Artificial foods

Modern life is driven by convenience, and nowhere is this more visible than in the food that are consumed every day. Supermarket shelves are packed with ready to eat meals, instant snacks and packaged foods that promise health, energy and happiness. Modern food products have hijacked traditional foods that were once prepared naturally by heavily processing them artificial colours, preservatives, flavour enhancers and cheap substitutes. The goal is not about healthy food but to provide attractive products that are inexpensive to produce, easy to transport and attractive enough to sell in large quantities. This is where TV commercials play their role.TV commercial bombard viewers every hour to create a psychological phenomenon known as the “illusory truth effect.” If a person hears a claim repeated often enough (e.g., “This cooking oil is 100% heart-healthy!” or “This chocolate is pure bliss”), the brain naturally begins to accept it as an absolute fact, even if it contradicts reality. By the time a consumer goes to the store, the advertised brand feels familiar, safe, and trustworthy. It is for this, that food corporations spend billions of dollars on advertising for a simple reason- convince and persuade the credulous consumer. Many everyday foods have undergone transformation without consumers ever realizing it. Cooking oils once naturally extracted are now heavily refined using chemicals and high heat. Butter is often replaced with vegetable fat spreads mixed with additives. Cheese is increasingly processed into uniform slices filled with emulsifiers and preservatives instead of being made from naturally aged milk. Chocolate, once rich in cocoa, now contains more sugar and vegetable fats than real cocoa butter. These products may look appealing and taste good, but they often contain far less nutritional value than people believe. Coffee with branded labels comprise of cheap, natural bulking agents. Ground coffee is sometimes mixed with roasted corn, barley, wheat, or rice, ground coffee husks or twigs or chicory or roasted date seeds. The same problem exists with processed meat. Sausages, nuggets and many ready to eat meat products often contain mechanically processed meat, starch, soy protein, fillers and artificial flavouring. Even fresh fruits and vegetables are not completely free from concern. Fruits are laced with pesticides and chemicals and often coated with wax to make them shine and treated with preservatives to keep them fresh during transport. Vegetables may appear bright and healthy while still carrying chemical residues. Although these practices may fall within legal limits, the long term effects of regular exposure to multiple chemicals continue to worry health experts. Fast food outlets add another serious concern. Poor hygiene, repeated use of cooking oil, unsafe food storage and careless handling increase the risk of food contamination. Burnt cooking oil can produce harmful substances that are linked to heart disease and other chronic illnesses. Food inspection systems need to become stricter, more transparent and more effective. Regular surprise inspections, scientific testing for chemical residues, honest food labels and close monitoring of food processing units are essential. Consumers must realise that these harmful food items are the main causes of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and other lifestyle illnesses is not simply the result of poor personal choices. Every citizen has the right to safe, natural and nutritious food. Until governments, food producers and consumers place health above profit, the promise of healthy living will remain little more than a clever advertising slogan.