Healthy Food is Expensive

Healthy Food is Expensive Food,

Or is it?

There is a myth that correlates to the triangle scheme above. You can have tasty healthy food, but if empty your pocket. You can get healthy cheaper food but it'll lack taste. The most common choice, cheap and tasty, which correlates to fast food. Everyone thinks fast food is cheap because "Oh, it's a dollar a burger."

 So lets say you bought a McChicken. The cost of buying a McChicken from McDonalds costs 1 dollar. The sandwich contains a single chicken patty, a plain bun, mayo, and a little bit of lettuce. The cost of McDonalds to make that would cost based on the charts below is the average cost of a McChicken for McDonalds seems to be about 50 cents. These two food cost charts were obtained by 2 bloggers from reddit who work for McDonalds.

 

That’s a 50 cent revenue for every dollar you spend for a McChicken. The sandwich itself packs 430 calories, which 48% of the calories comes from fats, it has 35% of daily sodium needed and had 35% of total fats needed per day.

Home cooked has always been a favorite of people, whether it’s working parents coming home, kids coming home, or college students visiting back home during a break. Regardless of who you are if have consumed enough outside food in a certain period of time you will be craving food that’s was cooked by yourself or close family members. Let’s say instead of buying a McChicken you wanted to make your own chicken sandwich from Wal-Mart and make it yourself. You will need at minimum what was in the McChicken: Lettuce, bun, mayo, and the chicken itself. I went to a local Wal-Mart and obtained the price and took a picture of the  nutritional label of each ingredient.

Since we're buying our own ingredients we can create our own version of the McChicken but in order to be comparable we would have to use the same ingredients. Let’s start off with the bun. A pack of 8 buns would cost $1.28 cents. Buns limit the number of sandwiches we can make, because there are only 8 buns. Each bun has 120 calories mostly coming from carbohydrates. You can also get other buns such as whole wheat or other specialty types, but I’m using the generic Wal-Mart buns because it is relatively cheap compared to other buns. College student will also favor the cheaper items over brand named groceries because they need to worry about their other financial expenditures. One might say the buns itself are more expensive than the McChicken. I wasn't finish. Below are other values from the nutritional label on the buns. 

We have two other ingredients, mayo and lettuce. The lettuce at Wal-Mart was pre-shredded romaine lettuce that had 7.5 ounces that is more than necessary for our chicken sandwiches. Let’s say a .75 ounce is needed to mimic the McChicken. It had 10 calories per every 3 ounces, which has almost zero contribution to the total calories of the sandwich.

              

The mayo chosen is a light mayo from Kraft. It is a lighter mayo so it will only have 35 calories and less fat. Also the quantity given is way too much for 8 sandwiches which will cause slightly higher cost per sandwich.

Now the where the controversy comes in, the actual chicken patty. Since both chicken patties came from a factory farm method of production, some say one couldn’t be better than the other. Although it could be true, we know that McDonald’s treats their food with heavy amounts of antibiotics and other things. There was recent scandal about the pink slime used in McDonald's Chicken The chicken patties from Tyson claims to be 100% natural and in the ingredients there isn’t any obscure ingredients in processed food like Thiamin Mononitrate or Maltodextrin which can be found in Totino’s Pizza Rolls. So we can assume it is the better half of the meat from factory farms. The chicken patty has 170 calories, 70 of those calories coming from fats. 

Now to bring it all together,

Product	Total Price	Number of servings from purchase	Price of 1 serving for the sandwich	Calories	Calories from fat
Buns	$1.28	8	.16 cents	120	15
Lettuce	$1.58	10	.158 cents	3.33	0
Kraft Light Mayo	$3.24	44	.074 cents	35	30
Tyson Chicken Patty	$3.97	10	.397	170	70

As you can see the price per serving is comparable to the charts of McDonalds food cost.

Now when you compare the Wal-Mart McChicken to the McChicken

	Total Price	Total price  for making 8 McChickens	Price Per Sandwich	Total Calories	Calories from fat	Percentage of calories from Fat
Store bought “McChicken”	$10.07	6.32	.79 cents	328.3	115	35%
McDonalds McChicken	$1.00	8.00	1.00	430	207	48%

According to the table, the store bought McChicken is cheaper per sandwich than the McChicken. It has the illusion of being expensive by the initial investment of ten dollars. With choosing the store bought McChicken, you'll cut calories and fat. With making your own McChicken you could lose time and convenience, but that depends on person to person. The McDonald's McChicken could have benefits if your running late somewhere and your hungry you can grab it every once in while. Like my mom always says, "Everything is good in moderation." When you go grocery shopping consider the label on there the price per ounce while buying groceries and know you are buying the cheaper and healthier option and tastier option.

Its not really what it seems...

 

 So I have always loved food and indulging in them no matter the cost. And like many others I began to struggle with my love of food as I grew older. Outside pressures from friends and peers had altered my view of myself. Along with television and magazines helped reinforce and piece together this “ideal” perfect body. It’s what I thought I had to be to be accepted, loved, and admired even. When I entered high school I could see this urge to be this way not only intensify in myself but in others around me as well. Therefore I was convinced this was normal and the feeling of want would subside and it would become so routine to the point that I would never being satisfied with what I had. I knew friends and friends of friends who then would experiment with odd diets such as; fasting, liquid diet, all meat diet, no meat diet, no carb diet, low calorie diet, slim fast, laxatives, all sugar diet and silly things like that. All of them were temporary fixes to slim down or shed a pound or two but none of them stuck. In fact the weight would come back with a fierce vengeance almost and you would be worse off than you started.

I learned things are not always as they seem from a glance. For example billboards and al the models on television were airbrushed and altered. Food in commercials didn’t look as good when you actually ordered it, and probably were not as wholesome as you thought. But it didn’t really matter to me as long as I knew the truth so I could make a decision based upon my own standards; like what to put on or into my body.I could watch how chicken nuggets are made and I have been told I will never want to eat another one again… but they are wrong. Okay, yes they threw the entire chicken in there, but in other countries people utilize every part of an animal and its okay to eat. I just think a lot of Americans are too sheltered and go into shock seeing the truth about how their food is made. But I had never been a picky eater growing up and I still am not. Never was I really worried about where my food came from or what was in it, I mean unless it could affect my health. I guess that would sound a little selfish to those who are against farm animal cruelty. But majority of people are the same way weather they are conscious about it or not… and would be hypocrites to deny it. I mean when someone goes out to eat, no matter how many animal abuse commercials or shows you have seen about how the animals were treated before they died, you don’t think about that ordering your food. And if you do it isn’t for long because food is food and meant to be eaten. It’s natural for us to farm these animals like crops because it’s what we live off of. We harvest them to our needs andlikes and when in demand they don’t live for long anyway.  When people order food they will think about the calories or how much fat is in it. They don’t look for “organic” labels for the love of the animals; they look for it because they think it’s more natural and better for their body’s benefit. We don’t want harmful chemicals or diseased food to go into our bodies so it’s understandable to be concerned in that aspect.  I believe strongly in this obviously and I don’t think I am sounding inhumane either because it’s natural for humans’ to kill animals and to eat meat. We need it to survive and no matter how they were treated or raised before they died people are still going to eat them. I don’t think if the animal was happy they would make my steak taste any better. And don’t get me wrong I just like any person can watch a documentary such as food inc. and say “awe that’s awful”, but honestly you’re just glad it’s not you. And about a minute later after feeling a little sad at what you had just witnessed you are going to eat a nice juicy burger from a cow like the one you just saw who couldn’t walk.

If you think about it the real people who are really cruel and inhumane are those who raise farm animal, grow attached to them and then kill them like its nothing to eat!  That is way more messed up if you think about it. Why would you grow to love something like a pet and then kill it? And I really thought about this after watching an episode of ’Wife Swap’  and two women switched families for two weeks, one was from a urban area and swapped with a woman from a very rural remote farm area. And the family in the rural area raised livestock and grew their own crop and that’s how they lived and survived, using their own animals for food. But what struck the urban house wife the most and I was the little boy, who had no friends at school, had grown attached to a goat on the farm, named it and called it his only friend. Later on when she asked him about the goat he told her that his goat would have to die soon because his mom and dad were going to kill him a cook him for a meal. This would be like telling your kid to accept that one day soon their pet dog will be on their dinner plate. It’s just wrong to have grown an attachment to an animal and then use them for food Instead of harvesting some animals like chickens to be bred solely for eating which is practically faster and more efficient.

My grandmother had also gone through a similar experience with animals when she was a little girl. Her family lived on a small farm area and they had just gooten a goose and her parents let them think it was a pet, so they named it and played with it and treated like it was part of the family. It may sound odd because it isnt a typical pet,but when you are a child you dont really know the difference. Well christmas rolled around and they looked out the window to see their mother strangling the goose, so they ran ouside screaming and crying. what they did not know was the goose was brought there to be fattened up so they could eventually eat it. and finally when it was cooked and put on the table, noone would eat or touch it because they wouldnt stop crying; so my grandmas step-dady ended up throwing it away because he felt guilty as well.

 

But overall society seems to have the last say in what is socially acceptable and construed as normal, in both food standards and beauty standards.Majority of the images we are shown in advertisements are photo shopped and majority of the population is unaware of this; Primarily young adults and children.The same goes for the Majority of food;which is not manufactured as wholesome and as healthy as majority of the population thinks either. By creating this false image and using it as the standard goal it makes it unrealistic and just about impossible to reach our goals without causing harm to ourselves.

 

Eating Fast Foods Occasionally, Not Daily

Fast Foods are Famous



Before I start, let’s watch a part of Super Size Me-kid’s opening song, filmed by Spurlock. Then, you will know how famous fast food restaurants are.



“Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut;

Pizza Hut, Pizza Hut, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut;

Mcdonald's, Mcdonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut;

Mcdonald's, Mcdonald's, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut.

I like food, I like food, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut; you like food, you like food, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and Pizza Hut” (Spurlock).

 

Are kids singing about three famous fast food restaurants? Yes, they are! Don't doubt about what you just see and hear.

Have you think about why fast food restaurants are so famous in the United Stated? Let me tell you, as a foreigner came from China.
First, let me show you what we eat in China.

Breakfast in Guangdong. Picture from Baidu.

Hot Pot. Picture from Weibo.

 Chinese Delicacies. Picture from Baidu.

 

Compare to Chinese foods, when I think about American foods, some words pop up in my mind without hesitation: French Fries, hamburgers, pizza, soft drinks, etc. In my point of view, American foods are equal fast foods.

Some people just eat fast foods as their snacks. However, some people eat fast foods as their normal meals. And some people even start eating fast food in the morning as their breakfast. There is a very famous British proverb: “Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, supper like a pauper.” If this is truth, I can’t accept that my day would start with fast food.

 

 

 

 Picture from McDonald's

 

Special Cases

 

However, when I did research online I found out some articles say about McDonald’s breakfast is healthy, especially for those who are in a rush. It’s unbelievable. Fast-food breakfast? Healthy? Sarah Dray explains how to separate the daily calories intake from three meals which “breakfast should contain about 25 percent of the total daily calories; on a 1500-calorie-per-day diet, the breakfast should be about 375”, and even most of the McDonald’s breakfast contain more than 400 calories. It’s still ok as long as you make adjustments to the rest of the day.

In Sarah Dray’s article, she says about the best choice and worst choice for McDonald’s breakfast. The best choice she believes is the sausage burrito because it only contains 300 calories and 16g fat (7g of saturated fat). See the table below.

 

If your really want to eat breakfast at McDonald's, then you should understand if there is a best choice, then there should be a worst choice. In Dray’s opinion, the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes is the worst choice in McDonald’s breakfast.

This Big Breakfast with Hotcakes contains 1090 calories, 56g fat, 2150 mg sodium, etc. 1090 calories? 2150 mg sodium? The daily calories intake for a woman is about 1940 and for a man is 2550. If a man eats the Big Breakfast with Hotcakes in the morning, he already intake half of the calories he needs on that day. It’s much more than 25 percentage of the daily calories. Also, the recommended sodium intake per day is 2300 mg. 2150 mg sodium for a breakfast is too much. Over intake of sodium won’t cause overweight, but will cause high blood pressure and hypertension which is not health.

 

 Besides McDonald's breakfast, I also found an article-Eating Healthy at McDonald's gives tips about how to eat healthy in McDonald's.
First, when you are trying to select a sandwich, think small. Such as a regular hamburger. A regular hamburger contains 250 calories compare to Angus CBO, Angus Bacon & Cheese and Angus Deluxe with 790 calories.







Second, a Happy Meal maybe a good choice for you, even you are not a kid. You have questions about this. Why? Because a Happy Meal is a well-balanced meal for eveyone. Such as this combination: A juicy hamburger with kids sized world famous fries, apple slices and your choice of fat free chocolate milk, low fat white milk or apple juice. This combination only contains 460 calories.

 Third, salads are always good choices.

After I researched about McDonald’s foods, I kind change my mind that it’s ok to eat fast foods but not for everyday. Eat fast foods when you are in a rush because fast foods can save your time.

 

 

Do I Eat Fast Foods?

Yes, I do eat fast foods. Just like what I said in the beginning, when I think about American foods, only fast foods pop up in my mind.

 

When do I eat fast foods? To be honest, I eat fast foods several times a week. For the most times, I can't make choice by myself to eat fast foods or not because the dinning service of my school does not provide a lot of choices per meal and fast foods are essential parts of every meal. Since I don't like uncooked vegetables (I count tomatos as fruits), I can't bear to eat only salads for a meal. Sometimes, fast foods are the only foods looks barely appetiting to me. I know eating fast foods are not healthy, but I have no chioce. So, I force myself to eat somethings I don't eat before, such as boiled radish and broccoli to keep my nutritions balance. See photos below.

Photo by Huiwen Xiao

Photo by Huiwen Xiao

Photo by Huiwen Xiao

Photo by Huiwen Xiao



 

Besides those times eating at Morrill Tradition (a dinning service of my school), I sometimes get fast foods from other restaurants. This may relate to my personal opinion: if there is no traditional Chinese foods, I would rather get some traditional American foods which are fast foods. But I did not do this frequently, just one time a week.

Photo by Huiwen Xiao

Photo by Huiwen Xiao

 



 

 

 

 

 

Fast Foods are Unhealthy.

 

As fast food companies become more and more famous, fast food restaurants are everywhere: gas station, shopping mall, airport, schools, and even in the hospitals. Those companies are so smart. They make their stores open 24 hours a day and people can drive through to purchase their products. People do not need to get out of the car to purchase foods! I don’t know this is good or not. On one way, those companies save people’s time. However, on the other way, they make people become lazier because they don’t need to walk out of their car and eat. The most important is fast foods will make you sick. Super Size Me is a great film to help understand why it's unhealthy to eat fast foods. If you don't have time to watch it, you just need to know as a result for the film, the then-32-year-old Spurlock gained 24½ lbs. (11.1 kg), a 13% body mass increase,a cholesterl level of 230, and experienced mood swings, and fat accumulation in his liver by eating only McDonald's for 30 days, from a health person to a person with so many health problems.

Photo by Huiwen Xiao at O'Hare Airpot 

 

 

Maybe you will tell me purchase fast foods are cheaper than making sandwich by your own. It's a way to save money. Let me do a simple calculation. If a combination from McDonald's is about 8 dollars, and you get a meal for about this price for every meal, everyday for one year. The total price for your meals for the whole year will be about 8,760 dollars. Unluckily, you get sick because of eating fast foods. You get obesity. Then, you need to spend money on health care. Rick Ungar did a research on 9,852 men and 13,837 women ages 20 to 64 (28 percent of them are obese) and found out the annual medical spending for an obese person was 3,271 dollars compared with 512 dollars for the non-obses. Then, you are spending 8,760 plus 3,271 dollars, 12,031 dollars for total for foods and health care a year. If you are making sandwich by your own, a sandwich made of  wonder bread, mayo, ketchup, tomato, lettuce, pickles, olives, cheddar, roast beef, and bacon will costs you 2.60 dollars (Sandwich Price Calculator). WHOA! It sounds delicious to me and it's cheap. Since soda drink it's unhealthy, I would recommend you buy a bottle of water or milk, and it will costs about 1.8 dollars per bottle. So, your total meal will be 4.4 dollars. It's actually cheaper to purchase fast foods. The more important is home made sandwiches are heathier than fast foods.

 

 

Conclusion

Points to remember:

 

1. Eat fast foods when there is a special case (time concern).

 

2. When you want to eat fast foods, think about a small size or foods with low calories.

 

3. French Fries are not really count as vegetables, you should get some fresh vegetables or fruits     such as carrots, tomatoes, lettuce, etc.

 

4. Fast foods will lead to many health problems, such as obesities.

 

5. Fast foods are not cheaper than home made sandwiches.

 

 

 

At last, money or Health? It's your choice. For me, a good health is more important than money.



What is the Government Doing to Keep You Healthy?

What is the Government Doing to Keep You Healthy?

In a country such as America, a government by the people and for the people obviously would have the best interest of the people at heart. The government has many agencies that help protect our security, and our wellbeing. One of the major talking points is about the governments role in the food industry. Like all issues, there are two sides to this one. On one side, there are people who believe that the government should take actions to keep you healthy. On the other side, there are people who believe the government should stay out of the situation all together because it infringes upon our liberty. 

So where are we with our current system? Neither. The government is intervening in the food industry, but not in a way that keeps us healthy. First of all, let's take a look at what the government is subsidizing. In an article written by Dr. Mercola, founder of the health website, mercola.com, he shows the top nine foods that the government subsidizes. The top three foods are corn, wheat, and soybeans. All of these are ingredients that go towards unhealthy foods. When you have the government paying farmers to grow crops that eventually get made into junk food, that drives down the price of the junk food and makes the consumer more likely to buy. Then many people complain about the culture of eating unhealthy foods in America. No wonder.

from Safe and Healthy School food Coalition

But why does the government do this? It's simple. The economy is more important than the health of the people. This may seem harsh to say, but to a certain extent, it is the reality. Why is a burger at McDonalds cheaper than a loaf of bread? It's because the farmers grow the ingredients for the burger, while the government bribes them to do it. The people in power believe that even if healthier foods were cheaper, the American citizens would not buy as much as they would if unhealthier foods were cheaper (as they are now) because there would not be as much demand. Therefore, it is in the economic interest of the food industry to subsidize unhealthy foods. It seems as though our government may not have the citizens' best interest at heart. I know this is a gross oversimplification, but the government is basically paying companies to make America fat.

Back to the original point, what SHOULD the government be doing to influence our food industry? Nothing? Subsidizing healthy foods? This video from The Young Turks, an online news organization, has a great debate that discusses this complex issue. 

This video discusses the complexities of the government's role in the food industry and healthcare. One major concept that was discussed was the cost of being overweight. Some of the facts introduced were about work. These facts included obese men taking almost six more sick days on average than others. Also, work productivity is decreased in very obese people. Possibly the most stunning statistic was that the United States government spends almost an additional $190 billion in healthcare just for the obese. To put this is perspective, if every person in America was to pay for this, it would cost everyone about six hundred dollars every year. This obviously shows how the health of the citizens affects the country economically. With the $190 billion in healthcare as well as the money lost by companies through decreased productivity and sick days. 

Again, there are two sides to this issue. On one hand, these billions of dollars that we are spending must be paid for, but on the other hand, it isn't fair to ask those who do not have unhealthy habits to cough up the money. There are a couple of options that are up for debate. One option is to have the payer cover the cost of his or her own obesity. Unfortunately, this means that the entire burden is placed on the obese people and they might not be able to afford it. The other option is just to include this is standard healthcare. It would be possible to have a system where everyone pays a flat rate and all health problems (whether they are yours or someone else's) would be covered by all Americans. The upside to this alternative is that everyone is treated the same and has the same benefits. The downside to this is that people not only have to pay for obesity who are healthy, but nothing is being done to discourage unhealthy habits. This means that $190 billion is never going to decrease. If anything, it will increase.

Which brings me to my ideal solution. Use taxes and subsidies to promote HEALTHY habits. While it may seem that the government is trying to promote economic prosperity by subsidizing unhealthy food, it is also working against itself by causing the $190 billion in healthcare. That doesn't even include the money paid in the actual subsidies. Taxing unhealthy foods will ensure one of two outcomes. Either people will be discouraged from buying unhealthy foods and start making healthier choices, or the government will bring in more revenue from junk food. Either way, the $190 billion will be paid for, or not exist in the first place. Now that is obviously an overstatement but it is certainly a step in the right direction. I also think the government should stop farm subsidies for unhealthy food. These subsidies make it very easy to produce unhealthy food for little money, healthy food companies can't compete in today's economy. If they were ended, that would give people more incentives to buy healthy food, and also lead to healthier lifestyles. 

GM Food: What is the Ultimate Strategy?

General Process of Gene Modification
Photo Credit: the Science Creative Quarterly

When I was in high school, my biology teacher introduced the concept of gene modification in the point of view of how it works and how the process was created. That all sounds like a magic, scientists adopt a special type of “scissors”, a group of enzyme, to cut the host DNA and target DNA to form the adhesive endings. Then, another group of enzymes glue these pieces of DNA together. Finally, the modified chromosome is planted into the cell to formulate new protein, which is the contributor of the trait of species. All this stuff sounds so harmless, supposing developers do not transplant the virus gene into our daily food. For example, if we need to change the color of bell pepper, one can add the gene that creates vivid color into the cell of natural bell pepper, then cultivate the cell to make it grow up to a plant. The whole process for developing GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) sounds really harmless. However, recent news triggers a debate on the safety problem of GM (Genetically Modified) food; the developers of golden rice (beta carotene enhanced rice) tested it on 12 Chinese rural children without the proper notification.

Comparison between Ordinary Rice and Golden Rice
Photo Credits: International Rice Research Institution

The driving force for the project of golden rice is to alleviate vitamin A deficiency. Scientists merely transplant the gene pieces for the plant that can generate beta carotene to the ordinary rice to enable the rice to be beta carotene enriched food. Eventually, based on beta carotene, Vitamin A could be synthesized inside human body after we eat the golden rice.

Results of insect infestation on Bt (right) and non-Bt (left) cotton bolls.
Source: USDA

The advantages of GM food are obvious. From the very beginning of the food industry, farmers benefit from GMO; some GMO are pest resistant, in other words, farmers could reduce or even stop the use of pesticide without exposing the plants under the danger of pest consumption. Actually, Arizonas' farmers have reduced the use of pesticide largely by planting Bt gene modified cotton. Accompanied by the benefit for farmer, the planting of pest resistant plant are also beneficial for the end consumer, these products would have lower amount or even none of pesticide residue.

For the corporations and supermarkets that transport and sell raw and fresh food, the stock of vegetable and fruit is easier. Since 1994, a long-lasting tomato appears on the market. These ripened tomatoes can be stored for longer time before they turn soft or rot. Therefore, the farmer could pick the tomato when they are fully ripened, which could provide a better taste. (For the natural (non-GM) tomatoes, a common practice is to pick the fruit when they are still green to avoid rotting in the transportation process.) For consumer, the technology of gene modification offers more flexibility for food choosing; you may find fancy fruits or vegetables in different color or different tastes. Besides, due to the tolerance to longer transportation time, consumer will get foods in the better quality in the supermarkets.

A monarch butterfly in all its majesty
Photo Credit: Dave Govoni/Flickr

In contrast, the GM foods are always blamed for safety issues. The primary concern is the potential of containing allergens. The essence of gene modification is to plant alien gene onto the host species to create new characteristics. Therefore, new proteins will be created which do not belong to the host species. These newly introduced proteins are the potential allergens. For those consumers who are sensitive for allergens, GM food may be not a good choice. Some GM products are potentially harmful for animals and human beings, the Bt. cotton are blamed for killing the monarch butterflies, even though no evidence reveals that they are harmful for humans. Whereas, the failure of GM food developing may results in unsafe food, due to the introducing of unwanted gene. Since no one is capable of governing all the knowledge of GM food, any newly developed food cannot be guaranteed to be safe, which means it takes longer time for the GM food to stay in the experimental phase before it comes to the market. This is a shortage of GM food for the food company. The decision for introducing GM food may consume a lot of money, with the risk of worthless. I.e. if the market response negatively, the company may lose money as they invest a lot for the equipment for developing GM food, as well as for hiring the professionals. Also, compared with traditional products, GM food takes longer time to pass the safety ensuring test, since the traits and also the safety of these new foods are not well determined. All works take time, especially for these unknown foods. The extra works are usually done by health agencies like CDC and FDA. It can be inferred that the companies that request the authorization of commercialization are subject to extra payment of the entire safety test. Similar principle applies for the food selling corporations; if the consumers are reluctant to buy GM food, the stocked food are subject to turn bad in short time, and finally end up with the financial loss.

Nothing is perfect, especially for gene engineering. If you are against the GM food, it is reasonable. From the economic point of view, for food companies and retailers, the introducing of GM bring may result in unnecessary investment. If the market responds slowly for the need of GM food, the corporations may pay the exorbitant loss. For the consumers, you are wise to keep away from GM food if you are convinced to be sensitive to allergens. What’s more, if you have any doubt for the safety of GM food, just do not buy it and do not eat it. Checking the label carefully to avoid any food with GM ingredients, which may help you to avoid any risk brought by GM food both physically and psychologically.

Nevertheless, if you are farmers or supermarkets/companies operators, and you consider GM food as a promising industry. You may take serious analysis for the potential income for starting the business of GM food. Next, you are welcomed to start the business in the new area. For consumers, given that you have thought about the benefits and risks of GM food, and found that the risks are negligible for you, then you are free of burden to enjoy the benefit brought by this modern technology. You have more flexibility to choose food, and foods with higher quality are more accessible (just think of the GM tomatoes).

Personally, I would not to choose GM food because I am sensitive to allergens. For me, seafood, certain mushrooms and some spices could cause allergy. So…I prefer not to eat GM food. However, I don’t resist GM product, like GM cotton, because it is not harmful at all.

As a completely new technology, gene engineering is neither completely harmful nor absolutely safe. Similar to other technology, the pros and cons are completely dependent on how we manipulate it. (i.e. traffic and transportation becomes easier by the development of vehicle, ship, and airplane, but the accidents brought by these inventions are always disastrous if we don’t treat the safety issue carefully). Now I have better understanding what I learned in high school. Technology is not flawless; they are not perfect enough that we can always rely on. It takes our efforts to use technology in a safe way.

On one hand, since gene engineering is not completely mature, it is OK to say no to it temporarily and wait until most people accept it. On the other hand, the GM food is promising to provide better food for consumers and higher income for the companies; it is not bad to try to launch these fancy businesses right now. Anyway, all decisions must be made after the thorough consideration of the advantages and disadvantages.

Here is a simple list of questions to test if you are suitable for GM food.

1. Are you tend to allergy to certain food?

2. Do you prefer natural food than artificial food?

3. Are you doubt on the quality/safety on GM food?

4. Will you recommend GM food to your family or your best friend?

5. Do you think that GM food will be generally accepted by most consumers?

If you answer yes to question 1, 2, 3, and answer no to question 4, 5 you may don’t like to choose GM food. If your answer is the opposite, then you are free to choose GM food.