Mark Bittman is a food columnist for the NY Times and cookbook author. As part of IU's themester Eat, Drink, Think: Food from Art to Science the author journalist discussed food policy and issues in America.
To begin, he stated that he believed 60-80% of supermarket food is so packed with preservatives and chemicals that it could not be defined as 'food' by dictionary terminology. He instead classified them as UFO's -'unidentified food like objects.' This made me laugh because it is so true, it has become nearly impossible to find food in the supermarket that doesn't contain unpronounceable and unheard of ingredients.
He equated this public health issue to smoking back in the 80's- many people will likely end up with diseases or die unnecessarily before laws are changed (this time in the form of diabetes and obesity rather than lung cancer).
Bittman also identified 3 changes that he believed that U.S. policy makers should undertake to solve this issue.
1. Create policy's that remove antibiotics from the food supply
2. Limit the ability of food marketers to target children- food preferences are formed infancy or early childhood so targeting children with sugary soda's, candy, cereals etc is creating problems for the future. Bittman even recommended laws preventing children from buying certain foods and drinks before 16 without an adult present. Yikes!
3. Create a national food policy- guarantee all citizens access to 'real' food, guarantee that food will not have a more negative impact on the environment than necessary. Provide comprehensive food service wages
He also left the audience with words of wisdom aimed at answering the question we all had, what can college students do to change the food system in America?
1. Divestment- speaking up and telling policy makers on campus that we do not want our food endowments coming from large food companies.
2. University food services need to be better
- ban meat with antibiotics ( if Chipotle can do it, universities can)
- source a significant percentage from local farms
-compost all kitchen and food court waste
3. Make food important in your own life- be passionate and you will positively influence those around you
What do you think about his advice? Are these the central changes that need to be made to our food policies in the US? What are some ways that other countries have dealt with similar problems?
The first thing that comes to my mind is the national soda tax that Mexico recently passed- a policy that caused a decrease of almost 10% in soda products sold, and the extra cash from the tax was earmarked to provide clean drinking water to its citizens. For more info on this project go to http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/16/mexico-soda-tax-sugar-obesity-health
One can of Cocoa Cola contains the equivalent of eight sugar cubes, according to its own label. Photograph: Geoff Abbott/Demotix/Corbis
TED talk with Mark Bittman from 2007- "What's wrong with what we eat?"
He equated this public health issue to smoking back in the 80's- many people will likely end up with diseases or die unnecessarily before laws are changed (this time in the form of diabetes and obesity rather than lung cancer).
Bittman also identified 3 changes that he believed that U.S. policy makers should undertake to solve this issue.
1. Create policy's that remove antibiotics from the food supply
2. Limit the ability of food marketers to target children- food preferences are formed infancy or early childhood so targeting children with sugary soda's, candy, cereals etc is creating problems for the future. Bittman even recommended laws preventing children from buying certain foods and drinks before 16 without an adult present. Yikes!
3. Create a national food policy- guarantee all citizens access to 'real' food, guarantee that food will not have a more negative impact on the environment than necessary. Provide comprehensive food service wages
He also left the audience with words of wisdom aimed at answering the question we all had, what can college students do to change the food system in America?
1. Divestment- speaking up and telling policy makers on campus that we do not want our food endowments coming from large food companies.
2. University food services need to be better
- ban meat with antibiotics ( if Chipotle can do it, universities can)
- source a significant percentage from local farms
-compost all kitchen and food court waste
3. Make food important in your own life- be passionate and you will positively influence those around you
What do you think about his advice? Are these the central changes that need to be made to our food policies in the US? What are some ways that other countries have dealt with similar problems?
The first thing that comes to my mind is the national soda tax that Mexico recently passed- a policy that caused a decrease of almost 10% in soda products sold, and the extra cash from the tax was earmarked to provide clean drinking water to its citizens. For more info on this project go to http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jan/16/mexico-soda-tax-sugar-obesity-health
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