JONATHAN IS 10 years old. While undergoing a medical examination, three days after falling sick, he was found to be diabetic. The credit goes to his parents and to his lifestyle. Eating junk food and having soft drinks regularly not only made him obese but also diabetic. The lack of a healthy lifestyle and the awareness of potentially harmful food substances has possibly shortened his life. There is no doubt that the food we eat these days is harmful in every sense. Ranging from mangoes that are ripened early using calcium carbide to chickens that are incubated within hours, most of our food lacks natural methods of production. It is completely impossible to prove that any plant or animal product is completely organic. Gone are the days when plants were grown in natural soil with manure, giving rise to healthy and nutritive plant products. And it is not only plants, because even the meat of animals is contaminated as most herbivores eat plants which are grown using harmful fertilizers. The use of fertilizers to grow plants has led to a huge concentration of harmful chemical products throughout the food chain. We are living for our taste buds and we are trying everything to keep them happy. This is evident when we visit restaurants and eat food without trying to find out how it was made. We are not at all concerned about the hygiene of the restaurant's kitchen or staff. This implies that we eat food only for the taste of it on our tongue. We do not seem to mind eating at places without even knowing whether the place is clean and the food is handled hygienically, and then we act surprised when the authorities shut restaurants down because of their failure to follow health regulations. For those who do take care when eating outside or at home, it is difficult at times to find out about the way in which the food has been processed. Most times, there is a lack of transparency in food processing. Most fruits are wax coated, the animals whose meat we eat are bred artificially to grow faster, and the plants that we eat are contaminated with high doses of fertilizer. Many restaurants claim to have certification to show that the food items that they sell are hygienic and organic, but at times we fail to notice that most of these certificates are not renewed periodically. When we eat at restaurants, we often hesitate to find out about the food that is being served. This happens almost all the time. The restaurants take advantage of this and use unhygienic methods of cooking. Most of the meat that comes from slaughter houses is not washed, but used directly for making food. Most of the vegetables are not washed and sometimes not peeled, in order to serve more customers quickly. The fear of losing customers is a major cause for restaurants to use unhygienic cooking techniques. This is because customers are in a hurry and food has to be prepared every time a new customer comes to the restaurant. Large restaurants that make food in bulk often use the food the next day instead of disposing of it. This also adds to the consumption of unhealthy food. The major reason why restaurants do not stop selling unhealthy food is because we do not stop buying it. Many people who have little or no time to cook or who are lazy often buy from restaurants and stores that sell unhealthy food. Although there are many guidelines laid out to companies instructing them about hygienic and healthy food processing techniques, governments often fail to monitor restaurants and stores and inquire whether these instructions are being followed. Although some food inspection teams raid these such places randomly, the number of raids are actually very few. There is a need for regular food inspection at regular time intervals. To be frank, we do not seem to be concerned at all where our food comes from. All that we are concerned about is that we should get food that is tasty and cheap. Many people go shopping and buy food products by looking at the prices and not the content and ingredients of the item. We also do not seem to be concerned about whether the food seller is certified by a regulatory authority to make the food items he is selling. Some governments have taken the initiative to implement regulations, such as the display of certification from regulatory bodies for food vendors and also the display of disclaimers on potentially harmful substances like cigarettes and nicotine products. However, there is still a gap to be filled. More initiatives and drives must be started to highlight the disadvantages and harmful effects of soft drinks and other artificially flavored drinks. Furthermore, food activists need to make people aware of the various harmful effects of junk food like burgers, fries and sandwiches. They must also highlight the need to change our lifestyle to healthy habits in order to avoid diseases and for the better functioning of our glands and organs. There is also a need to change the current agricultural cultivation practices in order to make them healthier and more organic. There is a need to make regulations stricter to decrease the usage of fertilizers and pesticides. There is also a growing need to promote organic breeding habits for goats, sheep, cows and chickens. Furthermore, we as consumers, should be vigilant in purchasing food articles. We must also avoid buying pre-prepared foods as they contain a large amount of preservatives. The habit of cooking food at home needs to be promoted. This can be done by the government via billboards on streets, television advertisements and by promoting better eating habits in exhibitions. At the end of the day, we are the ultimate consumers, so we need to be extremely vigilant and careful in what we eat and where it comes from. We should make it a habit to verify the authenticity of the hygiene of the product and its certifications and claims. Mohammed Abdul Majid, Purdue University,
