Food Policy Final
Define and describe food security and how each is (or is not) determined
"all household members had access at all times to enough food for a healthy active life" - Ready availability of nutritionally adequate & safe foods - Ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways - Households with children are classified as: Food secure Answered "yes" to 2 or fewer of the 18 questions from The Current Population Survey's Food Security Supplement
This researcher, policy advocate, and author released her own set of 'rogue dietary guidelines' in 2016
(Marion) Nestle
Recall the history and evolution of the NSLA
- 1790, Munich: Count Rumford, a physicist, started Poor People's Institute for both adults & children ---Children worked part time & learned reading, writing, & arithmetic; were also fed --- Success resulted in development of mass feeding in other countries - 1849, France: canteens, or cafeterias, were opened - 1865, England: Victor Hugo started school feeding by inviting children from a nearby school to eat meals at his house - Early child nutrition programs in America were usually motivated by charity: --- 1853: Children's Aid Society of NY --- 1894: Starr Center Association of Philadelphia --- 1894: Ellen Richards lobbies Boston School Commission --- 1906: Poverty and The Bitter Cry of the Children were published - 1913: School lunch programs operated in 30 cities in 14 states - 1917, WW1: Many boys/men examined for draft found to be malnourished & unfit for military service - 1920-30s: Subsequent growth of school lunch program --Government leaders realized it could provide: ---food for underfed & hungry children; ---work for hundreds of unemployed persons; ---an outlet for huge surplus of agricultural commodities - 1943: Congress appropriated money to continue programs - June 4, 1946: Pres. Truman signed National School Lunch Act (NSLA) establishing school lunch program on a permanent basis - NSLA created permanent partnership between federal government, states, & local school districts - Funds would be allocated on basis of: --- Number of children between ages 5—17 --- Need for assistance in the state as indicated by per capita income - 1962: Expansion of NSLA ---Authorized supplemental funds to provide additional support to schools in low-income areas - 1966 Child Nutrition Act authorized: ---a pilot breakfast program; ---the Special Milk Program for three years; ---nonfood assistance (equipment) for extending lunch & breakfast programs; ---funds to support state expansion efforts; ---USDA as federal agency for administering all school food service programs -------FNS established as part of USDA in 1969
List the acts or events that ultimately led to our food safety policies
- At the turn of the 20th century, Harvey Washington Wiley, an intrepid government chemist, and Upton Sinclair, author of "The Jungle," horrified the nation by uncovering widespread food fraud and grotesque conditions in Chicago meat plants. -->Congress responded by passing the first major safety laws: the 1906 Pure Food and Drug Act and Federal Meat Inspection Act. -1906: Pure Food And Drug Act inspired by the descriptions of unsanitary meat processing plants in "The Jungle" --- established Bureau of Chemistry - 1938: Congress passed legislation giving FDA enhanced powers after some companies were found to have doctored rancid meat and vegetables to make them more palatable - President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act in 1938 after 100 people died from a toxic quack medicine for strep throat. - President Richard M. Nixon ordered a sweeping review of food additives when it was believed that saccharine caused cancer. - President Bill Clinton cracked down on E. coli in meat after four children died from undercooked fast-food hamburgers. - President George W. Bush mandated that food facilities register with the government in the wake of 9/11. - The patchwork response has created a regulatory monstrosity of a dozen poorly coordinated federal agencies that give the illusion of comprehensive coverage but in reality are woefully inadequate to the task of protecting the nation's food supply. -- The Department of Agriculture oversees meat and poultry -- FDA oversees just about everything else. *cheese pizza falls under the FDA's purview, but not pepperoni pizza. *The same divide holds true for soups, sauces and other processed foods — if it has meat, it falls to the USDA ---- except for eggs. *Eggs are regulated by the FDA, *unless the egg is cracked and processed, then it's the USDA's job. - Since 2007, the Government Accountability Office has rated the food-safety system one of the areas most in need of reform for being fragmented and ineffective, right up there with homeland security and the government's patchy cyberdefense. - Obama's food crisis was waiting for him as he took office in 2009: an unfolding salmonella outbreak that ultimately killed nine and sickened 714 across 46 states. The source was a filthy factory in Georgia that made peanut butter for everything from Clif bars to Keebler crackers. Thousands of products were recalled as hundreds of children fell ill, riveting the nation's — and Congress' — attention. The consequence of ORA's understaffing was on full display in the 2009 peanut butter disaster. At the time of the outbreak, federal officials hadn't inspected the Peanut Corporation of America's Blakely, Georgia, plant since 2001, years before the company had started making peanut butter. State inspectors, under contract with the FDA, had visited the plant in 2007 and 2008 and found numerous sanitation problems that the company committed to correcting. But no tests for salmonella were done. Food-safety experts recognize that there will never be enough resources, or FDA inspectors, to have the same level of coverage that the USDA has over meat plants, but food-safety inspections are seen as critical to ensuring that food companies are actually following the new food safety rules. ORA declined interview requests about staffing levels and the food-safety law, citing the fact that the final regulations have not been issued. When federal investigators finally set foot in the Georgia peanut butter plant in 2009 — four months after people began getting sick — they discovered evidence of roaches and a leaky roof that, a company employee later said, had allowed bird feces to drop into the plant. Officials also discovered that the company had been testing its products for salmonella, but it had disregarded positive results and shipped products anyway. The January 2011 signing ceremony for the landmark Food Safety Modernization Act should have been the first clue something was amiss. There wasn't one. No kids. No media photo ops. The president signed the bill alone. The Democrats, and therefore the White House, had just endured a thrashing in the 2010 midterm elections and food safety was not a priority. Despite the lack of fanfare, the White House appeared committed to funding the new law. The Congressional Budget Office had estimated that the FDA would need $583 million added to its less than $4 billion base over five years — or an increase of roughly $116 million each year — to boost the agency's capacity to prevent outbreaks. The administration's fiscal 2012 request for a $183 million increase far exceeded that — a big ask considering the House had flipped to conservative control. Congress ultimately gave the FDA a $46 million bump, just less than 40 percent of what CBO said was needed. The following year, the administration capitulated, seeking a minuscule $6 million increase and relied instead on the idea that new industry fees could fund the difference. The White House proposed more than $240 million in fees that year, a politically toxic and unrealistic approach that drew scorn from industry groups, which argued that registration and inspection fees would be an unfair tax on food. Congress granted FDA a $37 million increase that year. It was the beginning of a worrisome trend. Each year, the White House asked Congress for far less than what FDA needed and Congress more or less agreed. All the while, the administration continued to float the unpalatable idea of industry fees. In 2015, the White House asked for such a small increase ($24 million) that Congress again exceeded the president's request by several million dollars. The funding for the new law was way behind, but so were the new rules that were at the heart of the reform. As soon as Obama signed the law, the clock started ticking to get the four biggest rules out within the year. By the end of 2011, the FDA had drafted a rule requiring food makers to limit potential hazards, whether through better cleaning or simply keeping rodents out. The agency drew up a similar rule to keep contamination from spreading in animal feed and pet food. FDA also drafted tough new rules for food importers and produce growers.
Understand the complex factors and levels involved in influencing eating behaviors / food intake / health
- Complex relationship between people & food - 21st century demands - Not all food is equally accessible - Healthier items typically more expensive than processed/unhealthy items - complexities of food intake ---> 21,000 food and beverage products introduced in US ---Food supply dominated by ever-increasing, relatively low-cost, highly processed/palatable, easy-to-prepare foods --- $11bil/yr spent on food marketing by manufacturers --- $1.8bil/yr on children - commodity subsidies- because they federally funded taxpayers pay for the production of these foods, as well as potential health expenditures attributable to diet-related cardiometabolic diseases - nations agricultural policies do not align with nutritional recommendations - the highest quartile of the subsidized food consumers was associated with having a higher probability of cardiometabolic risk - Food commodities support the the production of foods associated with adverse cardiometabolic risk - so supporting the production of foods with healthy outcomes may help improve population health - since commodity foods tend to be cheaper than fruits and vegetables the people with higher risk of
Describe how human behavior can hurt and/or help the environment
- Economic externalities One decision maker's actions influence welfare of another person --Externality may be positive Acquiring honeybees that also pollinate a neighbor's trees --Externality may be negative Pesticide runoff into a river with swimmers downstream --External person lacks the property right to protect self from external effect without taking special measures - Common property resources Example: atmosphere No one has the right to exclude others from using the resource Creates an incentive for depletion or misuse What is optimal for the individual is not in the aggregate (resource gets overexploited) Best-case scenario Markets incentivize environmentally-sound decisions about resources and the ecosystem Worst-case scenario Markets incentivize pollution and overuse of resources Most resources are public or social goods that are not individually bought, sold, or owned
Synthesize overarching course concepts to describe the global food system, including material on: Farming and agricultural practices - How current and new practices affect people and the environment
- Green Revolution introduced Western ag practices to other regions. 2015-20: FAO expects artificial fertilizer deliveries to increase from 246 to 273 million tons 171 million tons of N; 50 million each of P & K Industry expects uneven growth Africa expected to have strongest annual growth rate; followed by Latin America, South Asia, & former Soviet states China's demand plateauing Rising yields but potentially negative impact on soils, climate, & environment... Influence of transnational corporations can be difficult to detect-- often sell products under the brand names of the companies they buy. 7 companies dominate global production of pesticides & seeds, a key sector in ag. Will shrink if EU & US competition authorities give green light. DuPont & Dow Chemical have merged, ChemChina bought Syngenta, & the German chemical giant Bayer is going to take over US company Monsanto. 3 newly-formed conglomerates would dominate 60%+ of market for commercial seed & ag chemicals; would manage supply of almost all GM plants on market. Implication: Whoever controls genetic material through patents will control the seed sector will influence agriculture, food production, & world food security The U.S. is the last major regulatory hurdle before Bayer AG's merger with Monsanto Co. can close after the parties reached a deal with the Russian Federal Antitrust Service (FAS). In addition to dominating seed & pesticide markets, the result of these mergers is that a few companies will dictate products, prices & quality standards. They would also own the majority of patent applications for intellectual property rights for plants at the European Patent Office "Gene editing": ability to write & rewrite DNA Biggest biotech discovery of century Many techniques CRISPR: battle over patent rights Clients of bioscience companies include Monsanto, Bayer, & DuPont Example: gene-edited herbicide-tolerant canola variety grown by US farmers has entered the global supply chain Marked as "non-transgenic" / "not genetically modified", because it contains no genes introduced from other organisms Identifying (and patenting) the key gene sequences for the future of agriculture is one thing, incorporating sequences into living crops is another. The big news in genetics is not so much reading genomes as the ability to write and rewrite DNA. A growing list of genetic engineering techniques based on fast, flexible "gene-editing" and synthesis of DNA promise that the DNA codes of crops, animals and microbes can now be easily reshaped using digital and laboratory tools
Differentiate between low and very low food security
- Having low food security ---Reports reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet; little/no indication of reduced food intake Answered "yes" to 3-7 questions - ex: "I worried whether our food would run out before we got money to buy more" (the least severe) - Having very low food security Multiple indications of disrupted eating patterns & reduced food intake Answered "yes" to 8+ questions Households without children asked 10 questions Answering "yes" to 3-5 questions is low food secure and 6+ is very low food secure - ex: "Did you or the other adults in your household ever cut the size of your meals or skip meals because there wasn't enough money for food?," "Did you ever cut the size of any of the children's meals because there wasn't enough money for food?," and "Did any of the children ever not eat for a whole day because there wasn't enough money for food?" (the most severe for households with children).
Describe the state of food security in North Carolina
- NC regularly ranks among top 10 states with highest percentage of citizens experiencing food shortages - Over 1.7 million (1 in 6) - Greensboro, High Point, Winston-Salem ~ 160,000 NC residents receive emergency food assistance any given week - 36% of food pantries in NC have had to turn people away because of a lack of food to give them - 60-75% of NC households served by food banks have had to choose between: --- Buying food or paying for health care/medicine --- Buying food & heating their homes --- Buying food or paying for housing - 22% of families that use food banks have a member who served in the military; 6% have a member currently serving
Describe ways to potentially close the "food gap"
- National anti-hunger policies stir little interest... - Social welfare system highly institutionalized, bureaucratized, & removed from sight - Should not be left to special interest groups or professional advocacy organizations, either - Social science research found that most successful community development organizations are those that connect residents to one another (as well as to their programs) --- Martin, 2001: low-income families more likely to be food secure if connected to local social networks -Shift to a community food security framework --> projects, partners, & policy - Projects: singular activities to pursue (community gardens, farmers' markets, improving delivery of food assistance programs) - Partners: nexus of relationships, collaborations - Policy: "make the right...prevalent" --> replicate good work; need government push to become widespread Ways to overcome hunger: 1. Development (economic, technological, institutional) 2. Charity (private, public) 3. Rights-based approach (human right to food, legal, advocacy)
Describe policies that have affected food inputs, and how they have had an effect on consumer choices
- Policies can affect food composition without first influencing consumer preferences Information policy can create new areas of competition within the food industry Sets precedent for other unhealthy nutrients/molecules No guarantee that food is healthy, though... Speed of policy change depends on extent of reformulation Adaptability of production practices Research & development -Can shape & respond to eating behaviors Negative & positive effects Unlikely that any policy response alone will eliminate food-related diseases - Policies affecting input costs include: Farm-income support programs & commodity price supports Trade policies (import tariffs & quotas) - Policies that reduced childhood obesity ---the tax on sugar sweetened beverages ---restuarant calorie labeling ---nutrition standards for non-meal food in schools (snacks) -elimination of tax subsidy for advertising unhealthy foods to youth - The policies baring (Partial hydrogenation creates artificial trans fatty acids- Increases shelf life; substituted for saturated fats) trans fats reduced the level of consumption of trans fats Associated with inflammation, coronary heart disease, type-2 diabetes, etc. ---Replacing trans with saturated fats may actually reduce health risks... **Level of consumption of trans fats in latter half of 20th century were unprecedented in humankind - Food industry has been incentivized to stop using trans fats: ---Mandatory disclosure of information on nutrition labels ---Health-conscious consumers eventually shape diet for everyone ---Lawsuits & liability issues Threat of lawsuit makes industries want to alter product content\ ---Banning ingredients (Denmark, NYC) Competition!
Discuss potential policy and societal implications of having a food insecure population that is also overweight/obese
- USDA does not identify food insecurity with hunger ----Contentious point between dominant political parties - Same USDA survey data found: ----Virtually no food insecure adults are underweight ----Of adult men experiencing food insecurity, 70% were overweight or obese ----Of adult women experiencing food insecurity, 30% were overweight and 45% were obese ---Policy implications of this: Would reductions in poverty lead to reductions in childhood obesity? Gundersen asked. Absolutely yes, he said, citing a variety of research results (Miech et al., 2006; Phipps et al., 2006; Shrewsbury and Wardle, 2008; Singh et al., 2008). "If we got rid of poverty, we'd definitely make a huge dent in the level of obesity in the country." More importantly, poverty is a very serious problem in the United States, and "eliminating it would be good in and of itself." An increasing amount of work has convincingly demonstrated that reducing stress also would lead to reductions in childhood obesity (Sweeting et al., 2005; Crossman et al., 2006; Gibson et al., 2007; Zeller et al., 2007; Koch et al., 2008; Garasky et al., 2009; Van Jaarsveld et al., 2009; Stenhammar et al., 2010). Yet would reducing food insecurity lead to reductions in childhood obesity? No, replied Gundersen. There are many reasons for eliminating food insecurity, but reducing obesity is not one of those reasons. "We should eliminate food insecurity for other reasons." SNAP has been extraordinarily effective in alleviating food insecurity and poverty (Gundersen and Oliveira, 2001; Van Hook and Balistreri, 2006; Gundersen and Kreider, 2008; DePolt et al., 2009; Gundersen et al., 2009b; Nord and Golla, 2009). To the extent that SNAP further reduces poverty, it will reduce childhood obesity, Gundersen remarked. However, if its only effect is to reduce food insecurity, according to the existing research, it will not have an effect on obesity. "Without a doubt, SNAP plays a huge role in our efforts in society to relieve obesity because it reduces poverty and because it reduces stress," said Gundersen. Yet the fact that SNAP leads to reductions in food insecurity will not have an impact on obesity, he concluded.
Describe the elements that comprise "food safety" and major stakeholders
- food safety is comprised of foodborne illnesses, toxic chemical additives, pesticide residues etc. - Dietary Guidelines for Americans focus on food borne illnesses - Environmentalists and agriculture advocates focus on chemicals and new technologies
Describe health and behavioral effects of food insecurity
- increased risks of some birth defects, anemia, lower nutrient intakes, cog- nitive problems,9 and aggression, anxiety, higher risks of being hos- pitalized8 and poorer general health and with having asthma, behavioral problems, depression, suicide ideation, and worse oral health -food-insecure children are at least twice as likely to report being in fair or poor health and at least 1.4 times more likely to have asthma, compared to food-secure children -food- insecure seniors have limitations in activities of daily living comparable to those of food-secure seniors fourteen years older - anxiety about food sufficiency or shortage of food in the house - reduced quality, variety, or desirability of diet but not necessarily reduced food intake - multiple indications of disrupted eat- ing patterns and reduced food intake
Brainstorm the kinds of policies needed to better both individual and population-level health
- more funding for food safety
The consequences of too much titanium dioxide
- the ability of small intestine cells to absorb nutrients and act as a barrier to pathogens is signifianctly decreased after chronic exposure to TD -- symptoms: - makes iron, zinc, fatty acids more difficult to absorb - intestinal barrier weakened - metabolism slowed - inflammation signals increased
The Goals of the Uruguay Round of GATT/WTO talks
-to reduce agricultural subsidies -to lift restrictions on foreign investment -to begin the process of opening trade in services like banking and insurance. -to include the protection of intellectual property -They also wanted to draft a code to deal with copyright violation and other forms of intellectual property rights.
Describe the emissions-regulatory cycle as it pertains to contaminants and pollutants
1. Emissions Combustion Agriculture 2. Transport & Transformation 3. Deposition Surface Airways 4. Regulation
How to free of political influence
1. Identify hazard 2. Dose-response assessment/hazar characterization (models are very important) 3. Exposure assessment 4. Risk characterization
Explain how US food production can potentially hurt and/or benefit the environment
1. Pesticides used on crops: Pesticides & associated breakdown products are readily mobilized through air, water, & sediment pathways Result: potential exposure of non-target organisms, including humans, to acute and/or chronic toxicity conditions Assessing environmental toxicity is difficult: Mixtures of pesticide compounds products degrade at varying concentrations No real comprehensive pesticide database exists (except California) Type & amount of pesticides used by food system are driven by: Food marketing standards & consumer demands Varying pest pressure Human health issues for workers & consumers Detection of pesticide or breakdown compounds in various environmental media Increased use of crops with both natural and engineered resistance to pests Example: aquatic toxicity & human health concerns attributed to chlorpyrifos resulted in a shift away from these insecticides and to pyrethrin insecticides Faster degradation Lower mammalian toxicity characteristics BUT: fish cannot metabolize pyrethrin; fatal to bees 2. Chlorpyrifos What is it? Insecticide used on corn, soybeans, broccoli, apples, and other row crops, in greenhouses, and other places Estimated 44,000 farms use about 6-10mil lbs/year Why would it be banned? Belongs to same chemical family as sarin gas works by attacking nervous system Given Chlorpyrifos' toxicity, EPA requires workers who handle it to wear additional PPE (including respirators) and restrict entry into treated field for 1-5 days What is the evidence for chronic health effects? Children: increased risk of low birth weight, autism, & delayed developmental/ cognitive effects Adults: increased risk of lung cancer and autoimmune disorders What has happened / is happening? - 2007: environmental groups petition EPA to ban use in agriculture - EPA does nothing - Groups approached courts, which order EPA to rule on petition by 03/2017 - Scott Pruitt makes the ruling; no ban
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans were actually released in this year...oops
2016
The system of food production that ranges from development of seeds to marketing and sale of food products
Agribusiness
Describe agroecology & other food movements outlined in readings
Agroecology: promotes small-scale farming attuned to local ecosystems; set of agronomic techniques plus a political, social, & transformative process Offers tools that give people the right to define their own food & ag systems, & the policies that affect those systems Example: community-supported agriculture Globalization of food production has created physical & psychological distance b/n consumers & farmers (between what we eat & where it comes from). Food arrives packaged in supermarkets with little trace of rural origins. More people are questioning this dominant food system; they are critical of how industrialized food is produced/ how little we know about it. A growing movement is working to change the way we produce/consume food trying to make food systems more socially-just, environmentally-friendly, & independent. Agroecology approach imitates & optimizes natural processes by using local resources effectively, & recycling nutrients/energy on farm. "Community supported agriculture" offers an alternative to buying food in supermarket. Consumers & producers come together & plan what to grow on farm. The harvest/risks are shared. Consumers are co-producers; cover part of production risk, enter into long-term purchase commitments, & pay fair prices. In Europe, ~2,800 such initiatives supply half a million people with food. Ex: smallholder movement AMAP in France has attracted huge membership: farmers sign contracts to supply customers over a period of several months with food. SRI practiced by 10 million smallholder farms in 50+ countries Yields 47% higher than in conventional farming Maintains soil fertility long-term Instead of continuous monoculture, farmers grow several crops at same time Provides different sources of food/income & reduces risk of crop failure Agroecological methods are well-suited to small farmers as they are adapted to local conditions. The System of Rice Intensification is an example of the agroecological approach. Rice seedlings are transplanted at a wide spacing to promote root growth. Instead of continuous flooding, the paddies are inundated intermittently to a shallow depth; weeds are controlled mechanically.
As a result of industrial agriculture, we (the world) lost: a. Crop diversity b. Nutritional diversity c. Habitat diversity d. All of the above
All of the above
As mentioned in the Unnevehr & Jagmanaite article, pressures/incentives for food manufacturers to reduce (or eliminate) trans fats in foods included: a. the threat of lawsuits b. changing nutrition labels c. outside regulation of product formulations d. All of the above
All of the above
The 2014 Farm Bill includes policies on which of the following areas: -Crop insurance -Nutritional assistance -Subsidies and commodity support -All of the above
All of the above
Identify the greatest environmental issues/challenges we are currently facing, including food waste Note: this relates to the social, economic, legal, and policy examples discussed in lecture/your readings
Availability & quality of these natural resources is influenced by: Human decisions Natural disasters Weather Climate change Depletion/Replenishment of Natural Resources -Soil Erosion most important land degradation process in agriculture US has lost considerable amounts of topsoil from croplands, but crop yields have generally increased over the past century Technological advances, more intensive use of fertilizers Future implications: soil quality must be maintained or improved - Water Irrigation issues: need balance between water use and replenishment Relatively inefficient irrigation systems used for much of US cropland Innovations? Soil- and plant-moisture-sensing devices Commercial irrigation-scheduling services Simulation models that help producers with irrigation decisions - A broad-spectrum pesticide applied to a crop during production may have significant adverse impacts on non-target pollinating insects in both farmed and non-farmed areas of the ecosystem - food waste ---- 40% of food in america does not get eaten Greenhouse gas- methane (10x more potent than carbon monoxide) - huge climate change issue
In 2015, North Carolina earned the most money from sale of this 'sizzling' type of poultry, raised specifically for meat production
Broilers
Synthesize overarching course concepts to describe the global food system, including material on: The role of corporations: - Retailing
Biggest grocery chains are based in US & Europe, but expanding throughout world Food retailers have become influential gatekeepers of food trade choose which suppliers can sell through their stores & what types of food consumers can buy there Increasingly influential conditions under which food is produced The bigger the market share, the more control the supermarket chain has over food distribution. It can extract preferential terms from suppliers, and it can boost its own margins. Pressure on suppliers is exacerbated by unfair buying practices: suppliers have to pay retailers for shelf space and contribute to the cost of opening new stores and advertising. The suppliers in turn pass on this pressure back up the supply chain to producers. In producing countries, suppliers oblige their workers to work longer hours for less pay. At the same time, these practices strengthen their power, as small-scale producers and family farms are muscled out of the market. They cannot hope to compete by volume.
'Happy cows' come from this state, our nation's largest dairy producer
California
What does cardiometabolic risk mean?
Cardiometabolic risk refers to your chances of having diabetes, heart disease or stroke. It is important to know what your level of risk is. Knowing how to decrease your risk can help you live a longer, healthier life. -How does cardiometabolic risk affect me? Heart disease is the leading cause of death in people with mental illness. People with mental illness also have high rates of diabetes, which can lead to many other health problems. Lowering your cardiometabolic risk can help prevent more serious health problems down the road. - What can change my cardiometabolic risk? Many things increase your cardiometabolic risk. Some of these cannot be changed. For example, as you get older your risk increases. Men also have higher risks than women. However, the good news is that there are risks you can change. Healthy lifestyle changes can be important ways to lower your risk. Your doctor can help you find a program that works for you. Lifestyle changes that can help include: Quitting smoking; Losing weight; Eating a healthier diet; and, Exercising regularly. A combination of lifestyle changes and medical treatments can help even more, especially if you have: High blood pressure; High blood sugar; Abnormal blood cholesterol; or, Are taking certain mental health medicines. - use 6 variables to characterize CR? ---BMI (weight (kg) divided by height (meters squared)) --- circulating high-sensitivity C-reaction protein (CRP) level- a mark of inflammation ---Blood pressure: this shows how hard your heart has to pump to circulate blood. Controlling your blood pressure is a good way to lower your chances of having heart problems down the road. ---Blood Cholesterol: this is a fat that circulates in your blood. Having a certain amount of cholesterol is normal, but if your HDL ("good" cholesterol) is too low, or your LDL ("bad" cholesterol) is too high, there are medications you can take. Exercising and changing your diet can also help. ---Waist circumference: this is the distance measured around your waist at the level of your hip bones. People who gain weight around the waist are more likely to develop diabetes and heart disease than people who put on weight in other areas of the body. ---Blood Sugar: this circulates in your blood and provides the fuels your body needs. Everyone needs a certain amount of sugar in their blood, but having too much can increase your risk for diabetes.
What is the bacteria that may survive in food greater than 160 F?
Clostridium bacteria- produce heat resistant spore --killed only at temps above boiling point --which is why canned food must be cooked to high temp as part of canning process
This company founded the Global Energy Balance Network and spent $120mil on research that casted doubt on evidence linking health risks to Sugar Sweetened Beverages (SSBs)
Coca Cola
Summarize the results of the Siegel et al. study
Conclusion: better alignment of ag & nutritional policies could improve health Suggestion: shift subsidies to F&V What are your suggestions? How can you best apply population-level health policies to optimize equitable health outcomes across the entire socioeconomic gradient?
Identify agriculture-related contaminants and pollutants
Contaminants include: -Nutrients -Pesticides -Pharmaceuticals -Pathogens -Gases and inhalants -Soil sediment (including the chemicals and organisms it may contain) *When a contaminant reaches pollutant levels, it leads to degradation of water, soil, air, or habitat & to potential consequences on human health
'Arid' name for an area in which people have inadequate food retail access
Food desert
BMI
Derived from mass and height of individual Review: cutoffs for underweight, normal weight, overweight, & obese "Severe obesity" [for adults]: BMI > 40, or 100lbs heavier than ideal weight
Every year, appropriations committees within Congress pass spending bills for these kinds of programs, like WIC
Discretionary programs
The round of World Trade Organization talks named for this city started in 2001 and is still unfinished
Doha
This food manufacturing process adds back equal amounts of nutrients lost in original processing
Enrichment
One of the only victories of the 2001 round, WTO members agreed to eliminate this trade policy for agricultural products, as it discourages domestic sales and causes inflation
Export subsidies
Global rules for intellectual property protection did not include legally protecting seeds from being replicated/sold without compensation. True False
False
Over the most recent decade between 2007-2008 and 2015-2016, significant increases in obesity and severe obesity prevalence persisted among both adults and children. True False
False
Severe obesity is a "non-issue" for Medicaid expenditures. True False
False
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans specifically recommend limiting red meat intake. True False
False
The government can manipulate prices in the free market to help and protect farmers from economic hardship. True False
False
The growth of support for US school nutrition programs was greatly affected by scientific studies conducted in the early 1900s which demonstrated that school lunch participation improved school performance. True False
False
The presence of McDonald's in Hong Kong has entirely stripped the area of its cultural food traditions. True False
False
[Today], people eat outside of the home less than they did 50 years ago. True False
False
The Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1933, better known as the first 'this', aimed to reduce ag surpluses resulting from the Great Depression and closed export markets
Farm Bill
Most food consumed in the US is manufactured; thus, it's no surprise that these individuals receive the smallest amount of a consumer's dollar
Farmers
Sustainability was important in the new Dutch dietary guidelines; they reduced recommended consumption of this food, as environmental concerns outweighed small health benefits
Fish
The trade strategies of low- and middle-income countries were initially blamed for this global event, which occurred in 2008
Food price crisis
This broad agricultural industry receives almost no traditional subsidies or government interventions...sigh
Fruits and vegetables
Distinguish between chemicals and food additives that are GRAS vs. non-GRAS
GRAS (generally recognized as safe) -developed so that producers would not be forced to conduct unnecessary safety tests for many long-acceppted food additives ---ex: vinegar, pepper, and other spices Controversial GRAS additives: salt and titanium dioxide Not-GRAS - some food and color additives , environmental contaminants, veterinary drugs, GMO ..? --Pesticides - used to control weeds, prevent mold/fungi, protect against insects, etc. - major concern for farm workers, pregnant women, and children ---EPA sets tolerances for amount of residue that may be found on food ------some pesticides have no tolerance ---Collects data through USDA's Pesticide Data Program to assess consumer exposure to pesticides ------Most F&V have some residues (quite small) ------No information on which detections represent the greatest danger ---spinosad - an organic pesticide
This agreement, signed in Geneva during a 1947 UN conference, ultimately led to the World Trade Organization
General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade
United Fruit's successful lobbying of the US federal government led to a 1954 invasion and coup in this Central American country
Guatemala
Strawberry growers in Florida perceive labor shortages as a major threat to industry, but are largely unwilling to use this federal work visa program
H-2A
It's not 'difficult'; tight restrictions dictate how much of this money lobbyists can give to individual candidates
Hard money
This 2010 act, championed by Michelle Obama, required students to choose either a fruit or vegetable at every school meal
Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act
Monsanto's Round-Up Ready seeds are genetically modified to be resistant to these
Herbicides
Define and describe hunger, and how each is (or is not) determined
Hunger: uneasy or painful sensation caused by lack of food; may produce malnutrition over time -USDA does not identify food insecurity with hunger Contentious point between dominant political parties
This trade policy intervention is a non-tariff barrier that limits the quantity of a particular good coming into the country
Import Quota
Discretionary programs
In public finance, discretionary spending is government spending implemented through an appropriations bill. This spending is an optional part of fiscal policy, in contrast to entitlement programs for which funding is mandatory and determined by the number of eligible recipients.
This type of agriculture describes modern farming methods that depend on fertilizers and pesticides, major transportation systems, and machine technology
Industrial (agriculture)
Pesticides, fertilizer, feed, and fuel are examples of these, used at the very beginning of agricultural production
Inputs
As a result of the biotechnology revolution, food manufacturing now includes the production of genetically-modified seeds which are protected by this type of patent
Intellectual Property (IP)
Understand the complexities and challenges of federal food safety oversight, and where we stand today
January 2011: FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) signed into law by President Obama - aims to ensure US food supply is safe by shifting focus of federal regulators from responding to contamination to preventing it February 2015: Obama administration sought to combine food safety entities into "Food Safety Administration," which would become part of Dept. of Health and Human Services (DHHS) May 2015: Congressional Budget Office reported that Congress gave the FDA less than half of the $580 million that it should have had over four years
These acts, once used to encourage westward expansion, later allowed for the creation of colleges using proceeds from the federal government
Land Grant Acts
Describe who is at greatest (& least) risk of food insecurity on a global scale
Least at risk: North America, Europe, Australia Most at risk: Africa, Afghanistan, Haiti,
What are the two foodborne illnesses that can grow at refrigeration and freezing temps?
Listeria monocytogenes and Yersinia enterocolitica
This company banded together with other retailers to stop buying meat raised on Amazonian soy products.
McDonalds
Which of the following industries generate the MOST value added from manufacturing in the US? -Dairy industry -Sugar industry -Meat industry -Alcoholic beverage industry
Meat industry
The Green Revolution started as a way to help this country transform its agricultural productivity
Mexico
The name of this popular board game is also a term that describes a situation in which a single seller dominates the market
Monopoly
Now known for other products, this chemical company was involved in the research and development of nuclear weapons for the US
Monsanto
Understand requirements of the NSLA & what schools receive in return
NLSA Requirements: - serve nutritious lunches that meet requirements consistent with Dietary Guidelines; - provide a program accessible to all children regardless of ability to pay, handicap, race, or gender - maintain records to support use of funds - comply with safety & sanitation requirements - use USDA commodities effectively Local school districts receive: - Reimbursement for meals - Guaranteed level of commodity support - Technical assistance (training & materials)
This 1946 act allowed for needy families and districts to become constructive outlets for USDA commodity surpluses
National School Lunch Act
Describe national and global obesity statistics
National obesity stats ~40% adults & ~20% youth are obese Still increasing among adults; stabilizing for youth Rate among highest in world $117+ billion/year in medical expenses - Among youth, obesity prevalence was 16.8% (95% CI, 14.2%-19.8%) in 2007-2008 and 18.5% (95% CI, 15.8%-21.3%) in 2015-2016. Based on the unadjusted model, there were no significant linear trends in the preva- lence of obesity or severe obesity overall, by sex or age group (P range = .17 to .78) (Table 1). - Obesity prevalence among children aged 2 to 5 years showed a quadratic trend (P = .04), decreasing from 10.1% in 2007-2008 to 8.4% in 2011-2012 and then increasing to 13.9% in 2015-2016. Adjusted overall linear and quadratic trends for obesity and severe obesity among youth aged 2 to 19 years remained nonsignificant. - In 2015-2016, the crude prevalence among adults overall was 39.8% (95% CI, 36.4%-43.2%) for obesity and 7.6% (95% CI, 6.5%-8.9%) for severe obesity. b Age at the time of interview. c P values for trends were calculated using regression models, with the 2-y survey cycles modeled as an orthogonal polynomial. - Models for overall trends and those for men and women additionally included age group (20-39, 40-59, and 60 y). Age-standardized prevalence of obesity among adults increased from 33.7% (95% CI, 31.5%-36.1%) in 2007-2008 to 39.6% (95% CI, 36.1%-43.1%) in 2015-2016 (P = .001) (Table 2). - Prevalence increased among women, and in adults aged 40 to 59 years and 60 years or older. The observed increases in men and adults aged 20 to 39 years did not reach statistical significance. There were no significant quadratic trends. - The adjusted model also showed a significant over- all linear trend for obesity among adults (P < .001; data not shown). Age-standardized prevalence of severe obesity in adults increased from 5.7% (95% CI, 4.9%-6.7%) in 2007-2008 to 7.7% (95% CI, 6.6%-8.9%) in 2015-2016 (P = .001). Prevalence increased in men, women, adults aged 20 to 39 years and 40 to 59 years. - There was no significant linear trend among adults 60 years and older. There were no significant quadratic trends. - obesity is among the top health and health care challenges of our time, having tripled in preva- lence since the 1980s - In the United States more than one in three adults have obesity, and about one in seven have severe obesity ---which is defined as having a body mass index (BMI) of 35.0kg/m2 or higher—meaning that the person is more than 100 pounds above a healthy body weight. - The overall prevalence of obesity appeared to plateau in the past several years. - However, severe obesity continued to increase in both children and adults - Rising obesity prevalence, combined with more intense treatments of diseases attributable to obesity, explained up to 27 percent of the inflation-adjusted growth in US health care spending in the period - The latest published estimates using 2006 data suggested that obesity may be responsible for 6.7-10.7% of health care spending and that it imposes substantial cost burdens on the Medicare and Medicaid programs. - As noted earlier,23 obesity-attributable spend- ing is higher among women than among men, and it increases dramatically by age for both sexes - In the fifty states and the District of Columbia, we estimated that 81.5 million adults had obesity. - Of these, 33.7 million (41 percent) had severe obesity - In 2013, severe obesity was associated with $69 billion of total medical costs across all payers (Exhibit 2), which accounted for 60 percent of the total costs from all levels of obesity
This element, critical to the formation of plant cell walls, is also a major component of fertilizer
Nitrogen
The Uruguay Round of GATT/WTO talks aimed to: a. increase domestic subsidies in both developed and b.developing countries c. increase tariffs and taxes on imports, thereby restricting quantity of imports d. increase "dumping" for food aid e. None of the above were aims of the Uruguay Round
None of the above were aims of the Uruguay Round
According to the Wilde reading, ready-to-eat cereal manufacturers maintain barriers to entry [for other manufacturers] through employing which of the following market structure qualities? a. Vertical coordination with grain/oil seed farmers b. Competition c. Product differentiation/branding d. All of the above e. Only B & C
Only B & C
Lobbying against new school lunch policies was a success for this industry, although Congress was widely lampooned for considering 'it' a vegetable
Pizza
In a battle over school lunches, Rep. Susan Collins memorably asked the former USDA Secretary, 'What does the department have against' this crop, of which Maine is a major producer
Potatoes
List characteristics common to food insecure households
Poverty or low-income Having a disability Unemployment / lack of full-time employment / "blue collar employment" Single-mother / one-earner household status Renting or having moved in past year Lack of a college degree Being a grad student
'Purchase and removal' is a type of this government intervention, which maintains a price higher than what the market offers
Price support
Differentiate between private and distant benefits, and how those benefits may affect a producer's decision making
Private v. distant benefits - Private: enhanced soil fertility, better organic matter -Distant: climate or regional water quality regulation Effects on Decision Making - Costly to provide improvements without financial incentives & technical resources
'The more well-branded, the better' describes this key feature of the food manufacturing market structure
Product differentiation
The design of scientific research affects how results are interpreted. Which of the following research design issues is/are most central to Marion Nestle's critiques [in the chapters you read for today]? -The use of animal subjects instead of human subjects. -Issues with study response rate and representatives. -The use of observational studies (instead of experimental trials). - Research bias due to sponsorship.
Research bias due to sponsorship.
Distinguish between major nutrition assistance programs under FNS, and their income/citizenship eligibility requirements
SNAP: Foundation of USDA nutrition safety net; monthly benefit to households for purchase of various food items at authorized retailers - Citizen Required: U.S. Citizen or legal immigrant - Income limits: $2,297 /month 4-person household Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations: Alternative to SNAP; monthly food package to households living on or near reservations - No requirements - Income limits: $2,297 /month 4-person household School Breakfast Program: Nutritionally-balanced breakfasts daily - Citizenship/Income: No requirements - Income limits: $2,297 /month 4-person household School Lunch Program: Nutritionally-balanced lunches & snacks daily - Citizenship/Income: No requirements WIC: Monthly benefit to qualifying women, infants and children for purchase of specific foods to supplement their diets - Income limits: $3,268 /month 4-person household Summer Food Service Program: Daily meals & snacks to children in low-income areas during summer & other school vacations - Citizenship: No requirements - Income limits: Geographic areas with half of families <185% FPG Child & Adult Care Food Program: Daily meals & snacks to children in daycare, emergency shelters & after school programs - Citizenship:No requirements The Emergency Food Assistance Program: Food commodities delivered to food banks & then through shelters/food pantries to families as available - Citizenship/Income: No requirements - Income Limits: Shelter and pantry user
The 1972 grain crisis in this bloc depleted western surpluses
Soviet Union
The Heartland of the United States produces most of our country's corn and this specific oil seed
Soybean
Along with other factors, this kind of financial betting was associated with volatility of food prices in 2007-08
Speculation
Discuss how the 2014 Farm Bill affected the environment and conservation efforts
Streamlined existing conservation programs; cut funding by $4 billion over 10-yr period Most cuts slated to take place after 2018...after new Farm Bill will take effect ~$208mil cut from Conservation Reserve Programs Goals: improve water quality, prevent erosion, reduce wildlife habitat losses Estimated to provide $1.3bil in environmental benefits Reduced amount of acres covered in enrollment of program Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and Conservation Stewardship Programs (CSP) will continue, but funding rates will be slower Provide financial/technical assistance [& incentives] to producers who adopt new or maintain conservation practices Documents available that describe priority concerns for different areas Environmental benefits expected to grow over time Reduced conservation easements Less conservation acreage involved because purchasing ag lands has proven difficult... Permanent contracts Compliance programs: to be eligible for assistance or crop insurance through other programs, one must comply with conservation provisions Decreased payment(s) otherwise Highly erodible land and wetlands Prairie Pothole Region, Florida, Louisiana Farm Bill plays a primary role in addressing conservation efforts on ag land Total spending on voluntary conservation efforts has grown relative to previous decades Priorities shifting
Little advertising is done for this homogeneous commodity; however, processing adds to its value and popularity...sweet!
Sugar
Name for the government intervention used to reduce the quantities of crops planted or sold
Supply control
This state receives the largest amount of farm subsidies, due to its involvement in grain/oilseed and cattle industries
Texas
The Doha Round
The Doha Round is the latest round of trade negotiations among the WTO membership. Its aim is to achieve major reform of the international trading system through the introduction of lower trade barriers and revised trade rules. The work programme covers about 20 areas of trade. The Round is also known semi-officially as the Doha Development Agenda as a fundamental objective is to improve the trading prospects of developing countries. The Round was officially launched at the WTO's Fourth Ministerial Conference in Doha, Qatar, in November 2001. The Doha Ministerial Declaration provided the mandate for the negotiations, including on agriculture, services and an intellectual property topic, which began earlier. In Doha, ministers also approved a decision on how to address the problems developing countries face in implementing the current WTO agreements.
Using lobbying, the Florida sugar industry beat back a voter-approved amendment that would have forced it to pay for cleaning up its own runoff into this national park and wildlife region
The Everglades
Agricultural subsidies and price supports in the US largely grew from this economic crisis, which lasted from 1929-1939
The Great Depression
This organization estimates that the worldwide demand for food will increase by 60% by 2050.
The United Nations
What was the answer to the mystery of the Eleven Blue Men.
They ask the cook how he made the oatmeal that morning and he explains how he uses dry cereal, water and a handful of salt. The cereal is a generic brand and the water is municipal; these are ruled out as sources of the poison, as more people would be sick if this were the case. That leaves the salt. On the same shelf as the can of salt is another can full of white grains. The doctors ask the chef what this is; he responds that this is saltpetre, used to preserve meats. Its main component is sodium nitrate. The chef also mentions that once, he accidentally refilled the salt can with saltpetre, before realising his mistake and replacing the saltpetre with the real salt. After testing the saltpetre, they find that instead of sodium nitrate, the can contains sodium nitrite. This minor difference is almost unnoticeable, as they both look and taste just like table salt. Both are used to preserve meat, but the levels present in food are closely monitored. However, sodium nitrite is extremely toxic. The can of salt in the kitchen still contained some grains of the sodium nitrite when the chef refilled it with salt. This in itself was not enough to poison the men; otherwise many other men would have gotten sick that day. The men must have received a second dose from somewhere. The doctors realise that some people like to put salt on their oatmeal. The extra sodium nitrite in the salt in a table saltcellar could provide this. They test the saltcellars and find one that contains enough to poison the men. If all the men had used this saltcellar, this could be the cause of their poisoning. Unfortunately, the men have all left the hospital by the time the doctors get back to confirm their hypothesis. It is left uncertain how they got poisoned, but they also mention that they may all have used a lot of salt because heavy drinkers have a low blood salt concentration.
Toxins sensitivity to heat
Toxins produced by bacteria vary in their sensitivity to heat - staphylococcal toxin not inactivated even if boiled - Botulinum toxin completely inactivated by boiling
Cargill is a transnational corporation that specializes in this particular segment of agribusiness
Trade and Processing
According to the Clapp text, investments must be made in technology and agriculture to achieve major productivity gains and a better-managed world food economy, True False
True
All US school-aged children may participate in school meals programs, regardless of income status. True False
True
Because commodity subsidies are federally-funded, taxpayers pay for both the production of foods made from those commodities and potential downstream health expenditures related to consumption of these foods. True False
True
Food companies/industry exert influence on government nutrition policy by lobbying policymakers. True False
True
In general, the liberalization of agricultural trade led to uneven rules that disadvantaged small farmers in developing countries. True False
True
Supercenters and warehouse stores are often called "big-box outlets" because of their physically large spaces. True False
True
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020 version includes recommendations based on overall eating patterns (rather than just individual nutrients). True False
True
The concept of "fair trade" emerged in response to the collapse of world prices for coffee that left smallholder coffee farmers in the developing world without sufficient income. True False
True
The majority of research examining food insecurity and its effects on health outcomes has concentrated on children. Which of the following health effects/diseases is NOT associated with food insecurity in children? a. Depression b. Cognitive issues/delayed learning capacity c. Type-1 diabetes d. Anemia
Type-1 diabetes
Describe how competition may affect food and obesity policies
Unnevehr & Jagmanaite, 2008 -Food industry moved FAST Reformulation/replacement spurred innovation & increased competition among food companies - It is feasible to change product composition, if there is enough outcry or pushback - Ultimately, trans fats were taken off "generally recognized as safe" list ----partly due to consumer pushback - Information policy can create new areas of competition within the food industry Sets precedent for other unhealthy nutrients/molecules No guarantee that food is healthy, though...
Often used with 'coordination' or 'integration', this directional term describes the extent to which firms in one industry control decisions in other industries
Vertical coordination
Growing number of people organizing themselves & changing buying habits to alter food/ag value chain Is this enough to end hunger and poverty? Combat obesity and nutrition-related chronic disease? Protect the environment? What can we do to reorient our food system?
We can put through common sense policies - subsidizing fruits and vegetables - education pop. on how to prevent food waste -make sustainability common place and make policies that give businesses incentives to be more sustainable - teach people how to cook, garden, how to make healthy choices at the store
Synthesize overarching course concepts to describe the global food system, including material on: Farming and agricultural practices - Industrialization, mechanization, technology
We live in a global agrifood system corporations at center How? Farm work mechanized; Agrochemicals invented/marketed; Trains, ships, & ports revolutionized transport; New technologies improved preservation & storage of food; Free trade removed tariff barriers; Futures markets overcame capital shortages by selling crops (even before seed had been put in ground) First large agricultural corporations with a global reach emerged for a range of reasons, both technological and institutional. The list of the world's largest 500 companies by turnover contains a huge number of firms engaged in agriculture and food: firms that have carved up big chunks of the sector among themselves. Contrast that with farmers and farm workers on the other. Handful of global corporations now organizes world's ag & food consumption patterns Only 1 of top agrifood trade/industrial firms comes from developing world (a meat producer from Brazil) Sector is basis of livelihoods for many millions of farmers & farm workers (who are among poorest people in the world) In developing world, growth of the middle class is changing tastes & diets Greater demand for processed foods, meat products *The trend continues towards a further concentration of power. - Soil fertility important to farmers: replenish nutrients removed through harvest. 3 main nutrients: N, P, K found in manure, crop residues & animal/veg materials. Mineral fertilizers also contain them, but different sources: P & K mined from rock. Synthetic N produced through chemical process. Invention of mineral fertilizers made industrialized ag possible first in Europe & North America, then developing countries. K & P deposits, as well as natural gas used to produce N fertilizer, are unevenly distributed steers international trade. - Post Green Revolution World Fertilizer: billion-dollar business Production of artificial fertilizers extremely energy-intensive Fertilizer prices tied to gas & oil prices Synthetic Nitrogen produced mainly in North America, India, China, Russia, Middle East, Australia, & Indonesia 80% of K comes from Canada, Israel, Russia, Belarus, & Germany
As part of the Green Revolution, Norman Borlaug crafted dwarf varieties of this crop so that it would not bend in the wind or touch the ground
Wheat
Synthesize overarching course concepts to describe the global food system, including material on: The role of corporations - Trade, processing, and manufacturing
Wheat, corn, & soybeans are most important ag raw materials traded worldwide Market situation, quality & price determine whether these commodities are sold as foodstuffs, biofuels, or animal feed ABCD group dominates both import & export of ag commodities; trade declining in importance in favor of processing Example: ADM operates largest oilseed processing/refining complex in Europe; turns rapeseeds & soybeans into margarines, glycerine, & biodiesel The next most important global commodities of this type are sugar, palm oil and rice. Vertical integration (combination of 2 or more stages of production in one firm has become increasingly important "We are the flour in your bread, wheat in your noodles, salt on your fries. We are the corn in your tortillas, chocolate in your dessert, sweetener in your soft drink. We are the oil in your salad dressing & the beef/pork/chicken you eat for dinner. We are cotton in your clothing, backing on your carpet, & the fertilizer in your field."- Cargill Directly & indirectly responsible for setting standards, including those that are environmental & social Examples: Good: in Brazil, indigenous Guaraní communities accused Bunge of buying sugarcane produced on stolen land Bunge did not renew contracts with suppliers Bad: several British & US retail chains have refused to purchase Uzbek merchandise in protest against forced child labor on cotton plantations Cargill still major buyer of Uzbek cotton but sells it elsewhere Fewer, ever larger, global players compete to control the food industry of the 21st century. Even top food manufacturers are coming under pressure from international supermarket chains. Competition is intense, and markets in the US and Europe are saturated. This drives food corporations to expand into emerging markets and developing countries. The 50 largest food manufacturers account for 50 percent of global sales. Manufacturers aim to expand into new markets because of the price pressure of retail chains. From the farmer to the final consumer - collaborating with other actors of the supply chain is of strategic importance. Food manufacturers link up with upstream actors, including large commodity traders, and downstream food retailers. The focus of competition is shifting: from one firm versus another, to one supply chain versus another.
Reversal and modification of the process to make fertilizer created high-powered explosives and chemical weapons that extended this war by 3 years
World War I
titanium dioxide
a common food additive used in: - chewing gum - chocolates - donuts/other breads - powdered sugar - Mayonnaise - skim milk - toothpaste - white pigmentation for paints, paper, plastics - Active ingredient in sunscreens to block UV light
Define and describe nutrition security and how each is (or is not) determined
an environment that encourages & motivates society to make food choices consistent with good health
A 2014 study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences estimated that, among the different kinds of livestock, _________________ have the worst environmental impact. chickens cattle pigs goats
cattle
This industry is given few subsidies by the US government, but is successful due to lack of competition from international markets
cattle
7 major subsidized food
corn, soy, beans, wheat, rice, sorghum, dairy, and livestock
How do you kill microbes in food using heat?
heat food to an internal temp of greater than 160 F (78C) for even just a few seconds - this is sufficient to kill parasites, viruses, or bacteria
Define and describe food insecurity and how each is (or is not) determined
if a household "had difficulty at some time during the year providing enough food for all their members due to a lack of resources" - Household food insecurity: limited or uncertain availability of food, or limited/uncertain ability to acquire acceptable foods in socially acceptable ways ----found by totaling the number of households that are low or very low food secure and dividing by the total number of households in the population. - How it FI is Determined: --The Current Population Survey's Food Security Supplement asks households with children 18 questions about food actions taken because of a lack of resources, including: 1. Being worried that food would run out before getting money to buy more 2. Cutting the size of meals 3. Skipping meals 4. Not eating for an entire day --Households without children asked 10 questions Answering "yes" to 3-5 questions is low food secure and 6+ is very low food secure
The 2014 Farm Bill introduced Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage as a type of this for farmers
insurance
Necessary for the success of the Green Revolution, 2/3 of worldwide water use is devoted to this
irrigation
According to the 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, this broad category is the most common food source of saturated fats
mixed dishes
Identify common pathogens and the "most dangerous" food sources of foodborne illnesses
most common pathogens: Norovirus-complex foods salmonella- poultry , campylobacter- poultry (all infectious, while other common types are poisonings) most dangerous food sources: poultry, meat (beef, game, pork) , dairy, leafy greens. (?)
These organizations, covered by 501c3 tax codes, have limited lobbying and political activities
non-profits
Risk management
process for deciding appropriate policy responses to hazards
Give examples of opportunities for food to become contaminated throughout the production, processing, and preparation processes
products processed unsanitary conditions, insect/rodent infestations, - filter feeding selfish strain microbes from sea over many months -pathogens present in any one animals may contaminate a whole batch --- a singler hamburger may contain meat from hundreds of animals -broiler carcass can be exposed to drippings and juices of thousands of other birds that went through same cold water tank post-slaughter - FFV irrigated contaminated water - some types of salmonella can infect a hen's ovary so that the internal content of the eggs can be contaminated before the shell is formed -filter-feeding shellfish concentrate Vibrio bacteria or other microbes present in human sewage dumped into sea - food that is fully cooked can be recontaminated if it touches other raw foods/drippings that contain pathogens - shigella bacteria, hepatitis A virus, and Norovirus introduced by unwashed hands of food handlers (who are themselves infected)
Of grains used directly for food, wheat has the greatest total value in the US; in a distant second is this crop
rice
For cholesterol and cardiovascular health, the newest Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting these to less than 10% of calories per day
saturated fats
Risk Assessment
scientific methodology for determining population's level of risk from potential hazards
The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars, saturated & trans fats, and this other nutrient
sodium
The filtering of scientific research used to make the Dietary Guidelines for Americans are often based on this specific kind of study
systematic review
In response to a photo showing Pres. Eisenhower sweetening his coffee with saccharin, this industry responded with a national ad campaign (and hasn't stopped since)
the Sugar Industry
Describe how food composition—and the policies related to composition and reformulation—may affect obesity/our health
~77% sodium consumed is derived from salt added by manufacturers Single serving from new frozen/refrigerated meal item contains 28% of recommended maximum sodium intake/day Chicken (6.8%), pizza (6.3%), & pasta dishes (5.1%) Gradual reductions in sodium content found throughout product categories since 2009 < 6% of new products carried a "low/no/reduced" sodium package claim Whether or not manufacturers choose to identify products as lower sodium products depends, in part, on product type Salt reformulation - Taste --Drastic reductions-->taste changes-->lost sales - Cost --May require more time to develop lower sodium foods --Salt is relatively inexpensive; appealing substitutes may cost more --Also serves other functions: increases shelf life, prevents bacterial growth, improves texture & appearance --Additional costs of removing salt from some products National Academy of Medicine called for enhanced monitoring of sodium in packaged foods Voluntary initiatives include National Salt Reduction Initiative & sodium-reduction pledges by companies 2000-2014: despite reductions in sodium in packaged food purchases, most US households still bought foods & beverages with excessive sodium density - Policies can affect food composition without first influencing consumer preferences -Information policy can create new areas of competition within the food industry Sets precedent for other unhealthy nutrients/molecules No guarantee that food is healthy, though... Speed of policy change depends on extent of reformulation Adaptability of production practices Research & development - Efforts to reformulate foods to reduce trans fats can have substantial repercussions for public health/policy New items listed as having no trans fats contain statistically significantly less saturated fat than new products with trans fats Positive, but small correlation between saturated & trans fats in new items Conclusion: manufacturers have not compensated for reduced trans fats in by increasing saturated fat GLOBAL Obesity stats - Obesity has at least doubled in 73 countries since 1980 - Worldwide obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. - In 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults, 18 years and older, were overweight. - Of these over 650 million were obese. - 39% of adults aged 18 years and over were overweight in 2016, and 13% were obese. - Most of the world's population live in countries where overweight and obesity kills more people than underweight. - 41 million children under the age of 5 were overweight or obese in 2016. - Over 340 million children and adolescents aged 5-19 were overweight or obese in 2016. - Obesity is preventable.