening.

Works Cited

Pouliot, S., & Sumner, D. (2013). Traceability, recalls, industry reputation and product safety. European Review of Agricultural Economics, Vol. 40(1), 121-142. Retrieved November 13, 2014, from Oxford University Press.

Starmer, E. (2010, August 23). Math lessons for Budiansky: Industrial concentration vs. local choice. Retrieved October 6, 2014, from http://grist.org/article/food-fight-do-locavores-really-need-math-lessons/2/

Food Safety First

In America alone, over 48 million people become victims of food related illnesses each year, and about 3,000 of these victims die as a result (Katel 1). 

Yes, you read that right, people DIE everyday as a result of bad food. Now, you may ask, why is this happening? Why are these numbers so high?

Well, one of the main causes of these illnesses and deaths lies within the scandalous practices of oversized and overcrowded factory farms. For many years, our nation's farms have grown an overwhelming amount, but our farming and food regulations have failed to grow along with them. As a result of these out-of-date regulations, industrial farms continue to use risky practices that endanger our society.

Courtesy of Google.com

Here are just a few of these shocking, life threatening practices:

1) Improper Waste Disposal

Who would've guessed that on a farm with over a thousand chickens or cows that there would be a lot of shit lying around? Apparently, not factory farmers.

According to Food and Water Watch, many factory farms do not treat animal waste; instead this waste is washed into cesspools. Until the waste is "washed away," animals are free to walk in it, roll around in it, etc. If this waste gets in an animal's hide, it could contaminate the meat. The disgusting truth is that this contaminated meat can result in a variety of illnesses, such as salmonella, in humans (Food 24).  

Courtesy of QuickMeme.com

2) Unsanitary Conditions

In addition to being a waste-filled wonderland, many factory farms fail to maintain sanitary conditions. For example, on two Iowa eggs farms, that had been found guilty of many hazardous practices, like removing waste improperly, the FDA reported that they also found "live and dead" flies and maggots that were "too numerous to count" (Katel 1). 

Courtesy of Google.com

So basically, factory farms maintain conditions much like a city dumpster. I don't know about you, but I don't think these are the kind of conditions that I want my food to be raised in.

3) Antibiotics in Feed

In order to lower the chances of disease outbreaks in factory farms, many farmers mix low doses of antibiotics in animal feed. Sounds like a great idea, right? 

Actually, when humans eat meat exposed to antibiotics, it can cause resistance to a variety drugs. Food and Water Watch states that this a huge health concern in the United States because some illnesses have gone completely resistant to common drugs, such as penicillin (Food 20). 

Courtesy of Google.com

If this trend continues,  more people will become sick, and we will have to develop new, more effective drugs. 

New Regulations

Now that I have made you sick to your stomach and concerned about everything you have ever eaten, let's talk about some solutions. The easiest way to prevent these food borne illnesses and deaths is through new and improved regulations that fit today's food system. 

Here are some examples of new regulations:

• More frequent and thorough inspections
• Improved waste removal
• High sanitation requirements
• Removal of antibiotics in feed

LET'S SAVE LIVES!

A change is necessary in our food system. If we can take a stand now and improve regulations in factory farms, we could revolutionize our food system and save thousands of lives.

Courtesy of Giphy.com

Works Cited

Katel, Peter. "Food Safety." CQ Researcher. December 17, 2010: 1037-60. Web. October 28, 2014.

Food & Water Watch. "Food Safety Consequences of Factory Farms." Food, Inc.: How Industrial Food Is Making Us               Sicker, Fatter and Poorer -- And What You Can Do About It. Ed. By Karl Weber. New York: PublicAffairs, 2009.           19-25.

The Food in Your Dorm That is Killing You

The Food in Your Dorm That's Killing You

November 25, 2014 by Matt Langdon

Remember the days of delicious home cooked meals, provided and cooked to perfection by your parents while you were growing up? Yeah, I barely remember them too. To help cope with those memories, many college students across the nation have turned to cheap, easy to make, processed food products (Jacob 1). Sure, settling for some mac n' cheese as your main course provides you with a larger beer budget, but it is important to keep eating these foods to a minimum and watch what you eat, especially if you value the opinion of that one attractive girl/guy sitting across from you in the cafeteria watching you stuff your face full of cheesy potatoes and hot sauce.

When it comes to the average students processed foods of choice, I'm sure we've all stocked our mini fridge and closets to the brim with the following:
1. Ramen noodles
2. buttered popcorn
3. frozen pizzas
4. Oreos
5. microwavable mac n' cheese cups




These foods while delicious, are high in levels of sodium, fats, and other mysterious ingredients that are harmful to your body. Processed foods need these additives to enhance shelf-life, taste, and overall shape of the product(Denny 1). 


The added sugar in these products will be sure to not only increase your waste size, but if eaten in large amounts, can lead to the development of Type II diabetes(Denny 1). It can also add some texture to your face, and we all know there's nothing worse than going through your tagged photos, and having that blatant pimple on your forehead, staring you back in the face, mocking your existence. 

The high sodium content in the products can lead to over consumption of sodium. The repercussions of this is high blood pressure, which causes heart problems later on in life, and kidney disease, and subsequently; kidney stones(Denny 1). Ouch..

The fat content in processed foods is just as scary, and is the prime reason for the existence of the term, "the freshman fifteen". Over eating those greasy pizzas and milk-dipped Oreos lead to obesity, probably the current biggest problem in student health.

Hopefully you weren't just indulging yourself in a scrumptious fat filled meal.



Now, I've had my fair share in partaking in the glorious act of binge eating on a broke, college student budget, but just make sure it's not a common occurrence. Otherwise, you're these habits that you pick up in your college years could never be unlearned, causing inevitable, long term health issues. 

College is the best time of your life. So party hard, make good grades, and don't over do it on the cheap stuff, especially the food. 

Work Cited

Denny, Sharon. "Surprise! This Is Processed Too!" How to Spot Healthy and Unhealthy Processed Foods from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Jacob, Aglaee. "Processed Food Definition." Healthy Eating. Demand Media, 2013. Web. 24 Nov. 2014.

Ebola's Dirty Cousin

In the news lately, there has been an uproar over outbreaks of Ebola in Africa, and the possibility of a catastrophic spread to the U.S. However, while the vast majority of Americans will never come in contact with Ebola, there is another threat to this country which is spreading at an even faster pace.

According to a report published by the American Public Health Association, “the number of farms raising animals for food have decreased” while “the number of animals being raised remains about level, with large, centralized farm operations packing in as many animals as possible” (Krisberg par. 6). While this practice is regarded to be more economical, it is far less sanitary. With low levels of light and high temperatures, these environments are the perfect place for diseases to flourish, and they do.

Danielle Nierenberg explains in her book Happier Meals that “nearly 2 billion people worldwide rely on livestock to support part or all of their daily needs” (Nierenberg 8). This statistic is a testament to how dependent people, not just in America but all over the world, have become on meat.

GIF courtesy of Imgur.com

According to experts, it is becoming increasingly more apparent how “overuse of antibiotics, crowded and unsanitary livestock conditions, unnatural feed diets, and a lack of diversification are responsible for some serious global health risks” (Nickelsburg par. 1). Diseases like E.coli are thriving under these conditions.

In her book, Nierenberg reiterates what all the other sources have been saying, that “factory farms are the perfect conditions for disease to spread from livestock to people…” She states that “epidemiologists are warning of a potentially massive outbreak of disease in congested urban areas near factory farms” (Nierenberg 33).

This is not simply a few isolated cases of E.coli being found in lettuce. The consequences are becoming too great to avoid.

Former U.S. Assistant Surgeon General Michael Blackwell acknowledges that “long-term success will depend on the nation's ability to transform from an industrial economy that depends on quickly diminishing resources to one that is more sustainable, employing renewable resources and understanding of how all food production affects public health and the  environment" (Krisberg par. 13). If this problem can be stopped before it becomes and even more serious epidemic, other states need to follow the example being set.

The debate over what food people choose to consume will continue to grow as long as people continue to eat and enjoy food. Throughout the last century, the growth of factory farming has changed this from an argument of taste into one with much more drastic consequences. With the increase in harmful diseases, the American population is at risk, and the government needs to impose regulations on the conditions under which the things we eat are produced.

Works Cited

Krisberg, Kim. "Report: U.S. industrial farming endangers health, environment: practices promote disease, contamination." The Nation's Health Aug. 2008: 1+. Academic OneFile. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Nickelsburg, Monica. "5 Modern Diseases Grown by Factory Farming." The Week. The Week, 7 Nov. 2013. Web. 26 Oct. 2014.

Nierenberg, Danielle, Mastny, Lisa, and Worldwatch Institute. Happier Meals : Rethinking the Global Meat Industry (2005). Print.

Hell no to GMOs

Wait, a GMwhat?

When genetically modified organisms (GMO) are brought up into conversation, many people don’t even know what it is. Jimmy Kimmel decided to send his camera crew out and ask people at a local farmer’s market to see if people had any knowledge on the GMO situation.

If you didn’t know what a GMO was, don’t feel bad because the people in the video didn’t know either. A GMO is an organism whose genetic characteristics have been altered using techniques of genetic engineering. GMOs are also a risk to our lives today.

1. Affects local communities 

Many local farmers and their farms are impacted by GMOs. Monsanto is a company that produces GMO products and is despised by many. Monsanto is always in court because they are battling local farmers that have biotech seeds on their land. However, many farmers only have these seeds on their farm because they are involuntarily put on their land from the wind.

2. Risk to health


According to the nonGMO project, GMOs are in 80% of processed foods. “There are no long-term studies demonstrating that GMOs are safe for humans and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not do its own safety testing of GMOs” (Bartolotto, par 4). Without any safety tests, we're putting food that isn't considered safe into our bodies.
 

Courtesy of tumblr.com

Dr. Árpád Pusztai’s famous experiment exposed the harmful effects of GMOs. Pusztai fed GM potatoes to rats and the results showed that “all the animals showed pre-cancerous cell growths, smaller brains…and damaged to the immune system” (Natural Revolution). If a rat can't even eat GM foods and survive then how can we?
 
We are unconsciously eating GM foods constantly because the United States does not require by law for companies to label their products if they have GMOs. Japan, China, and all of Europe label their foods that contain GMOs so why doesn’t the U.S.? If every country is labeling and banning GMO products it seems that there’s something wrong with GM foods. Not labeling is misguiding and distracts us from making conscious food choices.

Courtesy of tumblr.com

 3. Not cost effective

Many people think that GMOs are the cure for world hunger because it is cheaper to produce and makes more food for developing countries. Little do people know that millions of dollars are invested in producing GMOs. When you hear about an organism being genetically altered by biotechnology it doesn’t sound cheap it sounds like a mouthful. That’s because it’s extremely expensive to hire scientist and purchase equipment to produce GMO products.

If it costs a lot of money to make something, then the price of the product is going to be high too. Basically, it seems like we're paying less when we're actually paying more for food that isn't even good for the body.

As you can see, GMOs don’t help our farmers, well being, or our pockets. In the words of Drake, we only live once so why should we live with GMOs.

 GMOs…more like GM-no

Works citied

Bartolotto, Carole. “Why Genetically Modified Foods Should Be Labeled.” The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 04 Oct. 2013. Web. 06 Nov. 2014. <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/carole-bartolotto/why-genetically-modified-food_b_4039114.html>.

"The Good, Bad and Ugly about GMOs - Natural Revolution." Natural Revolution. N.p., 2014. Web. 23 Nov. 2014. <http://naturalrevolution.org/the-good-bad-and-ugly-about-gmos/>.