Effects of Processsed Foods

Faster. Easier. Cheaper. Today’s American culture demands food that satisfies and provides convenience for a fast-paced lifestyle, but at what cost? Processed foods are a staple for most of society, but these seemingly innocent foods can come with heavy consequences. The use of genetically modified (GM) ingredients, the overuse of corn and soybean products, and the excess of salt in processed foods have considerable effects on the environment, society, and human health.
Processed foods have taken over the American diet (Moss, 2013, xi). These foods are marketed to be delicious, easy, and affordable, often using colorful cartoon characters or eye-catching advertising to pull the consumer in (Moss, 2013, xi). This is especially effective for children; they are more likely to pick Goldfish, “The Snack That Smiles Back”, over a less appealing apple (Moss, 2013, xi). Even foods normally considered to be healthful can be deceiving. A yogurt Yoplait used to sell “had twice as much sugar per serving as Lucky Charms”, but sales were high due to yogurt’s healthy reputation; many yogurts marketed to children are loaded with sugar and flavoring as well, which takes away from the nutritional benefit (Moss, 2013 xiii). Processed foods can be found everywhere from the grocery store, to school cafeterias, to convenience stores. Part of the reason they are so accessible is because processed foods tend to have longer shelf lives than fresh foods, which allows them to be simple to store (Warner, 2013, p. 39).
This attribute is especially desirable to stores in lower-income areas (Warner, 2013, p. 39). These businesses do not want to lose profit on spoiled food, so they tend to sell mostly processed foods (Warner, 2013, p. 39). People in these areas...

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...goes on to discuss how farm legislation is to blame for making corn and soybean products so cheap.

Streker, M. (2013). What are genetically modified foods, and does eating these foods affect our health? NSTA Reports, 24(5), 16-17. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.library.wisc.edu/docview/1313201110?accoun tid=46 5

This article explains how almost all processed foods have GM ingredients in them. Also, it discusses how most people are unaware of the potential risks of GM foods and the lack of regulation and labeling laws regarding GM ingredients.

Warner, M. (2013). Pandora's Lunchbox. New York: Scribner.

Warner explains the shelf life of processed foods. She attempts to contact numerous giants in the food industry to learn more about what is in our food and how it is made. The excess of soy and soybean oil in processed foods is covered as well.