Modern+Foods+Sold+In+Supermarket+Are+No+More+Than+a+Cocktail+of+Chemicals

by Tan Lee Hoon
 * Modern Foods Sold In Supermarket Are No More Than a Cocktail of Chemicals **

This is a fairly simple, straightforward statement that got me thinking both ways – “Yes, I agree” and “No, I do not agree”. Mind-boggling? Well, I guess I tend to think too much sometimes when considering something but here, let me share with you some of my opinions as to why I agree to the above statement and why, on the other hand, I do not.

I admit that most, if not all, the foods sold in the supermarkets nowadays contain at least one type of food additive at a permitted level (although of course, in reality, it is more than just one additive as it is more often than not a combination of ingredients). Why would the food manufacturers want to add these items to the food in the first place, you may ask? Whatever happened to ‘natural’ and ‘healthy’? Before you let your imagination run away with thoughts of chemical-chocked food that is detrimental to your health, S.T.O.P. And think.

Food additives are ingredients with a PURPOSE. They cannot be added indiscriminately or in any ways which could be detrimental to human health when consumed. These chemicals may be naturally-occurring or synthetically produced and are added to foods for valid reasons. In this day and age of globalization, food transcends borders and cultures. As the world population increases, so does the need for commercially-produced food for worldwide consumption. The inevitable fact about producing food on such a large scale is that food spoilage and wastage is bound to happen if appropriate steps are not taken to maintain the keeping quality of the food until it reaches the consumer. Certain amounts of food additives need to be added to foods to maintain the freshness of the product throughout storage, distribution and marketing. This is important to ensure that the consumers will not be at risk of mass food poisoning caused by eating spoiled food. It also helps to reduce loss to the food manufacturer in case of damaged food stocks.

Another importance of food additives is to improve the nutritional quality of the food products. Processed foods will undoubtedly lose some of their nutrients during the entire journey from farm to fork. The addition of proper additives where necessary helps fortify the food to ensure that we, the consumers, are getting enough nutrients. This is vital in the long run to prevent malnutrition which could lead to various illnesses.

To further drive home the point that modern foods sold in supermarket are not simply a cocktail of chemicals, I would again like to reiterate that food additives are there for valid purposes. At one time or another, each and every one of us have experienced medical conditions that may be endangering our lives if we do not take swift corrective actions through proper nutrition to prevent further damage. Some of the food products on the shelves have been specially formulated to serve the needs of these individuals and restore their health. One very good example is the use of low-calorie sweeteners made to replace sugar in diets for patients with diabetes.

Last but not least, the production of commercial level food products for worldwide distribution requires uniformity in their textural and organoleptic properties. Foods sold in supermarket cannot be below the bar in terms of these qualities as they would discourage customers from purchasing a certain item that doesn’t look right; this would translate to more losses to the company if consumers reject that certain product deemed unfit for their consumption.

From my understanding, these chemicals are incorporated into the food products that we consume daily for a reason. It all depends on how they are used and how they affect the food and ultimately, our overall well-being from their consumption, be it positively or negatively. As a conclusion, I do not deny that modern foods sold in the supermarket are almost always added with a cocktail of chemicals, but I do not agree either that the food is merely a fancy cocktail of chemicals because in each and every food that they are a part of, they serve a purpose to ensure the food we consume are nutritionally balanced, fresh, beneficial to our health and so much more.