The establishment of food law is connected to the multiple cases of food poisoning in the 1990s. As a response to that, European Commission developed a White Paper on the Food Safety the provisions of which were enacted in Food Standards Act of 1999. The latter states the main provisions of the establishment of the Food Standards Agency, including its purpose, aim, and powers. In 2002, European Parliament and European Council designed and approved regulation No. 178/2002 also known as General Food Law Regulation. This basic document creates a legal framework in relation to food for the EU and national governments. Later, in 2004 the EU Regulation 882/2004 on official controls for feed and food law was adopted. It oversees and regulates the compliance of companies with the food law. After that, the EU focused on passing laws that targeted specifically animal feed, food agents, chemical safety, and other details.
The overtime change in the EU food regulation gradually moved from general provisions and establishment of frameworks, policies, and controlling agencies to regulating the production, consumption, and import of certain products to the Union. For instance, as it was mentioned above, the EU started from a whitepaper and Food Standards Act. In 2009, EU Commission developed a list of rules for inspecting animals and products of animal origin regulating the sphere of import and consumption of meat products.
EUs Food Law is not a Part of Health Law
EU health law targets primarily peoples health in terms of usage, production and import of quality medications and health services.
For instance, part 3 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union mentions only protection of mental and physical health and how various agencies and legal mechanisms will establish it. No specific reference is made to food.
In court case C-24/00 Commission v France the court ruled that France was unable to fulfil the requirements of the EU as per establishing the regulations on food supplements.
The essence of this argument is that even if a chemical substance inflicts health damage or at least rises health concerns, it must be listed in documents pertaining to food supplements regulation, and not as dangerous chemicals within the framework of health policies.
Recent lift of the ban on Redbull was debated from positions of health law and food law at the same time.
According to Toxicity Commission and health authorities taurine and caffeine was claimed to be present in dangerous amounts, which undermines health and wellbeing of individuals. The case of death of a teenage boy who had 4 beverages and engaged in sports activity caused France to ban it. Yet, in accordance with food regulations, both supplements are allowed and considered safe. This situation indicates if not opposition then a miscommunication and lack of common ground between health laws and regulations in EU, and member countries, and USs food regulations.
The enforcement of the food law does not correspond with or adhere to health law specifically.
According to Lex Alimentaria Food Law Office, all food laws despite their aim to protect, among other things, health and wellbeing of citizens, do not reference or refer to legal documents concerning health. Even if a person becomes poisoned with food, health laws are not applicable, and food laws will be. This issue once again underlines the strange lack of agreement or, rather, two different branches of law that seem to have common goals.
The main goal of health law is to protect health and wellbeing of EU citizens against adverse effect of medications, establish norms for quality of care, etc. but no reference to food safety.
According to Greer et al., the scope of health law is rather limited. It covers only topics related to health care provision, pharmacology, procedural safety, movement of medical goods and services, etc. No indication of food or food related diseases has been found. It can partly be explained by the specific hierarchy of the EU laws, however, it is still evident, that the same hierarchy applies to food law.
In comparison to US laws and regulations, where food and health law is interconnected, in EU there is a clear distinction
In the U.S. there is an agency that controls the use, production, and sale of foods, medications, and supplements exists. In EU it is two separate agencies in the face of European Food Safety Authority and European Medicines Agency. The former controls most of the questions related to food safety and movement of goods that need safety checks. The latter controls the import and export of medications.
In comparison to the European Union, the United States Food and Drug Administration is directly under control of Department of Health and Human Services.
The strong affiliation of U.S. health and food agencies with governmental health organization is contrasted by the opposite situation in the EU. There, they exist as separate structures. They are linked to general EU authority in the face of European council and Commission that are not affiliated neither with health, nor with food.
According to Wang and Sampson (2009), food allergies are unpleasant reactions by the body to certain foods. Children and infants are the ones most affected by food allergies. However, some adults also suffer from allergic disorders. Food substances that cause allergy are referred to as allergens and include milk, peanuts, eggs, and medication, among others.
Allergens may also be regarded as foreign substances that cause the body to react. If not well managed, allergens lead to allergic conditions that disrupt the normal functioning of the human body. People with allergy problems must thus make every effort to avoid foods their bodies react to since taking such foods may lead to serious health problems.
Although some children can overcome food allergies after some time, others suffer for a very long time. According to Chara, Chara, and Chara (2004), the two types of allergy.
The first type is a food allergy, and the second is an environmental allergy. While food allergies prohibit individuals from eating foods that cause the body to react, environmental allergies cause individuals to the environment. Environmental allergies prohibit individuals from coming into contact with things such as grass or dust. Generally, the effect of the two allergies is the same, and the treatment may also be similar.
By the year 2013, the total number of children and adults affected by food allergies was estimated to be approximately 8.2 million (Brock, 2013). There is a high possibility that the number of casualties may continue to increase in the future unless serious control measures are taken (Thernstrom, 2013).
Considering the effect of food allergies on victims, it is imperative for research professionals with support from state governments to come up with efficient ways of addressing the food allergy problem. This paper focuses on recent and promising discoveries by research professionals regarding the treatment of allergic disorders.
Causes and Symptoms of Allergic Disorders
Generally, individuals suffer from food allergies when they consume foods that react with the body in ways that are not normal. In any allergic reaction, proteins in the body produce antigens that end up reacting with foods eaten by individuals with allergic disorders. Allergic disorders are also caused by irresponsible behavior among individuals.
The symptoms of food allergy include tiredness, swellings on different parts of the body, and nausea. Without a doubt, allergic disorders greatly interfere with the normal functioning of the human body. It is thus important for allergic disorders to be managed effectively. Other symptoms of allergic disorders include swelling on the mouth and throat. A victim may also experience difficulties with his or her breathing system, and this may have very serious repercussions.
Recent and Promising Treatments in Food Allergy Research
To a large extent, there has been a negative attitude toward the treatment of allergic disorders. Some people are strongly convinced that the food allergy problem cannot be cured. As pointed out by Groopman (2011), research professionals avoided the study of allergic disorders until very recently.
In the United States, the amount of money allocated to study food allergies and how to control their effect is significantly less than the cost of maintaining individuals who are allergic. Unlike in the past, where food allergy research was feared by researchers, efforts to understand allergic disorders and how to effectively manage them have intensified in the recent past.
Ostensibly, scientists are doing everything possible to provide effective approaches for dealing with food allergy problems. It is, however, very important for the government to offer strong financial backing to compliment the efforts by research professionals to provide a lasting solution for allergic disorders.
The greatest challenge that has been faced by researchers in the field of food allergies has been the lack of enough funding. Drawing from the study by Wang and Sampson (2009), no cure exists for allergic disorders. There is thus a need to develop an effective remedy to save the lives of victims.
According to Zeiger (2003), the best strategy for dealing with allergic disorders is to start by prevention. Lack of vital knowledge about the prevention of allergic disorders is to blame for poor strategies used in prevention efforts. The prevention of allergic disorders may be handled in different ways.
Parents may, for example, avoid introducing small children to solid foods so early in life. It is also advisable to stay away from soy protein, which is allergenic. As pointed out by Zeiger (2003), it is also important for expectant mothers to avoid taking allergic foods during pregnancy. Mothers should also not be in a hurry to stop breastfeeding young children.
Besides prevention, there are other approaches that have been investigated to determine their effectiveness in dealing with the food allergy problem. Some are allergen-specific and help to change individuals allergic response to particular allergens. The use of allergen non-specific strategies, on the other hand, is aimed at keeping the allergic response under control and is especially useful in cases where individuals are allergic to multiple foods (Wang & Sampson, 2009). The two approaches are discussed in the following subsections.
Allergen Therapy Strategies
There are various allergy therapy strategies for managing allergic disorders, including allergen immunotherapy and sublingual immunotherapy. Using the allergen immunotherapy approach, the victim is slowly introduced to foods he or she is allergic to in small doses until the body eventually gets used to these foods. Usually, the overall intention is to reduce the allergy effect and build acceptance for the food in the victims body.
This therapy includes subcutaneous immunotherapy, which has been used extensively to deal with allergic disorders associated with asthma and stings from insects. Earlier uses of subcutaneous immunotherapy were not very successful. It also includes oral immunotherapy that may lead to negative effects.
Improvements to this approach later led to effective desensitization programs and high rates of success in the fight against allergic disorders. Arguably, the sublingual immunotherapy strategy is very helpful in cases where individuals are asthmatic. It is generally rated as one of the best approaches for managing allergic disorders in both children and adults.
Modified recombinant vaccines are used to boost the bodys ability to deal with the food allergy problem. This approach has been singled out as the most appropriate for reducing the effect of food allergies. Modified recombinant vaccines may be used to modify subcutaneous immunotherapy in order to yield better results.
Peptide immunotherapy is another helpful strategy for dealing with the problem of food allergy. An individual who is allergic to peanut, for example, maybe assisted using pepsin. There are, however, challenges associated with the process of establishing the correct measures that are necessary to create effectiveness.
Mixed with proteins, immunostimulatory sequence-conjugated protein immunotherapy is highly valued as an approach for controlling the effect of allergic disorders in children as well as adults. Arguably, the level of effectiveness is because immunotherapy is combined with immunostimulatory sequence-conjugated.
Plasma DNA immunotherapy may also be used in the fight against allergic disorders. It involves the mixing of plasmid and DNA to create a mixture that is then given to victims of allergic disorders. Although the approach has been successfully tried in animals, its success among human beings still requires a thorough investigation.
Research professionals are, however, determined to ensure that the right strategy for dealing with allergic disorders is established. For greater success to be realized, it is imperative for research centers and research professionals to work closely with state governments.
Allergen Non-Specific Therapies
As explained earlier, the use of allergen non-specific strategies is intended to ensure that allergic responses in individuals are carefully monitored. Unlike allergen-specific therapies, the use of allergen non-specific strategies is encouraged in cases where it is determined that a particular individual is allergic to multiple foods. Some allergen non-specific therapies are discussed as follows.
One of the allergen non-specific therapies requires the use of Chinese traditional medicine. Even though it is still under investigation, the use of Chinese traditional medicine is proving to be very useful in the management of allergic disorders. It is especially helpful when dealing with allergies that result from eating foods that contain peanut. Also, it can successfully be used to deal with cases of multiple food allergies.
Considering that allergies often create an imbalance in a victims body, the use of cytokine is encouraged as an excellent solution for ensuring that the problem is managed successfully. Among other things, cytokine cancels the effect of allergies and helps to create a good balance in the body.
The stimulation of toll-like receptors can also help to generate very powerful immune responses. Effective use of toll-like receptors decreases the rate of inflammation and protects individuals from peanut related allergic disorders. Toll-like receptors also help in dealing with other effects of food allergies.
Conclusion
Unlike in the olden days, food allergy is today a major concern in many countries across the world. As a consequence, so much is being done by research professionals and governments to understand the effects of allergic disorders to come up with effective solutions. As has been explained in this paper, food allergies have serious effects on both children and adults. While food allergies mostly affect children and infants, there are cases of allergic disorders among adults.
Because of the negative consequences associated with allergic disorders, it is imperative for state governments and research professionals to work closely and complement each others efforts. To devise successful intervention strategies, researchers should take time to understand the complex interaction between different factors.
State governments and research professionals may also promote the use of prevention strategies to deal with food allergy problems. The prevention strategies highlighted in this paper include avoiding the use of allergic foods by expectant mothers during the pregnancy period, extending the breastfeeding period for small children, and staying away from the consumption of soy protein. Certainly, the avoidance of allergic foods permits individuals to put the allergy problem under control.
References
Brock, E. (2013). Recent Findings in Food Allergy Research. Web.
Chara, K. A., Chara, P. J. & Chara, K. (2004). Allergy Busters: A Story for Children with Autism or Related.Spectrum Disorders Struggling with Allergies. Philadelphia, PA: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Groopman, J. (2011). The Peanut Puzzle: Could the Conventional Wisdom on Children and Allergies be Wrong? Web.
Food allergies have become a menace in contemporary society, but the unfortunate thing is that there is no known underlying cause for this upsurge of the food allergies.
According to CDC (cited in Discovery Channel, 2013), more than 15 million Americans suffer from food allergies, and since the late 1990s, there has been a staggering increase of food allergies in children by 50%. Dr. Sampson and Dr. Sicherer have carried out extensive studies that show an escalation of allergies, and three to five percent of allergic reactions are due to milk, peanuts, tree nuts, seafood, or eggs (Groopman, 2011, p. 27).
Individuals with food allergies have high levels of immunoglobulin E (IgE) that impair the regulation of possible attributing molecules such as histamine and cytokines. Food allergies are believed to have a genetic predisposition that has not yet been explicitly delineated. Even though there is continued controversy on the way forward for food allergies, this paper seeks to present ongoing research and some of the proposed feasible and non-feasible interventions that have been used to help address this issue of food allergies.
Literature indicates that both food allergies have detrimental physical and psychologically effects on both children and their parents. In an article by Groopman (2011), Mayas mother is vigil about what her child feeds. There is always some kind of unrest caused by the fear that whatever a child consumes may turn out to have adverse effects.
It is distressing because while it is difficult to ensure that ones child stays safe from allergic reactions, on the other end, it becomes more difficult as a mother to watch your child not living her life to the fullest when compared to other children his/her age. The fear engraving mothers compels them to be the vigil of their children, and not to trust anyone with them. Kim (Thernstrom, 2013) never hired a baby sitter for Tessa, and she could only work from home.
Food allergies restrict a mothers potential because she is forced to shun her socioeconomic life at times to take care of her child. On a different note, however, mothers become tenacious and can do whatever it takes to get their children right on track. For example, they will lobby for external resources like Kim, who lobbied for a full-time aide for her daughter commensurate to the Americans With Disabilities Act (Thernstrom, 2013).
The fear of an allergic reaction makes both mothers and their daughters quizzical of everything that the child consumes, but seemingly, not always do they get accurate answers due to the attacks encountered by Maya and Tessa. Psychological unrest forces mothers like Mindlin to carry emergency drugs in case of an unexpected allergic reaction.
Groopman (2011) indicates that Benadryl, in liquid form, could help relieve symptoms because Mindlin used it on her nine-month-old daughter when she experienced allergic reactions after consuming some yogurt. After one year, Maya experienced another food allergic reaction after mistakenly consuming milk protein in a hotdog.
During that time, an epinephrine injection was used. Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, has a quick positive effect on severe allergic reactions. Epinephrine is seemingly a more common drug for use in case of an allergic reaction. The medical teams treating Tessa and Max used a combination of medical procedures, but epinephrine was used as the main antidote for anaphylactic shock (Thernstrom, 2013; Discovery Channel, 2013).
Prolonged breastfeeding was proposed as an ideal method that would be used to prevent allergic reactions because babies were not exposed to allergenic foods until their immune systems had become fully mature. Sampsons laboratory work on mice indicated that delayed exposure was congruous to a delay in allergic reactions or no reactions at all.
Later on, in a controlled study, Dr. Zeiger indicated reduced exposure of infants to allergenic foods seemingly reduces food sensitization and allergy during infancy (cited in Groopman, 2011, p. 27). These two types of research are contradicted by the hygiene hypothesis and accompanying research studies to support it.
This hypothesis proposes that the environment in its natural form exposes humans to both life-threatening and non-dangerous microbes that help the immune system to distinguish between the two, and can defend the body against dangerous microbes. However, when children are protected against dirt surroundings and sick children, their exposure to disease-causing microorganisms is reduced, but at the same time, this increases their risk of infections.
In the same way, delaying the consumption of a potential food allergen could only increase susceptibility to that particular allergen (p. 28). Vitamin D and beta-carotene have been suggested to have beneficial effects against allergies due to their ability to reduce tissue inflammation.
Dr. Gideon proposed that foods that trigger an allergic reaction should be avoided. He defended his statement by saying it was illogical to ask individuals not to consume known allergic foods as a way of preventing food allergies.
Dr. Gideons proposition is a critic against the 1998 and 2000 guidelines that lack evidence to support them. In an exploratory survey, Dr. Gideon discovered that more Jewish children in London had higher incidences of food allergies compared to Jewish children in Tel Aviv with similar demographic and economic characteristics.
Unfortunately, this was just an exploration that did not give details about the underlying causes of such a discrepancy. One notable difference, however, was that a peanut concoction was part of the infants diet in Israel; thus, the difference in the incidences of food allergies between the two populations could be attributed to diet.
Currently, Dr. Gideon is investigating the appropriate stage when to wean a baby off breast milk and the effect of consuming allergenic foods on the development of allergies in later years. Gideons current study is based on his belief that children can become tolerant of allergenic foods when exposed to these kinds of foods in the first six months after birth.
Some years back and currently in some contemporary households and cultures, premastication is a practice believed to reduce the occurrence of food allergies, according to Groopman (2011). Saliva has many enzymes that help breakdown antibodies that cause food allergies. Premastication is received with revulsion by some people such as those critiquing the action of Alicia Silverstone.
Even though Silverstones act was received with disgust and loathing by the public, scientists, on the other, hand positively welcomed the gesture and highlighted the benefits of this action in the article by Wolchover (2012). However, it is important to note that the WHO standards that stipulate initiation of complementary feeding at six months are the main guidelines being followed in developing countries.
For a long time, mothers have been asked to avoid food that is presumed to be allergic to them. This concept can be attributed to studies such as that of Zieger et al. (1989), which contraindicates the hygiene hypothesis, and reports of allergists and investigators such as Dr. Sicherer because it indicates that food restriction during pregnancy and lactation has beneficial results associated with food allergies. However, it is now believed that intermittent exposure to allergenic foods can have beneficial effects.
There are ongoing tests to investigate the feasibility and effect of such a practice. The study by Zieger et al. (1989) indicates that different food allergies have different pathogeneses; while some allergies can be controlled by dietary restrictions, others cannot be controlled (p. 84).
In 2008, a report by Dr. Sicherer indicated that there is no evidence to support dietary restrictions during pregnancy or lactation. Also, contrary to the current WHO guidelines, there is no evidence to support the guideline that delayed the introduction of foods after four to six months is beneficial (Groopman, 2011, p. 29).
According to Groopman (2011), Sampson is currently utilizing Dr. Gideons investigations and the hygiene hypothesis to come up with a way of desensitizing individuals; thus, reduce the occurrence of food allergies. Sampson believes that children out-grow food allergies with time, but exposure to low doses of these allergenic foods could help attain this much faster. Thernstrom (2013) reports success results of Nadeau in the investigation of oral immunotherapy, Sampsons interest.
The article mentions low doses are used to re-educate the overly active immune system of patients with a history of allergic reactions using minute doses. Unfortunately, there is still a lack of clarity as to what the authors and researchers are talking about when they say minute/low doses of the allergens.
The casein hypoallergenic formula yielded positive effects in a study by Zieger et al. (1989) and current practice, continues to aid in reducing allergies while supporting growth and development of the children. Children fed with the casein hydrolysate formula for three months demonstrated lowered IgE antibody before and after consuming cows milk (p. 86). It is necessary to have an actual diagnosis of cows milk allergy before turning to a hypoallergenic formula because most people give these hypoallergenic formulas based on mere misconceptions.
All in all, breastfeeding has been deemed the gold standard in as far as feeding the infant is concerned. Ziegers et al. study indicates that breast milk contains IgA, which reduces the occurrence of allergic reactions. A study by Jevinen, Laine, Jevenpee & Suomalainen (2000) conducted years later indicates that low levels of IgA in both colostral and human milk predispose infants to cows milk allergy.
Contrary to indications that there is no relationship between maternal dietary restrictions and allergic reactions during infancy, indicates that ingestion of allergic protein foods while breastfeeding can create a sensitization in the infant. This contraindication is attributed to other factors other than what the mother consumes.
The IgA levels are a great determinant of the occurrence of allergies, but it is not yet known why some mothers contain low levels of IgA. IgA antibodies prevent cows milk allergies by forming immune complexes that aid in the removal of potential allergens from food through phagocytosis of the macrophages in breast milk.
It is inevitably true that food allergies have become a current menace, but the worst thing is that there is no cure for it. Also, there is no sufficient evidence to support or reject certain feeding habits. Medicine can be used to relieve symptoms of allergic reactions as soon as they occur, but during the other times, one can only regulate what they consume. The concept of hygiene hypothesis seems workable, but sufficient evidence is required to endorse this speculation.
References
Discovery Channel. (Producer). (2013). Food Allergies Video [Documentary]. Web.
Jevinen, K., Laine, S., Jevenpee, A., & Suomalainen, H. (2000). Does low IgA in human milk predispose the infant to development of cows milk allergy? Pediatric Research, 48(4), 457-462. doi:10.1203/00006450-200010000-00007.
Thernstrom, M. (2013). The Allergy Buster: Can a radical New Testament save children with severe food allergies? The New York Times. Web.
Zeiger, R., Heller, S., Mellon, M., Forsythe, A., OConnor, R., Hamburger, R., & Schatz, M. (1989). Effect of combined maternal and infant food-allergen avoidance on development of atopy in early infancy: A randomized study. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 84(1), 72-89.
The first part of the lesson is to inform the students of the difference between nutritious and bad food. Because they will not be able to remember vast amounts of information, the idea is to determine several criteria for making the distinction. For example, fresh fruits, berries, vegetables, dairy products as well as cereals will be included in the category of healthy food. On the other hand, soda, French fries, chips, pizza, burgers, etc. will be marked as junk food. So, the message will be the following: fresh and simple products are healthy while fried and canned are not.
In order to draw the students attention to the lesson subject and achieving its objective, some creative elements will be included. For example, they will be shown the pictures of some healthy and junk food during the class materials are delivered. Once the theoretical part of the lesson is over, the students will be asked several questions regarding the subject. The rest of the time will be dedicated to testing their knowledge and assessing their progress. However, the test will be creative in order to keep them interested.
The idea is to provide each student with a sheet of paper with a basket on a table drawn on it and glue. Moreover, they will be given thirty pictures of different food products and dishes. Their task is to choose healthy food and glue it either on a basket or a table. Glasses and dishes should be glued on a table while fresh products should be put in a basket. To enhance analyzing, some additional products will be included in the assortment of pictures such as flavored milk and sweets. The number of correct issues will be twenty including fresh fruits, vegetables, greens, and berries, cereals, dairy products, and juice as well as spring water. The students will be asked to explain their choice. They will be graded based on their choice of products and answers to the questions asked before the test.
Rubric
Criteria
1
2
3
4
5
Answers to teachers questions
Remained passive during the discussion
Was asked a question, but could not answer it
Was asked a question and gave correct answer
Was active during the discussion, but made one mistake while answering the question
Was active during the discussion and gave correct answers to all questions
Chosen food products
Less than 10
10/20
15/20
18/20
20/20
Explaining products choice
Could not explain the choice
Could explain the reasons for choosing only several products
Made several slight mistakes in explanations
Made one slight mistake in explanations
Provide accurate explanations according to lesson materials
Following test directions (product location)
More than 5 mistakes
4mistakes
3 mistakes
1 mistake
Followed all test directions
Neatness
Worked carelessly ruining the result
Showed carelessness when gluing pictures
Showed some carelessness, but the work still looks neat
Worked neatly
Worked neatly and with precise attention to products combination
Food is an important substance to human and animal life. Without food, animals and people can starve to death. In fact, the idea of food security has attracted the worlds attention where various governments and organizations have enacted policies to ensure food security. The paper starts by defining what food is and subsequently examine food production mechanisms, sharing and consumption.
Food
Food is any material consumed by both human beings and animals in order to support life and provide gratification. Both animals and human beings drink or eat food whose source is mainly from plants and animals. It is important to note that food falls into different categories.
Each food category has different nutrients that perform different functions in the body. For instance, cereals, bread and vegetables form a category of carbohydrates, which provide energy to the body. On the other hand, protein-rich foods such as meat, stuff, beans and fish assist in bodybuilding. Other categories of food such as vitamins, minerals and fats play a significant role in the bodies of human beings and animals.
Historically, there have been market places for buying and exchanging foodstuffs. Ranging from butcheries to cereal stores to groceries, people have adopted the art of buying and selling foods hence, generating income. It is also important to note that different cultures associate themselves with different types of food. In addition, some plants (source of food) do not do well in some regions.
This prompts other people buy them from market, while at the same time, they sell theirs to other people. At the end of it all, the cycle turns into a business enterprise. Equally, depending on ones religious background, some food samples classify as sacred meals.
For instance, the Muslims do not take pork, while some Christian groups deny their members from taking meat. Nevertheless, there are three fundamental reasons why organisms need food of any category: to sustain life, to encourage growth, and to generate energy (Davidson, 2- 8).
Production, sharing, and consumption of food
There is no much difference of food production techniques between the past and the present. Whether in the past or in the present, the production of food has always been agricultural. Today, food commercialization has led to the establishment of the food industry run by conglomerates that employ intensive farming techniques to produce different types of food. Additionally, these multinational corporations ensure that no food goes to waste.
Moreover, the creation of food markets in various places all over the world has ensured that people who produce plenty can take it to these markets and exchange it for money. For instance, people in living in towns and major cities do not produce food. However, they go to market places to buy foodstuffs. In a way, this ensures the sharing of food among populations on earth.
Undeniably, multinational corporations play a significant role in the production, sharing and consumption of food. For instance, some perishable goods such as vegetables and tomatoes find their way to European and American markets all the way from Asia and Africa through the established networks. Some food processing agencies can and brine food, and store them in containers. Later on, they supply them to schools, army barracks and other welfare institutions (Claudio, 275-278).
Whom do we relate to food?
Certainly, food affects the way people relate to each other. In families, the times of sharing meals have been pivotal ones where people share their experiences- a family-style meal. Here, family members share their thoughts and feelings on various issues thus, strengthening their relationships.
In other circumstances, people meet in restaurants and drink places to share their thoughts that affect say, a country or a society. In this way, even enemies can see eye to eye. In fact, the sharing of drinks and meals even among enemies acts an arbitrator of peace. In the past, warring communities have exchanged food to mark a new era of peace. Thus, food is a recipe of establishing a good relationship among persons or communities (Nestle, 34-37).
Works Cited
Claudio, D. The role of wild food plants in poverty alleviation and biodiversity conservation in tropical countries. Progress in Development Studies, 6(4), 2006, 275286.
Davidson, A. The Oxford Companion to Food. 2nd ed. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2006. Print.
Nestle, M. Food Politics. Berkeley: University of California Press. 2002. Print.
Nowadays, junk food has become common in our daily diets. The reason why most people opt for fast foods is that they are cheap, tasty, and readily available. Despite the high current intake of fast foods, many nutritionists complain they lack essential nutrients and are unhealthy to our bodies due to their high-calorie content, cholesterol level, and sodium.
Nutrition value of Fast foods
How its lost
Overcooking of fast foods makes them lose essential nutrients. Destruction of essential nutrients renders these foods less beneficial to our bodies. Most fast foods consist of high-calorie foods as well as foods that are rich in cholesterol. Moreover, fast foods are largely prepared using a lot of addictives as well as preservatives to make them delicious, and so that they can last longer. Addictives contain a lot of sodium, which is unhealthy to our bodies when taken in large quantities. Fast foods are mainly prepared with fats that have high quantities of Trans fat that is responsible for increasing the level of cholesterol (Gulnaz par. 7).
Health Problems of Fast Foods
High-calorie content
Fast foods are mainly junk foods which have high-calorie contents and high level of cholesterol. When people take junky foods for a long period, they accumulate a lot of fat and become overweight and obese. It is noted that a single fast food meal can contain as high as 1700 calorie, which is about the overall calorie that one requires per day.
Causes obesity
Currently, obesity is a major health issue in the United States of America as well as in Australia. In these regions, there is a high prevalence of many young people as well as adults who are diagnosed as being overweight as well as obese.
It is observed that Continuous consumption of fast food results to overweight and obese conditions that make most people experience various physical discomforts such as joint pains as well as tiredness. In cases of children overweight, those children who are overweight are often discriminated by other children during playing. This discrimination makes such children not to have children who they can play with.
Thus, lack of playing mates as well as their continuous consumption of junk food makes their overweight condition to deteriorate into obesity which is a very detrimental condition that can increase children mortality rate (Bowman, Gortmaker, Ebbeling, Pereira and Ludwig par. 10).
Causes food poisoning
Fast food is harmful to our health as it is the main cause of food poisoning nowadays. It is believed that most of the foods that are served in fast food restaurants are mainly preserved as well as pre-cooked. The management of fast food restaurants encourages pre-cooking of foods to shorten preparation time to avoid delays.
Pre-cooked foods get ready after being prepared after a very short span. The preservation and pre-cooking of fast foods are the main reasons why fast foods are highly vulnerable to contamination. Moreover, the high increase in the consumption of fast foods has resulted in a compromise in hygiene in many fast food restaurants to cater to volumes. Lack of cleanliness has resulted in a high increase in the cases of food poisoning.
Risk of cardio-vascular and other non-communicable diseases
Over-consumption of junky foods such as fries, margarine as well as chips makes one to become overweight as well as become obese. Obesity eventually leads to lifestyle-related diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes as well as stroke.
Consumption of junky food is unhealthy and is closely associated with heart diseases. Fast foods such as burgers as well as fries have high contents of calorie that causes obesity that leads to narrowing of the blood vessels that result in elevated blood pressure. Also, fast foods are rich in sodium intakes, which are harmful to those people who suffer from high blood pressure.
This is because high sodium intake can increase high blood pressure by increasing blood volume. It is known that sodium attracts and holds fluid, and hence its over consumption can result in an increase in the blood volume in the body, which is dangerous to those people who suffer from hypertension.
Poor management of hypertension by taking unhealthy diets that contain a high amount of calorie as well as sodium can result in severe high blood pressure that may cause a stroke. Thus, it is imperative for people and mainly those suffering from high blood pressure to reduce the consumption of high-calorie foods as well as foods that have a high content of sodium.
Diabetic is another disease that is associated with high intake of fast foods. Diabetes is the condition that results when an individual pancreas fails to produce insulin fails to control the amount of sugar in the body. Most fast food meals are rich in sugar, and high quantities of sugar are not healthy for our bodies.
The pancreas produces insulin that regulates the amount of sugar in our bodies. Over consumption of junky food that is rich in starch makes the pancreases to produce more insulin, which overworks it and thus wearing out. The failure of the pancreases to realize enough insulin to control the amount of sugar in the blood results to a high level of sugar in the blood. In severe cases, diabetes causes kidney failures (Cornforth par.8).
Social, ecological and economical consequences of Fast foods
Socio-economic problems
The high rise in consumption of fast foods has increased the demand for casual labors in the restaurant industry. This demand has resulted in a high increase in young people who migrate from rural to urban areas in search of paid jobs. High rural-urban migration has resulted in a decrease of the agricultural workforce, causing a shortage in indigenous agriculture production.
Ecological problems
The increase in fast food restaurants has also resulted in the clearing of rain forests in South America to raise cattle as well as get lands to plant-animal feeds. Clearing of forests has been blamed for the current high rate of global warming. Moreover, the high rise in the demand of fast food has reduced the size of lands cultivated by indigenous people as a result of wealthy foreigners purchasing or leasing vast track of lands that they use for corporate farming. This has reduced the production of essential foods such as maize making their prices to escalate. Shortages as well as high prices for vital foods are the main cause for the current high cases of hunger (Khan par.8-12).
Conclusion
Many people nowadays are over-consuming fast foods because they are readily available and cheap. Over-consumption of fast foods is associated with causing; food poisoning, obesity, hypertension as well as kidney failure. Fast foods are also associated with various social, ecological as well as economical challenges such as high rural-urban migration, high rate of global warming as well as shortages and rise in the prices of essential foods as such as maize.
Works Cited
Bose, Debopriya. Advantage and Disadvantage of Fast Food. 2012.
Bowman, Shanthy, Gortmaker, Steven, Ebbeling, Cara, Pereira, Mark and Ludwig, David. Effects of Fast-Food Consumption on Energy Intake and Diet Quality Among Children in a National Household Survey. Pediatric.
The general population is always trying to get means to better their lives by ensuring good health and a suitable environment. Organic foods seem to provide amicable solutions to these two issues. The organic food production makes a huge contribution to supplementing of diets.
An interesting fact is that organic farming is also proving beneficial for the environment. Though there are certain aspects which need to be considered in respect to organic food production, it has generally been shown that organic farming better than inorganic farming. This paper is going to examine how organic foods aid the endocrine system in ensuring the wellbeing of the body in general.
Organic Foods
Organic foods refer to those foods produced with the use of synthetic chemicals, genetically engineered materials, sewage sludge of irradiation (NRDC 1). The livestock are also not spared in this campaign either since it is not only crops that provide food. The livestock must be reared with organic feed, in the outdoors and must not have any intakes that intend to influence their growth (FMI 1).
For instance in the United States foods termed as organic must meet or exceed the regulations of the National Organic Program (NOP) (FMI 1) and also that of United States Department of Agriculture, USDA, (NRDC 1). This means that organic foods have to meet certain requirements without which they would not certified.
The growing interest in organic foods is astounding, statistics as of 2007 showed that 1.2 million people were organic producers and 32.2 million hectares of land globally was certified for organic production (Oates et al. 2). An article in 2005 showed that 81% buy organic food for nutritional reasons, 77% for freshness while 67% to improve their health (FMI 1). It is even evident that there is diversity in reasons that lead to consumption of organic foods.
What sparked interest in organic foods? Organic foods owe much of their popularity to people shunning foods that were produced in manners that harm the environment and put their health at risk since they depend on chemicals (NRDC 1). Many people are convinced that these foods can be used as measures taken in order to promote good health thus avoiding diseases in the long run (FMI 2).
The environment is a beneficiary of organic production in the sense that since the use of pesticides and chemicals is decreased, then local wildlife is not affected and the farm proves to be more productive since they produce less waste (Birgenheier 1). The question then is how are organic systems connected to the endocrine system?
The Endocrine System
The endocrine system is an internal system of glands in the human body (they are also found in animals) whose main work is to produce hormones (GreenFacts 1). These hormones are responsible for reproduction, metabolism, growth and development (Hormone 1). Examples of hormones include insulin and sex hormones i.e. oestrogen (in females) and testosterone (in males).
Examples of the glands with various distinct functions in the body are: the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, thyroid gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, pineal glands and the gonads i.e. ovaries and testes (GreenFacts 1).
How the Endocrine System is affected by pesticides
Pesticides and other chemicals normally used in farms results in their residues being present in the foods harvested and also in our surroundings i.e. air, water and soil (Ken 64). These toxins have been linked to respiratory problems, neurological disorders, cancer and reproductive problems (NRDC 1).
Other undisputable evidences have been confirmed by researchers in different places: at the University of Missouri, research showed men in agricultural areas have a less sperm count compared to those in New York or Los Angeles, at the University of Rochester linked the use of a fungicide to Parkinsons disease and at the University of Wisconsin, the effect pesticides and fertilizers on the immune and endocrine systems was established (Ken 65).
These adverse effects imposed on our health cannot be overemphasized. The toxins will lead to what is known as the endocrine disruption which is the change experienced by the endocrine system as a result of a foreign substance induced in the body (GreenFacts 1).
The endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are the responsible agents of change and they affect our system in the following ways: they attach to the bodys hormone receptors and mimic the hormone (EDCs 1) resulting to the hormones not performing their work hence the body will either produce or stop the production of enzymes that will deal with the hormonal imbalance created (EDCs 1).
Some diseases associated with this hormonal imbalance include: cardiovascular endocrinology, diabetes, growth disorders, hormone abuse, menopause, osteoporosis, pituitary disorders, polycystic ovary syndrome, reproductive endocrinology, thyroid conditions (Hormone 1) among others. Since there is an option out, then organic foods are the way to go and all efforts should be directed at suitable alternatives.
The Way Forward
There are challenges facing the organic production currently. Precise and exhaustible studies comparing organic foods and inorganic foods and their exact health effects are yet to be fully carried out (Oates et al. 5). The current studies at best establish links and results obtained are not standard since they would differ with geographical location.
Another challenge is the variation in certification requirements worldwide means there is lack of a set of standard of uniformity (Oates et al. 4). On the consumers side, organic foods cost more and otherwise it would even have had more popularity (FMI 6).
Efforts are being put in place to counteract this, for example advertising is an effective tool that will definitely catch a consumers attention and have positive influence toward organic food consumption (FMI 6). Organic foods are also being incorporated in schools and restaurant menus as it continues to grow (FMI 6). Not all farmers need to seek certification provided they are practicing farming that aims at reducing environmental harm and health risks (NRDC 1).
Conclusion
Organic foods though expensive as of now, with more publicity and continuous use, the prices will come down and consequently enabling people to reap the benefits of its intake. Research pertaining to organic food production is essential in settling consumers minds who are accustomed to inorganic foods. Since they definitely prove to have lesser contents of use of pesticides and other fertilizers, people ought to resort to them as they almost guarantee no endocrine related diseases.
Certification settles the consumers minds because it shows that the foods were made under strict regulations that have been adhered to. There is a need for more research to be carried out to prove that organic food production is not harmful to the body and if it is then way should be developed to make it safe for human consumption.
The process of globalization influences all the spheres of peoples life, including the aspect of food mass production to provide people with the necessary nutrition. Furthermore, the planned development of the food industry also contributes to keeping the political balance and even peace in the world because of the significant role of food in peoples life. However, the approaches to the mass production of food and to the general food industrys progress should be changed because today the world population faces the controversial problem of food safety which is also associated with the problem of good nutrition.
The problem is in the fact that the food safety issues become the real threat to keeping peace in the world of mass production because of the problems seriousness and role of the issues not only at the domestic and local but also at the international levels. Thus, the food industry needs to be changed in order to overcome the connected food safety and nutrition issues because the spread of diseases caused by inappropriate food in relation to its safety and nutritional value is the international problem, and it can be resolved with the focus on designing and enacting the effective legal regulation.
The development of the food industry regarding the mass production of food globally led to the discussion of the food safety and nutrition issues at the international level because the violation of the food safety and nutrition norms by one national producer could cause the spread of the associated illnesses in the other part of the world. For instance, in 2008, the deaths of infants in China drew the publics attention to the fact that the Chinese producer of the raw milk for babies added melamine used for producing plastics to the milk in order to increase the nutritional value (Lin 645).
The national crisis in the food industry in China provoked the discussion of food safety and nutrition issues globally. From this perspective, it is possible to state that food safety issues respect no national boundaries because hazards can be introduced or exacerbated at any point in the worldwide food chain (Lin 643). That is why the food industry should be changed in relation to the safety and nutrition issues because while becoming globalized, the food industry and the associated mass production affect the public health not only at the domestic but also at the international levels.
Nevertheless, many unfair world food producers are inclined to reject the claims that the use of definite unhealthful ingredients can cause different negative health consequences for the public because of the problems with the products nutritional value. Thus, food producers support the idea that the food safety is not the main issue which can be discussed in relation to the threats to the peoples health because, for instance, dangerous gas emissions can have more negative effects on the publics health. Many food producers operate the idea that it is rather difficult to state the connection between the persons health state and the mass production of food because all the environmental factors can also have positive and negative effects on the peoples health. However, the connection between the food safety and peoples health is direct because certain ingredients can provoke definite illnesses and worsen the persons well-being (Lin 645).
Moreover, while accepting the fact that some ingredients can be discussed as harmful or with the low nutritional value, many domestic and international food producers begin to hide the fact that their products contain such ingredients.
Thus, the food industry should be changed in order to address the food safety issue because the development of the food industry technologies led not only to the rapid mass production but also to the active use of many ingredients which are potentially harmful to the publics health. According to Hagenmeyer, if we consume unsafe food or drink, it may be detrimental to our health, if not lethal (Hagenmeyer 356). The problem is in the fact that safe products are often not available for the public because of the progress of mass production, and the absence of effective regulations. In this case, to respond to the problems of safe food, it is necessary to provide the definite changes within the global food industry.
The food industry also needs significant changes in relation to the control of the products nutritional value because a lot of food produced in the context of the food mass production cannot be the part of the peoples healthy diets. The products available as part of the mass production within the food industry do not provide persons with sound nutrition (Hagenmeyer 361). As a result, people experience a lot of health problems, and the way to overcome the issue is to change the industry in relation to controlling the nutritional value of products.
Furthermore, the changes in the global food industry are necessary because any problems related to the food safety and products nutritional value affect peoples health problems which can become global because of the peculiarities of mass production. When people become victims of unfair food producers, effective changes and regulations should be implemented within the food industry. Thus, Crumley states that consumers need to know what got them sick and who was responsible (Crumley 398). The rejection of any changes in the food industry in relation to the products safety can cause further global food crises similar to the above-mentioned situation in China in 2008.
In addition, the development and implementation of the effective regulation and reference to the necessary sanctions within the industry to control the food safety, fairness of producers, aspects of the mass production, and the issues associated with the nutritional value of products are possible as a result of changing and reforming the global food production system. Lin pays attention to the fact that the framework convention protocol approach can be discussed as an effective strategy to improve the food industry at the domestic and international levels (Lin 695). While changing the industry and implementing new sanctions and regulations, the governments can contribute to the promotion of the publics health and effectiveness of the food mass production.
Thus, the food industry developed at the international level with references to the mass production of food should be changed in order to provide the public with safe and healthy products with the help of focusing on the necessary legal regulations. From this point, the industry can be changed through improving the associated laws and regulations in order to respond to the food safety and nutritional value issues as well as to the problem of the producers fairness.
Works Cited
Crumley, Diana. Achieving Optimal Deterrence in Food Safety Regulation . Review of Litigation 31.2 (2012): 353-401. Print.
Hagenmeyer, Moritz. Legal Requirements for the Production of Safe Food: A Brief Outline of the Most Important Legal Provisions to be Observed by Food Business Operators in Order to Achieve Food Safety . European Food & Feed Law Review 4.5 (2009): 356-361. Print.
Lin, Ching-Fu. Global Food Safety: Exploring Key Elements for an International Regulatory Strategy . Virginia Journal of International Law 51.3 (2011): 637-695. Print.
While eating at a fast food chain like McDonalds or Burger King, we just wonder what food eating would have been if fast food were not available. Well, one thing is for sure, there would have been fewer incidences of obesity. Change in the eating habit and food consumption pattern of Americans has increased serious health concerns. More and more Americans eat out avoiding homemade food, increasing their consumption of fast food provided by restaurants.
Some critics believe that federal policy to increase the cost of healthy food has led to the increase in consumption of the cheaper alternative i.e. fast food (Monsivais, Aggarwal and Drewnowski 1472). Therefore, for the middle class whose eating habits has already increased consumption of outside food finds it more cost effective to consume fast food that is more cost effective, thereby, moving towards an unhealthy eating habit.
Others believe that fast moving lifestyle and paucity of time has increased consumption of fast food. Whatever be the reason behind the growth of consumption of fast food be, they inflict serious health issues. Fast food chains provide mouth-watering food at a very reasonable price therefore, increasing of the same for the normal American, but at the cost of serious damage to their health. Fast food increases kidney problems, hypertension, and diabetes (Heal Talk).
Therefore, many believe that such unhealthy eating patterns have heightened health concerns (Harnack, French and Oakes 2). Another issue that arises is nutritional content of fast foods such as burgers, pizza, or French fries. Calorie content of these foods is much higher than a regular meal cooked at home and lacks a large share of the nutritional content.
Therefore, fast food has three-fold effect on its consumers it increases unhealthy eating habit, increases health hazards, and does not provide adequate or balanced nutritional needs of the human body. I believe that increase nutritional regulations can control the widespread menace that fast food is creating. This essay argues that there should be increased nutrition regulations on fast food restaurants because fast foods encourage unhealthy eating patterns, increase the risk of disease, and are nutritionally unsound.
Unhealthy eating habit
Fast lifestyle and a constant lack of time for routine tasks, like, eating food has increased preference towards fast food that can be squeezed in-between meetings, school and ballet class, or work and soccer. Paucity of daily time has reduced the number of households that have a meal together regularly (Williams). Another trend observed is increased preference towards packaged or frozen food.
Therefore, fast food as the name itself suggests gave rise to a consumption pattern among people where in they eat meals faster and intake a lot of calorie, trans fat and sugar. As the brain takes 20 minutes to register if it is full, a normal adult ends up eating more while eating too fast (Williams).
Ironically, people state paucity of time as the reason behind consuming more fast food, but actually, they end up consuming more food (Williams). Fast food eating habit in the US started in the 1950s and today, an average American consumes at least three burgers and four servings of French fries every week (Mifflin).
Americans have slowly moved towards food that contain more added fats, oils, dairy fat, and sugar per capita serving from 1970 through 2009 (USDA). In terms of calorie intake, the maximum calorie provided in per capita calorie intake by food categories, maximum calorie intake occur from caloric sweeteners, flour and cereal products, and added fat and oil (USDA).
Americans spend up to $140 million on fast food each year and there are 250,000 fast food chains in the U.S. (The Healthy Eating Guide). The numbers show an alarming shift of the nations eating habit that has moved majorly towards fast food, eating out and other frozen packed food that lack gross in basic nutrients and cause serious health problems.
How do we stop this trend? An initiative to provide nutritional calorie count in the menu and the display board shows that people tend to order less the item that accounts for higher calorie. Therefore, nutritional information provided to consumers can actually reduce the consumption of fast food items.
Adverse Health Effects
Research has shown that fast food consumption has a serious effect on the dietary quality and health of children in the U.S. (Bowman, Gortmaker and Ebbeling). Presently 36 percent of the U.S. population is obese and half of the population is expected to become obese by 2030 if the current eating habits continued (The Healthy Eating Guide).
In 1960, 44.8 percent of the U.S. adults aged between 20 years and 74 years were obese that increased to 66 percent in 2004. All this relates to the increase in fast food consumption and change in dietary habits of the majority of the population. Excess weight has led to other related diseases such as diabetes, coronary heart disease, strokes, cancer, and kidney problems.
Further, research has shown that this issue with obesity and health is more among the people belonging to lower income groups (Drewnowski and Darmon 901). Financial disparity is a major issue that causes impediment to the access of healthier diet (Drewnowski and Darmon 900). This may be due to the lack of regulation that can control both the nutritional effect of food choices and cost of food available.
Further, many of the fast food available does not provide any nutritional guidelines in their packaging and the consumers are actually unaware of the health hazards that it may cause. Therefore, proper regulation is required that would adequate information regarding the nutritional effect. Further, regulatory measures must be taken to make hazardous fast food dearer than healthier food options in order to induce a change in dietary habit.
Lack of Nutrition
Fast food alternatives available today fail to meet the nutritional balance that the body requires for healthy living. The first problem is a complete lack of control over the cooking procedure of fast food that causes the problem. Usually they are cooked in a lot of oil or butter and there are hardly any options available therefore making the food high on trans fat. Further, it also encourages overeating as the servings come in larger portions.
These also lack in fresh fruit and vegetables therefore taking out two of the healthiest and mineral rich item from the meal. Usually fast foods are rich in fat, sodium, and sugar increasing tendencies of high blood sugar, blood pressure, and heart diseases. Therefore, fast foods fail to provide the key ingredients of a balanced diet such as essential vitamins, protein, and iron. However, it provides fat and carbohydrate harmful to the body in abundance.
Conclusion
Fast food has changed the eating habit of average Americans. Eating out has become more common than homemade food. Fast food has changed the healthy eating habits of the Americans increasing the content of fat, oil, and sugar in per capital serving showing an increase of fast food intake.
On the other hand, increase of fat, oil, and sugar in diet has increased incidences of obesity, diabetes, heart diseases, cancer, and kidney problems. Fast foods lack nutritional benefits required for a healthy body and are cause obesity. Policymakers must be concerned about these health issues that face America, as there are a large number of Americans who are affected due to the increased consumption of fast food.
Therefore such policy as proper nutritional information regarding fast food on packaging, less targeted advertising towards children and adolescents, increased quality check on nutrients provided in the fast foods, and menu labeling can decrease the health hazards related to fast food or reduce its consumption.
Works Cited
Bowman, SA, et al. Effects of fast-food consumption on energy intake and diet quality among children in a national household survey. Pediatrics, 3(1) (2004): 112-118. Print.
Drewnowski, Adam and Nicole Darmon. Food Choices and Diet Costs: an Economic Analysis. Symposium: Modifying the Food Environment: Energy Density, Food Costs, and Portion Size. NA: The American Society for Nutritional Sciences J. Nutr, 2005. 900-904. Print.
Harnack, Lisa J, et al. Effects of calorie labeling and value size pricing on fast food meal choices: results from an experimental trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 5(63) (2008): 1-13. Print.
Heal Talk. Unhealthy Eating Habits: Fast Food Chains. 2011. Web.
Monsivais, Pablo, Anju Aggarwal and Adam Drewnowski. Following Federal Guidelines To Increase Nutrient Consumption May Lead To Higher Food Costs For Consumers. Health Aff August 2011 30(8) (2011): 1471-1477. Print.
Food poisoning due to poor storage is a major challenge today. Many people believe that refrigeration is the solution to food wastage. The truth is that despite the low temperatures that prevent the growth of microorganisms in food substances, most of them still have expiry dates regardless of storage methods. Many people still find spoiled food in their refrigerators and count significance losses emanating from such every day.
The idea is to come up with a device with an in-built memory of the expiry dates of all foodstuffs in the refrigerator. Two days to the expiry date of any foodstuff in the fridge, the device would raise an alarm and alert anyone who opens the fridge. The device would have to be hanged in a visible position. Codes and tentative dates of expiry for goods that do not have electric codes can be entered manually and set in the machine. This product is at the concept stage and would have to be tested out first before mass production.
Targeted Customers
This endeavor targets busy housewives who have to balance between arrays of duties every day. When this is done, food wastage and possibility of food poisoning would be eliminated. The ultimate result is that the technology would save households money that would be used in buying new products or treating cases of food poisoning. There is need for such services and therefore the opportunities for growth are immense.
The customer bracket can be widened to also include organizations that offer foodstuff and food-related services. At the beginning, this product can be tried out with a few households but can later be rolled out nationally and eventually regionally. For such growth to take place, it would be pertinent that the technology involved is patented to protect the original owners from exploitation.
Financial Analysis
The cost of producing one of these devices would be about $5 mainly to acquire the electrical device, wiring and the housing plus the magnetic strap at the back to aid in holding the device firmly onto the fridge. These are relatively small devices that can be produced even cheaper because of the economies of scale involved in producing in bulk. The Rate of Return on such an investment would have to be measured against the cost of the risks involved.
This is dependent on the value of the product involved and the likely cost of treating food poisoning. Considering that such risks would not cost any less, the cost of buying this device would be far much less than the cost incurred to correct the losses and health risks emanating from stale food. The retail price of this device can therefore range from $20 to $30.
This means profit six fold and therefore the rate of return for the manufacturer would be impressive since one can earn profits from four-fold to even six-fold. However, the profit margin would reduce slightly at the beginning as the groups tries to secure copy rights and setup a work station where the devices would be produced and the operational costs associated with the same.