Amalynn Blog

 Time, time is something that is limited for many Americans, so when it comes to eaten, fast food, it is the best option. Slow food clearly would be a better choice because of many reasons like health, family time and traditions but Fast food is a big part of American culture and the only option for many. Fast foods like processed food are more convent and less expensive. It requires little to no time for preparation, is more affordable and is convenient for the fast-paced world a lot of us live in today.  

 

In an article published by Drive Research, it gives data on fast food, and its consumption. More than 50% of Americans eat processed foods, and more then 73% of grocery stores are stocked with ultra processed foods. America along with UK have the highest intake of processed foods (Grover). According to Emily Rodgers men consume more fast food then females and that every two out of three people eat it at least once a week and millennials eaten fast food more often than others as they prefer food deliveries (Rodgers). 

 

There are many reasons why Americans choose fast food over slow food, time being a key factor according to Carlson. Many parents are choosing more time with their children rather than cooking. Households with one parent tend to serve more processed foods than others as time is limited, being a single parent without extra childcare limits you on want you can do, so unfortunately slow cooking is not something that is a priority (Carlson“et al”). In an article written by Mary Ellen Shoup a study was done and she states that three quarters of parents say their tight on time, and fast food is the best option for them. 40% say they are too busy to cook (Shoup). 

 

Work takes a lot of time away from day-to-day life with work demands and commute. When you have a home with all adults working, the household tends to eat out more at a full-service restaurant. When you have a household with two or more working adults, they tend to purchase 12% less food from grocery stores and 72% at full-service restaurants than households that have non-working adults in it (Carlson). 

 

As many Americans choose fast food there is side effects, your health. Fast food tastes good, but is it worth it? It can be cheaper and fills you up, but it is loaded with extraordinarily little nutrition, high calories, lots of saturated fat, high sugar, and sodium. The outcome from fast food intake can lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure and gastrointestinal diseases. Increased ultra processed food calories can increase depression in adults (Grover). 

 

In conclusion fast food may be the best option for many because of time being limited but it does come at an expense. Eaten fast food takes a toll on your health and body, so is it worth the cost overall? Americans need to try and slow down to prioritize their family and health as much as possible and incorporate slow food in their fast-paced life. Slow food can be an option because not all healthier food consumes tons of time to prepper. If you learn to shop and cook wiser and manage a little extra time, even cooking ahead, it is possible to cook slow food. At the end it benefits you and your family’s health and creates special time and memories. 

 

Work Cited:

 Carlson, Andrea et al, “What Drives Consumers to Purchase Convenience Foods?” USDA, 24 July 2018 https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/07/24/what-drives-consumers-purchase-convenience-foods 

 

Grover, Emily, “The Overconsumption of Ultra-Processed Foods in the Unites States.” Ballard Brief, March 2024 https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/the-overconsumption-of-ultra-processed-foods-in-the-united-states#:~:text=The%20consumption%20of%20ultra%2Dprocessed,population%2C%20urbanization%2C%20and%20industrialization. 

 

Rodgers, Emily, “75+Fast Food Consumption Statistics.” Drive Research, 19 Sept 2023 

https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/fast-food-consumption-statistics/#:~:text=2%20in%203%20people%20consume,thrus%20to%20purchase%20fast%20food 

 

Shoup, Mary Ellen, “Food for Kids.” Food Navigator USA, 21 Sept 2021 

https://www.foodnavigator-usa.com/Article/2021/09/21/FOOD-FOR-KIDS-Fast-food-consumption-increases-among-20-of-families-surveyed-report-finds 

Time, time is something that is limited for many Americans, so when it comes to eaten, fast food is the best option. Fast foods like processed food are more convent because it requires little to no time for preparation, convenient for the fast-paced world a lot of us live in today. Cooking a healthy well-balanced meal (Slow food) at home is not something that many Americans can afford nor have time for. In this country as time has passed priorities have shifted and life itself has changed years ago. Clearly Slow food would be a better option because of health, family time and traditions but Fast food is a big part of American culture and the only option for many. 

 

There are many reasons why Americans choose fast food over slow food, time being a key factor, commuting, childcare and work according to Carson. Work takes a lot of time away from day-to-day life with the demands and commute. When you have a household with children and two parents, parents tend to choose what their children like over what they should eat. Parents are spending more time with their children rather than cooking. Households with one parent tend to serve more processed foods than others as time is limited, being a single parent without extra childcare limits you on want you can do so unfortunately slow cooking is not something that is a priority (Rahkovsky“et al”). People that live in urban areas tend to consume more processed foods than people that live in rural areas because of the fast city lifestyle, they are limited on time for shopping. 

 

As many Americans choose fast food there is a major downside, health. Fast food tastes good, can be cheaper and fills you up but it is loaded with extraordinarily little nutrition, high calories, lots of fats, high sugar, and sodium. The outcome from fast food intake can lead to obesity, diabetes, cancer, and gastrointestinal diseases. Increased ultra processed food calories can increase depression in adults (Grover). 

 

More than 50% of Americans eat processed foods, and more then 73% of grocery stores are stocked with ultra processed foods. America along with UK have the highest intake of processed foods (Grover). According to Emily Rodgers men consume more fast food then females and that every two out of three people eat it at least once a week and millennials eaten fast food more often than others (Rodgers). 

 

In conclusion fast food may be the best option for many because of time being limited but it does come at an expense. Eaten fast food takes a toll on your health and body, so is it worth the cost overall? Americans need to try and slow down to prioritize their family and health as much as possible and incorporate slow food in their fast-paced life. Slow food can be an option because not all healthier food consumes tons of time to prepper. If you learn to shop and cook wiser and manage a little extra time, even cooking ahead, it is possible to cook slow food. At the end it benefits you and your family’s health and creates special time and memories. 

 

 Rahkovsky Ilya, “What Drives Consumers to Purchase Convenience Foods?” USDA, 24 July 2018 https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2018/07/24/what-drives-consumers-purchase-convenience-foods 

 

Grover Emily, “The Overconsumption of Ultra-Processed Foods in the Unites States.” Ballard Brief, March 2024 https://ballardbrief.byu.edu/issue-briefs/the-overconsumption-of-ultra-processed-foods-in-the-united-states#:~:text=The%20consumption%20of%20ultra%2Dprocessed,population%2C%20urbanization%2C%20and%20industrialization. 

 

Rodgers Emily. “75+Fast Food Consumption Statistics.” Drive Research, 19 Sept 2023 

https://www.driveresearch.com/market-research-company-blog/fast-food-consumption-statistics/#:~:text=2%20in%203%20people%20consume,thrus%20to%20purchase%20fast%20food 

 

 

 

In an article published by the Food and Drug Administration, it speaks about how artificial dyes have been used for centuries, wine was artificially dyed back around 300BC. Egyptians started using the first-known synthetic pigment in 3300BCE for cosmetics and hair dyes, Egyptian blue was the first color. Artificial dyes have been around for a long time, but as time went by more dyes were made and more regulations began. Henry Perkins was the one that made the first synthetic organic dye mauve in 1856 and soon after more we created for food, drugs, and cosmetics. In 1881 The USDA started to research color being used in food, butter and cheese were the first food items to be approved for artificial coloring. By 1900, a lot of cosmetics, foods, and drugs in the U.S. was artificially dyed. Bailey states at that time testing found dangerous materials in the products used with artificial dyes like mercury, lead, and arsenic. In 1906, a bill called The Food and Drug Act stopped the use of poisonous products and harmful food coloring. In 1960, a clause was made called Delaney Clause stopping the use of carcinogen, a color additive that can cause cancer. As time went on more Acts were passed by congress changing laws and regulations, because the 1906 Act was not strong enough to protect the people (Bailey “et al”). 

 

Red Dye 40 is the most used in food and seems to be the one questioned the most about adverse side effects. Author DeWalle states the EPA deems Red Dye 40 to be not much of a concern to the public. But many other people think differently, they think Red Dye 40 may be linked to health issues like allergies, migraines, and allergic reactions with children and adults. Red dye 40 may be the cause of mental and behavioral issues with children, which is also known as ADHD. The FDA does not believe most children experience these adverse reactions after some research, but some children can be sensitive to Red Dye 40 causing these reactions. Besides food, the dye is used in medications and cosmetics. Red Dye 40 has many different names it goes by, so you need to be careful when reading labels. It is in many food items like dairy products, cereals, snacks, candy, drinks, and many more products we consume (DeWalle). 

 

 

Dr. Tania Dempsey talks about the side effects and health problems with artificial dyes. One example is Yellow 5 can be genotoxic, meaning that it can cause issues with DNA then causing issues with future children. Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 have caused other health issues like face swelling, headaches, dizziness, and trouble breathing. “More than half of the approved artificial food dyes have carcinogenic potential and have been linked to tumor growth and cancer. Red 3, also known as Erythrosine, was shown to increase thyroid tumors in animal studies”. Many dyes used have petroleum in them, but FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake contains aluminum which is toxic to us. There are all natural dyes that are used like fruits and vegetables. (Dempsey). 

 

Dempsey states that artificial dyes are not needed, it is for aesthetic purposes, to make things more appealing to people, especially children. Artificial coloring is beneficial for businesses to sell their products. When something looks colorful instead of white and beige it will make someone want to purchase that product. Artificial dyes do not change taste in products, just look. The article published by Prima Foodie talks about how there are healthier options to choose from, to avoid artificial dyes as much as possible. Organic foods have a lesser chance to contain dyes, when buying packaged items choose ones with less ingredients and adapt to a healthier eating lifestyle and avoid prepackaged foods. Dempsey states to avoid colorful foods as much as possible (Dempsey). 

 

Annotated Bibliography 

 

Bailey, Catherine J. “et al.” Color Additives History.” Food and Drug Administration, 3 Nov 2017 https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/color-additives-history   

This article talks about the history of artificial dyes dating all the way back to 300BC. As time went on more products and foods started to contain dyes. It also speaks about the changes that had to be made after research and testing was done and dangerous material was detected, that is poisonous.  

 

Chuck, Elizabeth. “Artificial Food Dyes May Cause Behavior Problems. A Bill Aims to Warn Parents.” NBC News, 20 Dec 2021 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/artificial-food-dyes-may-cause-behavior-problems-bill-aims-warn-parent-rcna5989 

 In this article it explains how many people like scientists and doctors believe ADHD and artificial dyes are linked together but others like the FDA do not agree. California wants to pass a bill that will require a warning label be put on items containing materials that affect children in a bad way. The FDA mentions that they believe children that already have ADHD can be sensitive to the dyes which worsen their behavior.  

 

Dempsey Dr. Tania. “Getting Real About Food Dyes.” Prima Foodie, https://www.primafoodie.com/home/getting-real-about-food-dyes-a-conversation-with-dr-tania-dempsey 

Dempsey talks about the harmful effects of the many different dyes used in our everyday products and food we consume. She states that the dyes are not needed as they do not change the flavor just the look, to make it appealing. She goes on saying how there are healthier choices we can make to cut out artificial dyes like eating less processed foods and more organic. 

 

DeWalle Gavin Van. “Red Dye 40: Safety, Side Effects, and Food List.” Healthline, 12 Dec 2023 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40   

This article talks about the side effects of Red Dye 40 in adults and children and how to look out for it as it goes by many different names. It lists some of the many assorted products that contain Red Dye 40. Many claim it causes hyperactive behavior in kids, but others like EPA would deny that as they say it is a low concern. It goes on saying that many say there is low healthy risk but other accuse it causing behavior problems and allergies. 

 

Russ, Krista. “The Reality of Red Dye 40.” Health Digest, 10 Oct 2022 https://www.healthdigest.com/1047646/the-reality-of-red-dye-40/ 

Russ talks about how Red Dye 40 was made many years ago and how it is made now, and the effects it has on people. He speaks about how many well-known companies have removed dye from their products and not just Red Dye 40 other dyes also. He speaks of different alternatives to use instead of artificial dyes for a healthier lifestyle. 

 

 

 

 

Fast Food 

Advantage: 

Fast foods like processed food and drive-trues are more convenient, and require little time for preparing, convenient for the fast-paced world a lot of us live in today. It is more affordability for low in-come people, as many struggle to even purchase food. 

Disadvantage: 

Fast food consumption has been linked to many health problems like diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, digestion issues, heart problems and other diseases. Fast food is loaded with calories, sugar, fat, sodium and very little nutrients. Another disadvantage would be the lack of passing down family tradition and spending quality time with your family. There are some healthier options, like having fresh food prepackaged and delivered to your home already, to quickly prepare, but unfortunately many cannot because it is unaffordable.  

 

Slow Food 

Advantage: 

Slow food has many advantages like your health, when preparing fresh food, you have the advantage of controlling what is being used which leads to healthier choices. Another advantage would be family time and tradition. It gives you the ability to spend quality time while teaching and passing down family traditions like recipes. It also gives you the chance to help teach how to make healthier choices to your children and family. Slow food gives you the ability to buy local food and helps support your local farms. 

 

Disadvantage: 

The disadvantage and one of the biggest reasons I believe would be the cost for many people, as buying fresh is not something many could afford. A lot of people struggle to even purchase food, never mind cooking whole fresh meals every day. Eaten healthy, unprocessed foods, all the time, seems to be something only the privileged could manage. In this day, and age, many people do not have the time because most families have two working parents, or live in a household of one parent. Cooking Slow requires time and money that many do not have. 

 

 

 

 

• The sources used are of excellent quality, and they are of college level, and dependable. URLs for sources three and four do not work and are not hyper-linked. I searched by title, authors name and date. 

 

• After reviewing the in-text citations, the first paragraph has the author’s first name and a number 7. In-text citations need to have the author’s last name and number is not required. Paragraphs two and three only need to have the author’s last name. Sources one, two and three URLs are not hyperlinked, and sources three and four URLs are given an error message, Error: DOI Not Found, had to search by title name. Title of articles and books need quotations in sources one and two, and before second quotation need to input a period. Title of book/article and URL’s need to be italicized. Date format should read day, month then year. 

 

• The annotations used have an abundance of information on the subject and it is credible. 

 

• After reviewing sources and peers’ essay, I do believe she drafted her essay in her own words and no unintentional plagiarism was done. 

 

• The first paragraph is an introduction about the decline of family farms, and a short sentence on how at one time it was. Peer did use information from her source. 

• The second paragraph explains the reasoning behind the decline of family farms because they cannot afford the technology to keep up with the large-scale operations. How large-scale operations are favored by the government. Peer did use information from her source. 

• The third paragraph is about the consequences of the decline of family farms. How it affects small towns and the environment. Peer did use information from her source. 

• The fourth paragraph has ideas of what’s needed to help support and increase family farming. 

 

 

Artificial dyes are used for many things like food, drinks, medication, and cosmetics. They are used to make things look more appealing to use and eat. By looking at a product you can determine the flavor of the food because of the dye. All dyes used have some health concerns (Dempsey), after research has determined side effects like headaches, allergic reactions with adults and children. Also, possible behavioral issues in children.  

 Artificial dyes have been used for centuries, wine was artificial dyed back around 300BC, and in the Egyptians times when they used it for cosmetics and hair dye. Artificial dyes have been around for a long time, but as time went by more dyes were made and more regulations began. In 1881 The USDA started to research color being used in food, butter and cheese were the first food items to be approved for artificial coloring. Henry Perkins was the one that discovered the first synthetic dye mauve and soon after more we discovered for food, drugs, and cosmetics. By 1900, a lot of cosmetics, foods, and drugs in the U.S. was artificially dyed. At that time testing found dangerous materials in the products used with artificial dyes like mercury, lead, and arsenic. In 1906, a bill called The Food and Drug Act stopped the use of poisonous products and harmful food coloring. In 1960, a clause was made called Delaney Clause stopping the use of carcinogen, a color additive that can cause cancer. As time went on more Acts were passed by congress changing laws and regulations, because the 1906 Act was not strong enough to protect the people (Bailey). 

 Red Dye 40 is the most used in food and seems to be the one questioned the most about adverse side effects. The EPA deems Red Dye 40 to be not much of a concern to the public. Many thinks Red Dye 40 may be linked to health issues like allergies, migraines, and allergic reactions with children and adults. Red dye 40 may be the cause of mental and behavioral issues with children, which is also known as ADHD. The FDA does not believe most children experience these adverse reactions after some research, but some children can be sensitive to Red Dye 40 causing these reactions. Besides food, the dye is used in medications and cosmetics. Red Dye 40 has many different names it goes by, so you need to be careful when reading labels. It is in many food items like dairy products, cereals, snacks, candy, drinks, and many more products we consume (DeWalle). 

 Dr. Tania Dempsey states “More than half of the approved artificial food dyes have carcinogenic potential and have been linked to tumor growth and cancer. Red 3, also known as Erythrosine, was shown to increase thyroid tumors in animal studies”.  Yellow 5 can be genotoxic, meaning that it can cause issues with DNA then causing issues with future children. Blue 1, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 have caused other health issues like face swelling, headaches, dizziness, and trouble breathing. Many dyes used have petroleum in them, but FD&C Blue No. 2 Aluminum Lake contains aluminum which is toxic to us. There are all natural dyes that are used like fruits and vegetables. (Dempsey). 

 Dempsey states that artificial dyes are not needed, it is for aesthetic purposes, to make things more appealing to people, especially children. Artificial coloring is beneficial for businesses to sell their products. When something looks colorful instead of white and beige it will make someone want to purchase that product. Artificial dyes do not change taste in products, just look. There are healthier options to choose from, to avoid artificial dyes as much as possible. Organic foods have a lesser chance to contain dyes, when buying packaged items choose ones with less ingredients and adapt to a healthier eating lifestyle and avoid prepackaged foods. Dempsey states to avoid colorful foods as much as possible (Dempsey). 

 Annotated Bibliography 

 Bailey, Catherine J. M.Eds., Barrows, Julie N. Ph.D., Lipman, Arthur L. Ph.D.” Color Additives History.” Food and Drug Administration, 3 Nov 2017 https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/color-additives-history   

This article talks about the history of artificial dyes dating all the way back to 300BC. As time went on more and more products and foods started to contain dyes. It also speaks about the changes that had to be made after research and testing was done and dangerous material was detected, that is poisonous. To stop the use of these poisonous materials a bill called The Food and Drug Act was passed and as time went on more bills were passed to future protect the health of the public.   

 Chuck, Elizabeth. “Artificial Food Dyes May Cause Behavior Problems. A Bill Aims to Warn Parents.” NBC News, 20 December 2021 https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/artificial-food-dyes-may-cause-behavior-problems-bill-aims-warn-parent-rcna5989 

This article speaks briefly as an example about a family that had a child with behavioral issues, and how treatment like neuropsychological testing and psychology didn’t work. The family was told to try and cut out artificial dyes from their child’s diet and within weeks they stated they had a calmer and happier child. As the article goes on it explains how many people like scientists and doctors believe ADHD and artificial dyes are linked together but others like the FDA don’t agree. California wants to pass a bill that will require a warning label be put on items containing materials that affect children in a bad way. The FDA mentions that they believe children that already have ADHD can be sensitive to the dyes which worsen their behavior. After testing, Europe required that all products with dyes have warning labels on them, letting people know there could be side effects.  

Dempsey Dr. Tania. “Getting Real About Food Dyes.” Prima Foodie, https://www.primafoodie.com/home/getting-real-about-food-dyes-a-conversation-with-dr-tania-dempsey 

Dempsey talks about the harmful effects of the many different dyes used in our everyday products and food we consume. She states that the dyes aren’t needed as they don’t change the flavor just the look, to make it appealing. She goes on saying how there are healthier choices we can make to cut out artificial dyes like eating less processed foods and more organic. 

DeWalle Gavin Van. “Red Dye 40: Safety, Side Effects, and Food List.” Healthline, 12 Dec 2023 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40   

This article talks about the side effects of Red Dye 40 in adults and children and how to look out for it as it goes by many different names. It lists some of the many different products that contain Red Dye 40. Many claim it causes hyperactive behavior in kids, but others like EPA would deny that as they say it is a low concern. It goes on saying that many say there is low healthy risk but other accuse it causing behavior problems and allergies. 

Russ, Krista. “The Reality of Red Dye 40.” Health Digest, 10 October 2022 https://www.healthdigest.com/1047646/the-reality-of-red-dye-40/ 

Russ talks about how Red Dye 40 was made many years ago and how it’s made now, and the effects it has on people. He speaks about how many well-known companies have removed the dye from their products and not just Red Dye 40 others dyes also. The article goes on about the health and different behavioral issues in kids and other major health concerns like cancer. He speaks of different alternatives to use instead of artificial dyes for a healthier lifestyle. 

 

 

 

The topic I chose to write about for essay 3 is Artificial Dyes (e.g., red dye #40), because I thought it would be something important to learn about, especially since I have 2 kids and one has ADHD. Artificial dyes are linked to many health issues like ADHD in children, immune disorders, inflammatory bowel diseases, cancer, and mental health. Red dye #40 seems to be the most used in food and cause of health problems. Food dyes were developed to change the appearance of food by giving it color for appearance. I look forward to researching and learning more about the dyes put in our food and drinks, as I never realized how much is being consumed in my household.  

 

Annotated Bibliography: 

Bailey, Catherine J. M.Eds., Barrows, Julie N. Ph.D., Lipman, Arthur L. Ph.D. ” Color Additives History.” Food and Drug Administration, 3 Nov 2017 https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/color-additives-history 

 

Chuck, Elizabeth. “Artificial Food Dyes May Cause Behavior Problems. A Bill Aims to Warn Parents.” NBC News, 20 December 2021 

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/artificial-food-dyes-may-cause-behavior-problems-bill-aims-warn-parent-rcna5989 

Dempsey Dr. Tania. “Getting Real About Food Dyes.” Prima Foodie, 

https://www.primafoodie.com/home/getting-real-about-food-dyes-a-conversation-with-dr-tania-dempsey 

 

DeWalle Gavin Van. “Red Dye 40: Safety, Side Effects, and Food List.” Healthline, 12 Dec 2023 https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/red-dye-40 

 

Russ, Krista. “The Reality of Red Dye 40.” Health Digest, 10 October 2022 

https://www.healthdigest.com/1047646/the-reality-of-red-dye-40/ 

 

 

 

 

Covid-19 has exposed the “vulnerabilities and inequities” in many areas in the US but very noticeable in our food system. The author Pollan speaks about the issues farmers endured during the pandemic, and the many problems meat plant workers went through regarding care, safety and health. Pollan mentions how essential works are mistreated and how the way our food is processed now is causing many health problems for Americans.  

  In “The Sickness in Our Food Supply” by Michael Pollan speaks about how Covid-19 exposed the many problems in our food system and before the pandemic it went unnoticed. The other issues that were noticed was the unhealthy foods Americans are eating and causing chronic diseases which makes your chances higher with Covid-19.  

  The author speaks about farmers having to destroy crops, and getting rid of good milk while we have people going hungry. One chicken farmer who sells his eggs to school had to euthanize thousands of hens because he lacked the equipment, packaging and didn’t have contracts to sell to markets. Some pig farmers were stuck when a processing plant was shut down in South Dakota and they had no choice but to euthanize millions of animals.  While were in short supply and shelves at the market where empty food is being destroyed. We have two food chains and because of the pandemic our second one, that supplies food in bulk for restaurants and schools, collapsed because of everything shutting down during the pandemic. There was no way to send that food in bulk to supermarkets while farmers had the food to give.  John Tyson of Tyson foods stated that “our food chain was breaking” and as Covid-19 swept through the US we experienced meat shortages. 

 In Slaughterhouses many workers were sick, and some died. Social distancing didn’t exist for them as they had to work shoulder to shoulder, to keep up with the work. Because of that the virus could spread easily. The workers worked in harsh conditions and mistreated. As numbers raised meat plants started to close and Tyson of Tyson Foods pleaded to the president and president Trump invoked the Defense Production Act forcing workers back to work and became essential workers. They were even pushed to stay at work even after being exposed to Covid-19. Many of the works were immigrants with no health insurance and all lived in very close quarters making them at higher risk for Covid-19.   

Pollan mentions another weakness that was exposed because of Covid-19, was how important essential workers are to us, and our everyday life, from meat plant workers, farmers and even delivery drivers who drive refrigerated trucks, they all keep us feed and society moving forward. We rely on them and can’t survive without them. The author talks about them having leverage and that “will allow them to win the kind of wages, protections, and benefits that would more accurately reflect their importance to society”.  

  Most of the food that is grown in the US is fed to animals then consumed by humans. It’s how our fast food, soda and high fructose corn syrup are manufactured. The soybean and corn farms take little work to grow and harvest, the farmer can do it on their own, and because of that they can grow many acres of soybeans and corn. Because of that, processed foods should be the last thing on the shelves as there will be large sums of it. With processed foods being unhealthy as it is, it is causing many healthy issues in American such as heart problems, high blood presser, being overweight and even developing diabetes. The author states that The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has reported that 49 percent of the people hospitalized for Covid-19 had preexisting hypertension, 48 percent were obese, and 28 percent had diabetes. The three diseases caused by poor diet mixed with Covid-19 worsen the symptoms and cause serious health problems for the patient.   

  Pollan talks about how we need a change in our policies, to show how we should protect our men and women as we rely on them to eat and push for health then high production numbers. We need healthier food, food that isn’t loaded with high calories. Supermarkets have food but food that is killing us and Pollan states a change needs to be made for a healthier Country.  

The author mentions positive news that there are some areas of our food chain like local food systems that have thrived and are doing well during Covid-19. The local farmers were able to find new markets to sell their products too. Pollan also talks about how since Covid-19 more people are cooking from home and buying produce from regional farmers. 

Before Covid-19 I didn’t really pay attention to how exactly we got our food or where it came from but since the pandemic and us relying on the essential workers for necessities and food it made me appreciate them. We rely on them to survive, and I agree with Pollan when he says that we need to take care of them and for them not mistreat them.   

  Jill Johnson who wrote “Hunger, Food Supply and Food Waste” collaborated on a lot of what author Pollan spoke about in his article. Johnson states how “37 million Americans were struggling with hunger in the US, including more than 11 million children” (Johnson). She explains that our food chain started to break once we started to social distance. We started to stock up on necessary items and stores began to empty. Johnson also mentions how there was so much wasted food during the pandemic, because Pollan explained farmers had nowhere to send it for processing, and packaging issues. She goes on saying the numbers will rise as the pandemic continues.   

I think it’s sad to think about all the food that was destroyed and milk dumped because of the pandemic. Farmers are not able to convert the products because they do not have the packaging or contracts or even a place to have the animals processed. Americans going hungry because there’s not enough food and a lot of the food that there is, is expensive so they can’t afford it and opt for the unhealthy stuff which is causing health problems today.  

  During the pandemic I remember going to the market and shelves being bare, with having kids of my own, one only six months old at the time it was hard to look at. Questions run through your head am I going to have enough food to feed my family and even struggling to purchase diapers and formula which was almost impossible to find. I agree with the author that changes need to happen and happen now, what if we get hit with another pandemic, what is going to happen, same as before or maybe worse.   

  

Works Cited: 

Johnson, Jill. “Hunger, Food Supply and Food Waste.” Ministry Matters, 23 June 2020, https://ministrymatters.com/all/entry/10388/hunger-food-supply-and-food-waste  

Pollan, Michael. “The Sickness in Our Food Supply.” The New York Review of Books, 12 May 2020, https://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/the-sickness-in-our-food-supply/.  

 

1. The essay structure was partly there, the introduction was missing and there was only one paragraph for the summary. For the response she has her three paragraphs, The Cited is not captured correctly. My suggestions would be to add an introduction paragraph, and a couple more paragraphs to the summary portion with additional information and more details. For the response portion add more information about how you feel and ideas. Work Cited should read Authors last name, first name, Title of essay with quotations, name of publisher, date and then URL.
2. I believe the summary needs to be longer per assignment guidelines, but the information in the summary portion is captured correctly.
3. The essay I believe she wrote in her own words and was done ethically. The Work Cited is there but needs to be done in MLA format.
4. There is only one paragraph for the summary portion with some information about the entire essay. The paragraph has different information and I believe if broke up, the writer could gain additional paragraphs and go into more detail about each topic. What is written I believe is understandable.
5. The response portion has information from the additional resources the writer used and weather she agreed or disagreed. I believe more of her point of view and ideas could be added.

Covid-19 has exposed the “vulnerabilities and inequities” in many areas in the US but very noticeable in our food system. The author Pollan speaks about the issues farmers endured during the pandemic, and the many problems meat plant workers went through regarding care, safety and health. Pollan mentions how essential works are mistreated and how the way our food is processed now is causing many health problems for Americans. 

 In “The Sickness in Our Food Supply” by Michael Pollan speaks about how Covid-19 exposed the many problems in our food system and before the pandemic it went unnoticed. The other issues that were noticed was the unhealthy foods Americans are eating and causing chronic diseases which makes your chances higher with Covid-19. 

 The author speaks about farmers having to destroy crops, and getting rid of good milk while we have people going hungry. One chicken farmer who sells his eggs to school had to euthanize thousands of hens because he lacked the equipment, packaging and didn’t have contracts to sell to markets. Some pig farmers were stuck when a processing plant was shut down in South Dakota and they had no choice but to euthanize millions of animals.  While were in short supply and shelves at the market where empty food is being destroyed. We have two food chains and because of the pandemic our second one, that supplies food in bulk for restaurants and schools, collapsed because of everything shutting down during the pandemic. There was no way to send that food in bulk to supermarkets while farmers had the food to give. 

 John Tyson of Tyson foods stated that “our food chain was breaking” and as Covid-19 swept through the US we experienced meat shortages. In Slaughterhouses many workers were sick, and some died. Social distancing didn’t exist for them as they had to work shoulder to shoulder, to keep up with the work. Because of that the virus could spread easily. The workers worked in harsh conditions and mistreated. As numbers raised meat plants started to close and Tyson of Tyson Foods pleaded to the president and president Trump invoked the Defense Production Act forcing workers back to work and became essential workers. They were even pushed to stay at work even after being exposed to Covid-19. Many of the works were immigrants with no health insurance and all lived in very close quarters making them at higher risk for Covid-19.  

Pollan mentions another weakness that was exposed because of Covid-19, was how important essential workers are to us, and our everyday life, from meat plant workers, farmers and even delivery drivers who drive refrigerated trucks, they all keep us feed and society moving forward. We rely on them and can’t survive without them. The author talks about them having leverage and that “will allow them to win the kind of wages, protections, and benefits that would more accurately reflect their importance to society”. 

 Most of the food that is grown in the US is fed to animals then consumed by humans. It’s how our fast food, soda and high fructose corn syrup are manufactured. The soybean and corn farms take little work to grow and harvest, the farmer can do it on their own, and because of that they can grow many acres of soybeans and corn. Because of that, processed foods should be the last thing on the shelves as there will be large sums of it. With processed foods being unhealthy as it is, it is causing many healthy issues in American such as heart problems, high blood presser, being overweight and even developing diabetes. The author states that The Center for Disease Control and Prevention have reported that 49 percent of the people hospitalized for Covid-19 had preexisting hypertension, 48 percent were obese, and 28 percent had diabetes. The three diseases caused by poor diet mixed with Covid-19 worsen the symptoms and cause serious health problems for the patient.  

 Pollan talks about how we need a change in our policies, to show how we should protect our men and women as we rely on them to eat and push for health then high production numbers. We need healthier food, food that isn’t loaded with high calories. Supermarkets have food but food that is killing us and Pollan states a change needs to be made for a healthier Country. 

Before Covid-19 I didn’t really pay attention to how exactly we got our food or where it came from but since the pandemic and us relying on the essential workers for necessities and food it made me appreciate them. We rely on them to survive, and I agree with Pollan when he says that we need to take care of them and for them not mistreat them.  

 Jill Johnson who wrote “Hunger, Food Supply and Food Waste” collaborated on a lot of what author Pollan spoke about in his article. Johnson states how “37 million Americans were struggling with hunger in the US, including more than 11 million children”(Johnson). She explains that our food chain started to break once we started to social distance. We started to stock up on necessary items and stores began to empty. Johnson also mentions how there was so much wasted food during the pandemic, because like Pollan explained farmers had no where to send it for processing, and packaging issues. She goes on saying the numbers will rise as the pandemic continues.  

I think it’s sad to think about all the food that was destroyed and milk dumped because of the pandemic. Farmers are not able to convert the products because they do not have the packaging or contracts or even a place to have the animals processed. Americans going hungry because there’s not enough food and a lot of the food that there is, is expensive so they can’t afford it and opt for the unhealthy stuff which is causing health problems today. 

 During the pandemic I remember going to the market and shelves being bare, with having kids of my own, one only six months old at the time it was hard to look at. Questions run through your head am I going to have enough food to feed my family and even struggling to purchase diapers and formula which was almost impossible to find. I agree with the author that changes need to happen and happen now, what if we get hit with another pandemic, what is going to happen, same as before or maybe worse.  

 

Works Cited:

Johnson, Jill. “Hunger, Food Supply and Food Waste.” Ministry Matters, 23 June 2020, https://ministrymatters.com/all/entry/10388/hunger-food-supply-and-food-waste 

Pollan, Michael. “The Sickness in Our Food Supply.” The New York Review of Books, 12 May 2020, https://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/the-sickness-in-our-food-supply/.