Text A Processed Foods:The Problem Probably Isn&am...
Tamar Haspel
Ever heard of azodicarbonamide?You probably have,but not by that name.It made headlines as“the yoga mat chemical.”It's an additive used in bread to whiten flour and aid in gluten development.The concern isn't azodicarbonamide(often nicknamed AZO)itself,but one of its byproducts:ethyl carbamate,also known as urethane.
It certainly sounds unappetizing.Worse,according to the Environmental Protection Agency,“No information is available”on its chronic effects.That seems like a very good reason to get it out of your bread,but a fuller picture helps temper any fear.There's urethane in all bread,and you can easily get an entire loaf's worth of the chemical in one glass of wine.Although AZO can increase bread's urethane by two-thirds,you can increase it by three to eight times by toasting the bread.
The AZO brouhaha got traction,in the absence of evidence of harm,when Vani Hari,who blogs as Food Babe,pointed out that the chemical is used in yoga mats.The image is vivid and the reaction was visceral.Subway was pressured into removing AZO from its bread,but it's hard to see that as a triumph for public health.If urethane is risky,shouldn't we be going after wine?Or toasters?
Michael Siegrist studies risk perception and consumer behavior at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich,and he explains why people fear food additives more than some other potential hazards:“Exposure to food additives is not voluntary,they cannot be controlled,and consumers may not be aware that they are exposed to food additives.These risk characteristics of food additives may result in a higher risk perception than justified based on the available evidence.”
Which doesn't mean additives are risk-free.Although it's unlikely that AZO is a meaningful threat,a 2013 report by the Pew Charitable Trusts documents more than 10,000 additives that are allowed in our food and the varying levels of safety information about them.Moreover,we have almost no information about the aggregate risk,as the Food and Drug Administration evaluates each individually.
The evidence we do have points generally,although not exclusively,to safety.Michael Jacobson,head of the Center for Science in the Public Interest,says that“most food additives are safe;some should be better tested;and several pose risk.”Salt,sugar and hydrogenated oils top his risky list,and he also points to the connection between food dyes and children's behavior,the issue that drove Kraft to eliminate yellow dye from its iconic macaroni and cheese.Fergus Clydesdale,director of the Food Science Policy Alliance at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst,says there's no hard evidence of harm from additives“in modern regulatory times,”with the exception of the dye issue that Jacobson raises.Even there,Clydesdale calls the evidence for the link“questionable,”and Jacobson acknowledges the difficulties of studying behavioral changes objectively but says he is convinced by a growing number of studies showing a link.
Another problem with food additives involves something called generally recognized as safe(GRAS)status.It's a designation for ingredients that have been well established,either by research or by a long history of consumption,to pose no threat.The problem is that companies are allowed to determine GRAS status without involving,or even alerting,the FDA.Between 1997 and 2012,about a third of the GRAS determinations that were filed with the FDA(the filing is voluntary)were made by an employee of or consultant to the additive manufacturer.(Many others were made by expert panels,like that of the Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association,with protocols for avoiding conflict of interest.)
There's sense in the idea that,to lighten the load of an overburdened regulatory agency,we should start by relaxing rules on substances least likely to be dangerous.But freeing manufacturers to declare their own ingredients safe raises serious concerns about who's watching the henhouse.I think the Natural Resources Defense Council,which recently released a report on GRAS substances,is right in pointing out that an undisclosed additive can't be“generally recognized”as anything.
These problems are real and need to be addressed,but“yoga mat”headlines make the threat look much larger than it is.The fuss-to-risk ratio for food additives is off.
In that way,food additives are a bit like genetically modified organisms,or GMOs.Both fit Siegrist's description of what's most likely to scare us,and concerns about them often seem like proxies for big,important,complex issues that are difficult to tackle—a reason not to dismiss those concerns,even if they overstate risk.It's hard to find a toehold on the slippery problem of corporate power in government or agricultural dependence on monocrops.Even though the scientific consensus is that there's no evidence GMOs pose a health threat,the issue seems to offer such a toehold.
The chemicals in our food,although they probably pose only small risks,are likewise a way into a more complex issue:the domination of processed foods in our diet.Jacobson notes that even safe additives“make possible the production of the thousands of nutritionally worthless or harmful foods that populate supermarket shelves.”Those processed foods pose a much-better-established risk than food additives do.
The difficulty of tackling processed foods starts with the most basic question:What are they?The lack of an agreed-upon definition can make straightforward advice like“avoid processed foods”troublesome.Connie Weaver,professor of nutrition science at Purdue University,told me that people should eat“the most nutrient-dense foods,regardless of degree of processing.”When I asked for examples of nutrient-dense foods that are highly processed,she listed wine,cheese and bread.Although I plan to make a meal of Weaver's advice as soon as the sun passes the yardarm,I don't think those are the foods people think of when they hear“processed.”
Justice Potter Stewart famously said that we know pornography when we see it.We know processed food,too,and it doesn't look like canned tomatoes.It looks like instant ramen,or hot dogs,or Kraft Macaroni＆Cheese,with or without yellow dye.
There's compelling evidence that highly processed foods pose a health risk,but not necessarily because of the ingredients you can't pronounce.What's not in them might matter more.Marion Nestle of New York University's department of nutrition,food studies and public health told me in an e-mail that“relatively unprocessed foods contain nutrients and other components(antioxidants,for example)that might have benefits for health,singly and in concert.People who eat relatively unprocessed foods,especially vegetables,tend to be healthier than people who don't.”
Carlos Monteiro at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil has published a classification system for processed foods and has found a correlation between the intake of“ultra-processed”food and obesity.He's now working with U.S.data.
Meanwhile,in just the past few weeks,researchers in England reported that people who ate seven or more servings of fruits and vegetables daily had a 42 percent lower risk of dying—of any cause—during the 71/2-year study period.A study of many different diets—low carb,low fat,Mediterranean,Paleo,vegan—done by David Katz,at Yale's School of Medicine,concludes that“a diet of minimally processed foods close to nature,predominantly plants,is decisively associated with health promotion and disease prevention.”
Every conversation we're having about the risk of AZO is a conversation we're not having about the risk of processed foods.It also shifts the discussion to ground where food manufacturers have science on their side and gives them an opportunity to look reasonable,safety-minded,even magnanimous.Kraft gets kudos for eliminating yellow dye,but it's the mac and cheese that remains the problem.
(1,312 words)
New Words＆Expressions
1.azodicarbonamide［əzɒdI΄kɑːbənəmaId］n.AZO发泡剂,偶氮二甲酰胺
2.addictive［ə΄dIktIv］n.substance added to improve another,esp.color,flavour,or preserve food
3.aggregate［΄ægrIgət］adj.combined,collective,total
4.blog n.a website containing a diary or journal on a particular subject
5.brouhaha［΄bruːhɑːhɑː］n.(French)commotion；sensation吵闹
6.byproduct［΄baIˌprɒdʌkt］n.incidental product made in the manufacture of something else
7.carb n.碳水化合物；汽化器
8.ethyl carbamate［΄εθIl］［΄kɑːbəˌmeIt］n.［有化］尿烷
9.chronic［΄krɒnIk］adj.long-lasting
10.gluten［΄gluːtn］n.mixture of proteins present in cereal grains面筋
11.hydrogenate［΄haIdrədʒəneIt］vt.to undergo or cause to undergo a reaction with hydrogen
12.iconic［aI΄kɒnIk］adj.acting as a sign or symbol of something符号的,图符的；偶像的
13.kudo［΄kjuːdɒ］n.honor,prize,glory
14.macaroni［ˌmækə΄rəʊni］n.a kind of pasta made in the shape of short,hollow tubes.通心面
15.magnanimous［mæg΄nænIməs］adj.nobly generous；not petty in feelings or conduct
16.mat［mæt］n.a small piece of something such as cloth,card,or plastic which you put on a table to protect it from plates or cups
17.obesity［əʊ΄biːsəti］n.a condition characterized by the excessive accumulation and storage of fat in the body肥胖症
18.panel［΄pænəl］n.a small group of people who are chosen to do something,for example,to discuss something in public or to make a decision专门小组
19.paleo［peI΄liːəʊ］adj.ancient
20.pornography［pɔː΄nɒgrəfi］n.refers to books,magazines,and movies that are designed to cause sexual excitement by showing naked people or referring to sexual acts
21.protocol［΄prəʊtəkɒl］n.a system of rules about the correct way to act in formal situations
21.ramen［΄rɑːmən］n.a Japanese dish consisting of a clear broth containing thin white noodles and sometimes vegetables,meat,etc.日本汤菜拉面
23.toehold［΄təʊhəʊld］n.small foothold；small beginning or advantage
24.traction［΄trækʃn］n.a particular form of power that makes a vehicle move
25.urethane［΄jʊrəθeIn］［有化］尿烷
26.undisclosed［ˌʌndIs΄kləʊzd］adj.not be revealed or made known
27.vegan［΄viːgən］n.Someone who is a vegan never eats meat or any animal products such as milk,butter,or cheese.
28.visceral［΄vIsərəl］adj.feelings that you feel very deeply and find it difficult to control or ignore,and that are not the result of thought发自肺腑的；出自内心的
Notes
1.Tamar Haspel is a freelance writer,farms oysters on Cape Cod and writes about food and science.She published this piece of writing in Food Column of The Washington Post on April 24,2014.
2.Subway:The SUBWAY system is committed to providing a variety of great tasting,nutritious food choices while reducing our environmental footprint and creating a positive influence in the communities we serve around the world.
3.Kraft Foodservice is a division of Kraft Foods Group,Inc.(NASDAQ:KRFT),North America's fourth largest consumer packaged food and beverage company.Kraft Foodservice provides a diverse portfolio of brands,marketing and sales expertise and resources to the U.S.and Canadian foodservice industry.
4.GARS:gait assessment rating scale步态评估等级量表
5.FDA:US Food and Drug Administration
6.GMO:A GMO is an animal,plant,or other organism whose genetic structure has been changed by genetic engineering.GMO is an abbreviation for“genetically modified organism.”(转基因生物)
Reading Comprehension
Ⅰ.Questions for discussion
1.What does the title of the text mean?
2.What's the matter with what is called“generally recognized as safe(GRAS)status”?
3.What do you know about Genetically Modified Foods?Please argue for or against them.
Ⅱ.Judge,according to the text,whether the following statements are true(T)or false(F).
1.AZO is an additive used in bread to make flour white and help develop gluten.
2.It is hard to see that it is a victory for our health when Subway removes AZO by pressure from its bread.
3.Michael Jacobson points to the links between food dyes and children's behavior.However,he doesn't understand the difficulties of studying behavioral changes objectively.
4.Processed foods dominate our diet because the chemicals in them do not pose any risks.
Vocabulary
Ⅰ.Fill in the blanks with words that best complete the sentences.
( )1.They were forced to________the concert when the conductor became ill.
A.change B.cancel C.remove D.shift
( )2.Reporters asked him to________his position on welfare reform.
A.clear B.clarify C.classify D.clean
( )3.It was a good concert.I enjoyed the last song________.
A.in theory B.in authority C.in particular D.in reality
( )4.The university________the pressure to close its art department.
A.resisted B.insisted C.consisted D.persisted
( )5.Their guarantee________customers of fast delivery.
A.insures B.ensures C.assures D.reassures
( )6.Newspapers tend to________their influence on the way people vote.
A.accompany B.mislead C.exaggerate D.convey
( )7.I________a few words of Russian when I was in Moscow.
A.picked out B.picked off C.picked on D.picked up
( )8.If these don't work I may have to________you something stronger.
A.describe B.prescribe C.distribute D.provide
( )9.The town has________much of its country charm.
A.retained B.remained C.resembled D.remarked
( )10.This is currently the most efficient way to________certain types of data like electronic mail.
A.translate B.transmit C.transport D.transfer
Ⅱ.Fill in each blank with a word chosen from the box in its appropriate form.
traction chronic white voluntary addition
disclose gene process nutrition ingredient
1.Make sure the toothpaste has the American Dental Association(ADA)seal of approval and has been clinically proved to____________teeth effectively.
2.This conclusion shows that_____________happy and unhappy individuals differ in the specific thoughts and types of motivational strategies they use.
3.An MES upgrade includes any server hardware change,which can be an____________,improvement,removal,or any combination of these.
4.We should not be relying on the idea that genes are determinants of our health.We should not be relying on the idea that____________supplementation is the way to get nutrition.We should rely on natural food.
5.The application can____________as much information as the context supports,letting the user decide where and how to drill down to more content.
6.Message order cannot be guaranteed,because each message may be____________by any one of the cluster members.
7.Each part of seed has its own____________information for esterase biosynthesis which may be similar or not.
8.If people use a cocktail mix,they should add some fresh____________to boost the flavour and aroma.
9.Do you____________or serve in an organization or are you a member of some group?
10.He could have argued that he lacks the ability to do more,that he and his colleagues no longer have much____________over the economy.
Cloze
Of the four choices given below for each blank,choose the one that best fits into the passage.
A growing world population and the discoveries of science may alter this pattern of 1 in the future.As men slowly learn to master diseases,control floods,prevent famines,and stop wars, 2 people die every year;and 3 the population of the world is 4 increasing.
When numbers rise the extra mouths must be 5 .New lands must be brought under 6 ,or land already farmed made to 7 larger crops.In some areas the 8 land is largely so 9 cultivated that it will be 10 to make it provide more food.In some areas the population is so 11 that the land is parceled out in units too tiny to allow for much 12 in farming methods. 13 a large part of this farming population driven off into industrial occupations,the land might be farmed much more productively by modern methods.
There is now a race for science,technology,and industry to keep the output of food rising 14 than the number of people to be fed.New strains of crops are being developed which will thrive in 15 climates:there are now farms 16 the Arctic Circle in Siberia and North America;dams 17 the waters of great rivers to 18 water for the fields in all seasons;industrial chemistry provides fertilizers to 19 particular soils.Every year some new means is 20 to increase or to protect the food of the world.
( )1.A.contribution B.destruction C.construction D.distribution
( )2.A.fewer B.much C.many D.little
( )3.A.first and foremost B.on the contrary
C.in consequence D.to begin with
( )4.A.variably B.hardly C.steadily D.evenly
( )5.A.deposited B.fed C.fulfilled D.disposed
( )6.A.generation B.cultivation C.starvation D.evaluation
( )7.A.manufacture B.conceive C.generate D.yield
( )8.A.accessible B.acceptable C.assessable D.achievable
( )9.A.attentively B.extensively C.intensively D.tentatively
( )10.A.natural B.easy C.difficult D.inherent
( )11.A.tense B.strained C.stressed D.dense
( )12.A.development B.movement C.refinement D.improvement
( )13.A.Were B.Are C.Is D.Was
( )14.A.more B.less C.quicker D.slower
( )15.A.unchangeable B.unfavorable C.unimaginable D.unalienable
( )16.A.beyond B.except C.besides D.from
( )17.A.hold off B.hold on C.hold back D.hold to
( )18.A.affirm B.convince C.secure D.ensure
( )19.A.suit B.adapt C.correspond D.conform
( )20.A.calculated B.projected C.devised D.plotted