The lack of Regulation for Food‎ Flavoring by Government

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The truth is sad when we recognize how food is failing us today, and we can only rely on ourselves to avoid eating it. Mad Magazine's Alfred E. Newman once said, "We live in a world where lemonade is made from artificial flavoring and furniture polish is made from real lemons." Over the past decades, our understandings of food flavoring have dramatically changed. Today, many food flavoring can be found in most products to enhance foods and drinks, however, people need to smarter and more aware of the food we consume, due to the lack of regulation for Food‎ flavoring by government.
Before 1850, American’s food flavoring was formerly used as flavored food and beverages from local and foreign sources of flavorings such as rum, fruit juice, and spices in the home. People discovered nature aroma when they found food flavoring could be enriched by simple methods. In the early 20th century, Germany’s chemist discovered one of the first artificial flavors by accident. They created methyl anthranilate as artificial grape flavor while mixing chemicals. Now methyl anthranilate is the main ingredient for grape Kool-Aid. Food flavoring in America began during the industrial revolution. According to Schlosser's “Fast Food Nation,” synthetic flavor additives were used mainly in baked goods, candies, and sodas until the 1950s, when sales of processed food skyrocketed. The invention of machines increased the number of flavors that could be created from chemical synthesis. By the 1960s, the American flavor industry was creating flavors to provide the taste for thousands of new foods (Why the Fries Taste Good).
The flavor industry is one of the most secretive corporations in the world. Their safety precautions and technology are like government sec...

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... all the chemicals are GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe). While it is legal for a company to hide the source of its ingredients, it is nearly impossible to track the real impact of these chemical flavoring. Thus, we will never know what effect all of these flavorings have on our health. In fast Food Nation, Schlosser points to the McDonald’s French fry as one example of how loosely the term “natural flavor” can be applied.
Food flavoring have been used for centuries to enhance the appearance, flavor of food and extend shelf life. People need to be more aware of what ingredients go into the foods. Demanding the government to push the flavor industry to be more transparent on what they produced. Overall, people need to educate themselves on what chemicals are on the labels, so they can make educated choices. Education is the key to eating healthy and living longer.

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