It has long been known by medical experts that the human body filters ingested toxins ingested that are part of the ingredients of a prepared or highly processed food and sometimes even residual toxins, such as pesticides, herbicides, etc., which we know are used on most of our fruits and vegetables. How should the consumer be notified as to the possible dangers ?
Is The Present labeling System Good Enough ?
Food labeling is on most of our minds with so many products having different processing methods and they should be addressed. There is the growth hormones added to our cows supplying our milk products. Researchers have noted in their research the possible effects on future growth of our young children and also its possibilities of causing certain diseases. labeling is ongoing in this area and it should be plainly identified so that consumers can choose. This way if he or she decides on purchasing their milk products from the hormone treated cows, it becomes their choice.
Some Not So Obvious Food Toxins
The consumer has indirectly been responsible for some processing of our foods requiring manufacturers to increase toxin levels of some obvious food staples such as white bread which uses bleach, yes the same bleach you use to get your clothes white. Certainly, the levels of bleach required to whiten bread is extremely small, but the fact is that it does tax our livers slightly when we ingest it regularly. There are food additives used in the food preparation industry that make our foods last longer and look better that have some level of liver toxicity, some more than others, but all together pose a threat to our future health to some extent. This, some of our top medical researchers say it is now accepted as fact.
Can We Recognize Or Even Taste Food Additives ?
The answer to this question, we are told by experts in the field is, most likely not. The quantities used in industry are usually very small and therefore not obvious to the eye, nor can our taste find any discrimination between additives or none at all. We are told that as many as 10,000 additives are used in the food processing industry, from color accents of our food, preserving the food, even to its taste , etc.. Sources that gather this kind of information also tell us that there are an estimated minimum of 2,000 food additives just to flavor our foods. And then there is the food coloring industry, providing tainting chemicals to our foods like certain cherries and even orange skins are tainted with citrus No. 2 to make them look more appealing. Remember, the food industry does all of this to boost their profit margin, but a very small portion has been brought about from consumer dissatisfaction, for instance how the wheat in bread looked "brown", instead of clean and "white" looking, so the manufacturers obliged and whitened the bread with bleach. Marketing is not very friendly to the consumer.
So What Should Consumers Suggest To The FDA ?
Realizing the ongoing threat to the consumer, we should suggest to our local politicians that legislation be enacted that would better inform the public by some number placed on each food package, the estimated toxicity level of the food preparation. This would at least inform the consumer on product selection.
