Food and Nutrition
Welcome To The Global Dinner Table
By
Jun 29, 2008 - 5:16:38 PM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Americans are aware that TVs, cell phone, sneakers, and clothes are often made in China, But, many are unaware of how this globalization and out-sourcing of commerce is affecting their grocery cart? Did you know that China is the world’s largest grower of apples? Welcome to the new global dinner table.

A developing concern for “ethical eating” is occurring in the US and it’s leading to more questions about the current patterns of food production, distribution and marketing. The growing reliance on foreign food sources happened largely unnoticed until the pet food scare of 2007. Imported food now accounts for 15% of all US foods, yet the FDA inspects less that 1% of imports. There are 450 FDA inspectors to cover 300 ports of entry which bring in 20 million food imports each year.

But, consumers aren’t going to stand by and take it any longer. Government and industry are facing a new grocery shopper. One who is demanding accountability and transparency when it comes to the foods they buy. We are no longer talking about just the eco-friendly, green consumer, but the average shopper who may or may not be up to speed on environmental concerns. This shopper wants assurances that the food she feeds her family is safe.

Safety is driving transparency and a tipping point was the investigation launched by the Humane Society in early 2008 pointing to the use of downer cattle by the meat industry. The undercover video collected flew across the country, not only through traditional news outlets, but on the internet, person to person, blog to blog. Ever-increasing internet access with user-generated content is poised to dramatically increase the transparency of our food supply. In the future, to ensure animal protection, we may not need government regulations. Instead companies could simply provide verifiable online video of their facilities and operations. Any interested consumer could log on and make judgments for themselves about humane treatment, free range grazing, or any other issue of concern.

Consumers are making buying decisions that are impacting on suppliers. The number of farmer’s markets has grown by 250% in the last decade. The desire to “buy local” is forcing supermarkets to prove that their produce – potatoes, tomatoes, peaches, apples – are sourced locally. You now see signs listing not only the price of tomatoes but identifying them as “Jersey Reds.” Peaches and apples, too, are often tagged by both variety and state.

In September 2008, COOL (country of origin labeling) will become enforced for beef, lamb, pork, fruit, vegetables, and peanuts. Suppliers of wild and farm raised fish have had to COOL label since 2005 and congress is considering extending this labeling requirement to include other categories of foods. This is a great tool for transparency because the label will identify the source of many of the foods we buy.

Companies see the handwriting on the wall. Many use a geographic tag as a branding tool – Annie’s Homegrown, Ah!laska, Dakota Lean, Florida Natural, Mystic Chips, Nantucket Nectar, and Vermont Sweetwater. McDonald’s started a “see what we’re made of” initiative sharing information about the sourcing of ingredients.

There are foods, such as bananas and coffee, that will always be supplied from a foreign source. Companies dependent on foreign products need to demonstrate fair trade initiatives, safe farming techniques, and fair labor standards. Dole Fresh Fruit Company, recently piloted an internet program that allows consumers to type in a farm code printed on organic banana labels and virtually visit the farm where their fruit was harvested. Dole is further using this tool to highlight sponsored community programs in the growing region.

As a societal trend, ethical eating is here to stay. As we sit down to our global dinner table we will expect that the food is safe, fresh and tastes good. But we will also be asking about the conditions of the farms and animals. We ask for assurances that companies are acting ethically to protect workers and the earth. We’ll expect broader and more explicit standards for food imports. And, above all we will demand transparency to understand where our food came from and how it got to our dinner table. Research has already demonstrated that consumers are willing to pay more for food they can trust. Peace of mind is worth the price.

© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with 12 current titles and sales in excess of 6 million books. The books are widely available at your local or on-line bookseller.
Current titles include:
The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008
The Cholesterol Counter, 7th Ed., 2008
The Diabetes Carbohydrate and Calorie Counter, 3rd Ed., 2007
The Calorie Counter, 4th Ed., 2007
The Compete Food Counter, 2nd Ed., 2006
For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to www.TheNutritionExperts.com.

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