The Legislator

We believe food labels should include additives so that consumers can make an educated, informed decision in regards for what they believe is best for them and/or their family. Consumers should also be aware of the consequences that food additives may have on them. Some studies show that additives may cause hyperactivity in kids and some people might have a certain sensitivity of FD&C Yellow No. 5 in foods. Consumers might also be interested in knowing that large amounts of insects and carcasses of animals who have died of "natural causes" are in the food they consume on a regular. Weather it be anything with a red dye made from insect blood or sugar which is filtered with cow bones. 

The benefits of food labels are informed consumers, people will be more aware of what they consume which is reaching for a healthier America. If people were to know of all the unnatural things that go into their everyday food they are most likely to choose a much  health conscious decision. Although some people might still continue eating the same thing, others will have a choice as to what they consume instead of blindly stuffing their faces with things they don't know. If food companies are more honest with their customers they might see an increase in sales, especially if they have nothing to hide. 

The only risk we see in not labeling additives is the food companies losing money in fear that people will no longer buy their products. Which is understandable but food companies should strive for much healthier and safer ways of making their food. Consumers and big companies should work together to make food safe, affordable, and delicious so that everyone is satisfied without questioning what was killed going into a few jelly beans. 

Should we enrich or modify our food?

I believe food should be modified because people need calcium, vitamin A, and so on in order to be healthy efficient human beings. People who do not get enough calcium have long term complications such as low bone mass. As well as people who do not get enough vitamin A in their diet suffer from weak membranes around their organs making them vulnerable to diseases. Although some people know how to find nutrition in foods naturally such as milk, vegetables, bread, grain, fish etc. other people might not have the resources or knowledge to make such decisions. Which is why food should be modified to make sure everyone gets the necessary amount of vitamins and calcium they need. 

How do we enrich our food?

Iodine is a nonmetallic chemical element which is found in some minerals in the earth. Iodine is a critical nutriment for proper growth and metabolism. We can identify weather a substance contains iodine in it by using iodine antiseptic solution or by adding vinegar, hydrogen peroxide, and corn starch to identify weather or not iodine is present. In our experiment we did both, first we added iodine antiseptic to a cup of corn starch and water and the cloudy water turned black-ish/purple. Then we tested three different types of salt to see which one contained iodine. Out of cups A-C cup C was the only one to turn the same color as the first cup we tested indicating that it contained iodine. Iodine is important for a healthy diet, if someone doesn't  have enough iodine in their diet it can cause severe physical and mental retardation, most third world countries suffer from malnourishment. 

Thickeners and Emulsifiers

Emulsion or to emulsify something in food is to mix two or more substances together, and keep them together. The emulsifier ingredient in this lab was the egg yolk. Emulsifiers are used in foods to keep the

Solutions and other Mixtures

In a heterogeneous mixture, the components are not spread out, or distributed, evenly throughout the mixture. A homogeneous mixture, the particles are spread out evenly. Keywords such as alloy, colloid, emulsion, suspension, solvent, and solution are important in solutions and mixtures.

Kimchi Progress

* 2 1/2 inches of water

* Strong smell

* We used 7 spoons of salt

* The water is brown

* The lettuce is crisp/soggy

* Bubbles still forming

* pH level of 6

What are the risks and benefits of using ammonia to sanitize beef?

Before reading:

1. How would you feel if you had to pay an extra fifty cents for your school lunch? 

How much would that add up to over a school year?

I would not enjoy paying an extra fifty cents for my school lunch because school lunch is not something I find nutritious, let alone something I would pay for. Paying for school lunch can also add up during the school year and can become very costly, its adds up to $90.

2. Statement: I don't care what goes in my burger as long as it's cheap, tastes good and doesn't make me
sick. Do you agree or disagree, and why?

I disagree with this statement because knowing what I put into my body is important to me and just because it doesn't make me sick doesn't mean its healthy. 

During reading:

1. Why did Beef Products, Inc. begin treating beef with ammonia?
To kill E.coli as well as salmonella.

2. What happens to a batch of beef that is found to be contaminated with E. coli or Salmonella? Whatabout if the beef is ammonia-treated?

If a batch of beef is found to be contaminated with E.coli or Salmonella the school lunch program will not buy the meat but there's no ban in selling it to the general public. If a batch of beef contains ammonia it will be classified as a "processing agent" and not an ingredient that would be listed on labels.  

3. How might the ammonia treatment process fail to kill microbes?

Ammonia treatment might fail to kill microbes if enough of it is not being used. 

4. What are the effects of the ammonia treatment process on beef odor and taste?

High doses of ammonia make beef taste and smell better to consuming customers, although its not very healthy for them.  

After reading:
1. What are the risks of treating beef with ammonia?
The risks of treating beef with ammonia is giving the general public food that contains ammonia which is not very good for the human body, putting the general public health at risk. 

2. What are the benefits of treating beef with ammonia?
The benefits of treating beef with ammonia is better smell and taste, its lasts longer and kill off microbes.

3. Do you believe that ammonia should be listed as an ingredient in ground beef, 
or remain as an unlisted processing agent?

I do think that ammonia should be listed as an ingredient in ground beef because people should have the right to know exactly what it is that they consume so they can make an educated decision about their food.