Here are 10 shocking secrets the food industry doesn't want you to know:
Processed Foods are Engineered to Be Addictive
Major food corporations employ teams of food scientists, chemists, and flavor experts whose sole job is to make their processed foods as addictive as possible. They methodically analyze the perfect "bliss point" of sugar, salt, and fat that will keep you craving more. Processed foods are designed to override your body's natural satiety signals, making it extremely difficult to stop eating them.
Meat and Dairy Products Contain Growth Hormones
The majority of meat, dairy, and egg producers use synthetic growth hormones to artificially accelerate the growth of their animals. These hormones have been linked to serious health issues like breast cancer, prostate cancer, and early puberty in children. Many other developed countries have banned the use of these hormones, but in the US they are pervasive throughout the industrial agriculture system.
Fruits and Vegetables Are Losing Nutritional Value
Studies show that the nutritional content of many common fruits and vegetables has declined dramatically over the past 50-70 years. This is due to intensive agricultural practices that deplete the soil of vital nutrients, as well as the breeding of crops for traits like size and appearance over nutrition. You'd need to eat twice as many tomatoes today to get the same nutrients as you would have a few generations ago.
Milk Does NOT Do a Body Good
Despite the industry's ubiquitous "Got Milk?" marketing campaign, milk and other dairy products are actually quite harmful to human health. Dairy has been linked to a range of health issues including acne, heart disease, prostate cancer, and even osteoporosis - the very condition it is often promoted to prevent. Humans are the only species that drinks the milk of another animal, and we are simply not adapted to properly digest it.
Many Common Food Additives are Banned in Other Countries
The United States allows the use of many food additives and preservatives that have been banned in other developed countries due to safety concerns. For example, the artificial colors Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6 which are commonly found in processed foods, candy, and drinks have been linked to hyperactivity in children and are banned in places like the European Union. The US also allows the use of genetically-modified organisms (GMOs) and growth hormones in livestock which are prohibited in many other nations.
Food Corporations Lobbying for Deceptive Labeling
Many major food companies have spent millions of dollars lobbying the US government to prevent the mandatory labeling of genetically-modified ingredients. They want to keep consumers in the dark about what's really in their food. Additionally, the industry fights against clear, transparent labeling of things like added sugars, serving sizes, and calorie counts - all of which are crucial for making informed, healthy choices.
Meat Industry's Unethical Treatment of Animals
The vast majority of livestock in the US are raised in cruel, inhumane conditions on factory farms. Chickens, pigs, and cattle often spend their entire lives confined in cramped, filthy enclosures without access to the outdoors or the ability to engage in their natural behaviors. They are subjected to physical abuse, diseases, injuries, and unnatural livestock fattening practices. The meat industry tries to hide these realities from the public.
Seafood Fraud is Rampant
Studies have found that as much as 30% of seafood sold in stores and restaurants is mislabeled. Cheaper, lower-quality fish are often substituted for more expensive varieties like tuna, salmon, and cod. This not only deceives consumers, but can also be dangerous for people with seafood allergies. The global seafood supply chain is rife with fraud, mislabeling, and illegal, unreported fishing.
Many Food Safety Regulations are Weak and Ineffective
Despite high-profile food poisoning outbreaks and contamination scandals, many food safety regulations in the US are quite lax, underfunded, and easily skirted by large food corporations. Meat and poultry processing plants are essentially allowed to self-regulate, and inspection protocols have significant loopholes. The FDA inspects less than 2% of imported foods, leaving the door open for contaminated products to slip through.
Corporate Consolidation Reduces Competition and Choice
Over the past few decades, the food industry has become increasingly consolidated, with a small number of massive multinational corporations dominating most major sectors. This lack of competition allows these companies to raise prices, reduce product quality, and use their political influence to protect their profits at the expense of consumers. For example, just four companies control over 80% of the US beef market.
These are just a few of the many unethical and deceptive practices endemic to the modern food industry. As consumers, it's critical that we educate ourselves, read labels carefully, and support ethical food producers and suppliers whenever possible. An informed, engaged public is the best defense against the food industry's relentless pursuit of profits over public health and wellbeing.