1. To Eat or Not to Eat: Processed Food11
To Eat or Not to Eat: Processed Food
By: Cassandra Meyer
Research Question: What are the health risks of eating processed foods?
Introduction:
How to prevent/avoid problems:
-Things to think about:
1. What type of processes do companies use that make out food “safe to eat?”
2. What are the long/short term side effects of eating those foods?
3. cheap processed foods vs. whole foods: Why do people buy the cheap stuff?
- PAHs: Avoid overheating and fry/barbecue meat to the correct “dopiness”
- Acrylamide: Consumers should follow the directions on the package when cooking the food and avoid overheating.
- N-Nitrosamines: Don't overheat cured and smoked foods and cook/prepare foods to the correct “doneness.”
- Chloropropanols: There aren't any specific ways to prevent chloropropanols from contaminating food. However experts recommend not over-heating foods. So toast or bake until a light golden yellow color.
What is interesting is why and how the count of overweight people has doubled in the last 20 years. If you dig deeper the number of overweight people has gone up in proportion to the amount of toxic chemicals in proportion to the amount of toxic chemicals and processed foods that are around us. Take a look at this chart showing how as synthetic chemical production has increased over the years, the % of overweight adults has risen in proportion.
Toxins:
- PAHs (Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons)
* This group are carcinogens formed mainly from carbohydrates cooked at high temperatures in the absence of oxygen.
- Acrylamide
* Found in heat treated starch rich foods, like potato chips and french fries.
- N-Nitrosamines
*This group inhibits the growth of the microorganisms that produce the botulism toxin, Clostridium botulinum, induce the appealing red color to meats while curing, and provides the desired “cured” flavor.
- Chloropropanols
* A group of contaminants that are formed in hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), soy sauce, licorice confectionery, and liquid smoke.
Health risks:
Conclusion:
- PAHs: Are carcinogenic.
- Acrylamide: A possible human carcinogen, a neurotoxicant, and a genotoxicant.
- N-Nitrosamines: Carcinogenic- can cause kidney tumors, and malignant liver tumors.
- Chloropropanols: Non-genotoxic carcinogen
Our country is so focused on the cheaply produced, than healthy whole foods.
One way to stop putting bad chemicals into our bodies is to eat organic food
Another way is to read each food label carefully, fully understand what each ingredient is and make smart food choices.
Resources:
- Stadler, R.H., D.R. Lineback Process-induced food toxicants: Occurrence, formation, mitigation, and health risks. Wiley. Hoboken, N.J.
- Vaclavik, V.A., and E.W. Christian Essentials of food science. p In V.A. Vaclavik and E.W. Christian (ed.) Food Additives. Springer Science+BusinessMedia, LLC., New York, NY.
-United States. Agriculture Research Service Intervention technologies for enhancing the safety and security of fresh and minimally processed produce and solid plant-derived foods annual report. Washington D.C.
Monteiro, C.A., F.S. Gomes, and G. Cannon The snack attack. Am. J. Pub. Hlth. 100 p (verified 20 Oct. 2010)
Altuğ. T Introduction to toxicology and food. CRC Press. Boca Raton, FL.