microbescansurvivethistemperature,andthus,thisisthereasonwhyhighertem-
peraturesareusedbythefoodindustry.However,thesehightemperaturesalsokill,
damageordestroythenutritiveelementsoffoodsthatsupporthumanlife.Thepro-
cessinggoalisalsotoeliminatetheessentialfattyacid,Omega 3 FattyAcid,from
thefood,sincethiscomponentoffoodscausesthefoodtobecomerancidandspoil.
Themodernfoodprocessingandpreservationindustrywasbornin1809,when
FrenchchefandinventorNicholasAppert,searchingforabetterwaytoprovide
foodforNapoleon’sarmy,devisedamethodforsterilizingfoodintightlysealed
glassbottles.Inmoderntimes,theprincipleantisepticagentsusedinthepreserva-
tionoffoodareheatandcold,insuchprocessesascanning,pasteurization,andre-
frigeration.Irradiationisbeinginvestigatedasameansofpreservingfood. 201 Prior
totheadventofmodernfoodprocessingpeoplehadtoliveclosertothelandand
taketheirfoodinafresherstate.Nowtheycangetfoodthathasbeenpreserved
withchemicals,denaturedandstoredformonthsoryears,butthefoodisnolonger
foodintheoriginalsenseoftheterm.Foodprocessingisanartificialprocessthatal-
lowsforaninitialexpansionofthepopulation,butthequalityofhealthofthatpop-
ulationisdismal,andeventuallythefoodwillleadtoitsextinction.Thedenatured
qualityofthefoodforcespeopletoeatalargerquantitiesinordertogainfromthe
smallquantityofnutritionthatisleftinthefoods,andthisleadstoobesity,and/or
higher metabolismand/or chronic health problems.
Foodadditivesareanothercauseofthedenaturingoffood.Theyarechemicalsthatareaddedto
foodinsmallamounts.Directadditivesareplacedinthefoodduringprocessingtomakeit
lookandtastebetter,maintainfreshness,andhelpinprocessingorpreparation.Asmanyas
3000 substancesareapprovedbytheFoodandDrugAdministration(FDA)foruseasdirect
additives.Anadditional10,000substancesarepresentinfoodsasindirectadditives.These
substancesenterfoodincidentallyduringhandlingorfromprocessingequipmentorpack-
aging. 202 Onemayask,whyisitnecessarytoaddadditivestofood.Considerhowtastyan
appleorcarrotthathasbeensittingonashelfformonthswouldbe.Thus,additivesarekey
tomakingthedenatured,devitalized,unappetizingfoodlookandtaste“good”sothatyou
wouldwanttoeatit.Additivesandstrongspicessuchassalt,pepper,garlic,etc.,areusedto
masktheotherwisedeplorabletasteofdenaturedfoodsandtrickthetastebudsintoaccept-
ingthem.However,beyondthetastebudstheymeetwithanotherchallenge,thegastrointest-
inaltract(stomachandintestines).Oftenthegastrointestinalsystemcannotacceptthese
items,thusitisnotsurprisingthatantacids,anti-gasandanti-diarrheaproductstopthelistof
products most purchased by consumers.
