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Jeanine Cruz

Ms. Osman

English 3P

30 April 2019

Inevitable Change

Industrial food is never healthy or safe. Food produced by industries always have harmful

chemicals that are hidden form the public which helps emphasize the idea of eating consciously

and safe.Eating responsibly is not only eating healthy but also being conscious of the additives in

the food . In all four texts “The Pleasures of Eating”, by Wendell Berry, “If You Pitch It, They

Will Eat It” by David Barboza, “When a Crop Becomes King” by Michael Pollan, and “ Big

Agriculture is the Only Way to Stop the World Going Hungry” by Jay Rayner, the authors all

emphasize the idea of eating healthy and being aware of the chemicals put in food.The additives

placed in food can be harmful to the consumer which can ultimately endanger their health. To

keep consumers safe politicians and food safety experts should regulate harmful foods and

materials by enforcing food regulations on big food industries.

Regulations on companies can be beneficial by decreasing the addictive material being

placed in food. Companies place many addictive ingredients in their food to keep consumers

buying from them, when in reality it is only impacting many lives negatively. In the article “If

You Pitch It, They Will Eat It “ the author David Barboza states “...even the tidal wave of milk

that washed over their treehouse couldn’t wipe off the sugary flavor” (Barboza 35). The author is

trying to show in order for food industries to get customers, they have to add addictive

ingredients that will entice them and keep them fanatical about their product. The compelling

materials placed in food often lead to the development of unhealthy eating habits and diseases. In
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the article “When a Crop Becomes King”, the author Michael Pollan reinforces the idea that the

development of diseases is due to the unhealthy materials placed in food by companies. In the

article Pollan states “A diet high in fructose (as compared to glucose) elevates triglyceride levels

in men shortly after eating, a phenomenon that has been linked to an increased risk of obesity

and heart disease” (Pollan 10). The placement of unhealthy materials in food only helps reinforce

the idea that food regulations on companies are necessary in order to keep both food and people

safe.

Industrial regulations on big food companies will increase the quality of food being

produced and decrease the diseases consumers are susceptible to. The author of the article “The

Pleasures of Eating”, Wendell Berry explains consumers are kept from knowing what is being

added into their daily food. In the article, Berry states “ The consumer, that is to say, must be

kept from discovering, in the food industry as in any other industry - the overriding concerns are

not quality and health but volume and price” (Berry 1). This demonstrates how companies with

no regulations are increasing their surplus of food but not their quality, which leads to disease

outbreaks that harm the consumer. To keep people and food healthy there should be food

regulations on the harmful material being placed in food. In the text “If you Pitch It, They Will

Eat It”, the author David Barboza states “Most big food companies, despite some promises to

offer healthier foods… deny they are to blame for the epidemic of excessive weight “ (Barboza

11). This quote illustrates the ignorance of companies who do not have any regulations and only

care about the profit and not the consumers’ health. This shows the need for food regulations and

the need for consumers to be aware of the food they eat.

Many people like Jay Rayner may think they have to accept the food they are given as he

emphasizes in his article “ Big Agriculture Is the Only Option to Stop the World Going Hungry”.
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As Rayner explains his point of view he states “We will have to embrace unashamedly industrial

methods of farming” (Rayner 11). Consumers do not have to accept the unhealthy food they are

given, instead, they can eat responsibly by planting their own food and being aware of the food

they eat. People can also demand healthier food products like Wendell Berry emphasizes in his

article “The Pleasures of Eating”. In his article, Berry states “How does one escape this trap

?...by restoring one’s consciousness of what is involved in eating, by claiming responsibility for

one’s own part in the food economy” (Berry 12). This shows how being aware of the materials

ingested in food can help improve consumers lifestyle and help many stay healthy. Anyone can

make a change in the food economy and make food healthy again.

To conclude, policymakers should enforce food regulations on big companies to keep

food and consumers healthy. Imposing food regulations on companies will help keep food

healthy because it will limit the addictive and harmful materials ingested in food, it will also

increase the quality of the overall product. Another way people can also stay healthy is by being

conscious of the ingredients they consume in their daily food, having a healthy lifestyle can

benefit anyone by reducing the risk of developing diseases.

Works Cited

Berry, Wendell. “The Pleasures of Eating” What are People for? CSU Expository Reading and

Writing Modules. Print.

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Pollan, Michael. “When a Crop Becomes King” New York Times, New York CSU Expository

Reading and Writing Modules. 19 July 2002. Print

Rayner, Jay .“Big Agriculture is the Only Way to Stop the World Going Hungry” New York

Times, CSU Expository Reading and Writing Modules. 11 September 2010. Print.

Barboza, David “If You Pitch It, They Will Eat It” The Observer, CSU Expository Reading and

Writing Modules. Print.