We are what we eat

If the title of post is true, Americans in big cities may be shocked at what they see in the proverbial mirror. The fact "fast food" is bad for you, and a steady diet of it could ruin your health, is a no-brainer. You can see examples of it at work, on the streets, and at home. The struggle to eat healthy, clean foods in a urban environment is one that many of us face daily. The fight to keep American food free of chemicals started around the time of the 20th century mechanical revolution that launched the USA into extraordinary economic prosperity and poised us as one of the worlds strongest superpowers. The American compulsion to mass produce and sell exponentially has served us well in many industries with the big exception of the food business.

Most people in cities either buy their foods from markets(Safeway,Ralphs,QFC,etc), or eat meals that are prepared for them buy some other source(restaurant,grocery store,etc). People concerned with the quality and social/political aspects of food chose to shop at co-ops or stores synonymous with "organic" goods like Whole Foods. The people who have access too and who can afford to shop at high end markets take pride in knowing that the food they feed to their friends and family is safe, and wont have any harmful side effects. Fat used to be the most serious side affect of eating the wrong foods, but as more chemicals are being introduced into the production of our foods, the long term effect of eating processed food is a topic of national debate. Most people would agree that a diet primarily of "organic" fruits and vegetables is the healthiest way to eat. Most people don't realize that the food at the burger joint and the produce at the market not only come from the same place, they go through the same production process in order to be sold.
When I heard the word 'irradiation' or the term 'dose effect', I thought of nuclear science and plant meltdowns like the recent one in japan. I was surprised to learn that these terms are some of the biggest concerns facing the big city food delihma. The urban need for massive amounts of food to sit on shelves, not age, and look its best indefinitely, has taken Americans on a slippery chemical slope over the past eighty years. Chemicals used to suppress pests and disease before and after food production has had deadly affects on our environment and ourselves, and some have been banned over time. Currently, food production is using a method that does not involve chemicals , but a method with just as much question about toxicity.

Let me give you a few definitions:
-Organic Foods:Organic foods are foods that are produced using methods that do not involve modern synthetic inputs such as synthetic pesticides and chemical fertilizers, do not contain genetically modified organisms, and are not processed using irradiation, industrial solvents, or chemical food additives.Processed organic food usually contains only organic ingredients. If non-organic ingredients are present, at least a certain percentage of the food's total plant and animal ingredients must be organic (95% in the United States, Canada, and Australia) and any non-organically produced ingredients are subject to various agricultural requirements. Foods claiming to be organic must be free of artificial food additives, and are often processed with fewer artificial methods, materials and conditions, such as chemical ripening, food irradiation, and genetically modified ingredients. Pesticides are allowed so long as they are not synthetic.
-Irradiation:Food irradiation is the process of exposing food to ionizing radiation[1] to destroy microorganisms, bacteria, viruses, or insects that might be present in the food. Further applications include sprout inhibition, delay of ripening, increase of juice yield, and improvement of re-hydration. Irradiated food does not become radioactive, but in some cases there may be subtle chemical changes.Irradiation is a more general term of the exposure of materials to radiation to achieve a technical goal (in this context "ionizing radiation" is implied). As such it is also used on non-food items, such as medical devices, plastics, tubes for gas pipelines, hoses for floor heating, shrink-foils for food packaging, automobile parts, wires and cables (isolation), tires, and even gemstones.
Food irradiation acts by damaging the target organism's DNA beyond its ability to repair. Microorganisms can no longer proliferate and continue their malignant or pathogenic activities. Spoilage-causing microorganisms cannot continue their activities. Insects do not survive, or become incapable of reproduction. Plants cannot continue their natural ripening processes.
The energy density per atomic transition of ionizing radiation is very high; it can break apart molecules and induce ionization, which is not achieved by mere heating. This is the reason for both new effects and new concerns. The treatment of solid food by ionizing radiation can provide an effect similar to heat pasteurization of liquids, such as milk. The use of the term "cold pasteurization" to describe irradiated foods is controversial, since pasteurization and irradiation are fundamentally different processes.
Food irradiation is currently permitted by over 40 countries, and the volume of food treated is estimated to exceed 500,000 metric tons annually worldwide

From hamburger patties to spinach, nukeing our food a little before we sell it is the latest way to keep food fit for consumption. The problem isn't just a pesticide or a microwave, its the cumulative damage over time or the 'dose effect' that is harmful. If you start tracking the history of the food you eat and processes the food goes through, you realize that nothing we eat is hazard free. One food item could have a combination of chemical and radioactive processes done to it before you get it in the raw. A few of these foods together could become a toxic salad of chemicals designed to kill. Its tragically ironic that many people are exposed to these chemicals in an honest effort to escape them. You eat the salad instead of the big mac only to find out they both have been treated with radiation. Sure at different levels, but if you eat irradiated veggies 5 times a week, and steak once, it would seem the dose effect might be the same.

< I'm not one of those preachy doom and gloom environmentalist, I just want people to investigate and be pro-active about what they eat. REALLY eating healthy is difficult now days, and sometimes we feel like there is nothing we can do about it. I know I feel that way at times and I suspect I'm not the only one.