CHAPTER ONE THE PROCESSED FOOD FIGHT I n 2010 photographer Sally Davies started a new art project She placed a fast-food meal from McDonald’s on a plate and took a photo of it She left the meal out overnight The next day she took another photo She repeated this process for six months The fast-food burger and fries remained almost unchanged They did not grow mold or rot even after months of being in open air Sally Davies Happy Meal Project serves as a reminder of the amount of processing fast food can undergo 5
Fresh food items such as romaine and arugula are minimally processed before being sold in grocery stores The food did not even smell Davies work became instantly famous People were shocked Why was the McDonald’s meal not decaying Scientists and consumers weighed in They guessed the fast-food meal was heavily processed McDonald’s defended their meal They reported it was made from healthful natural ingredients McDonald’s said the meal had 6
YOUR LIFE Cookie Taste Test It’s time for a taste test Sample a homemade chocolate chip cookie Then try a packaged chocolate chip cookie Both have been processed The homemade cookie is minimally processed It includes ingredients that have been altered in the mixing and baking process The packaged cookies are more heavily processed They contain added ingredients to keep them fresh for long periods of time The homemade cookie takes time and energy to make It needs to be mixed baked and then eaten before it spoils The packaged cookie can be purchased easily And it lasts a long time Does one taste better than the other Which do you prefer and why 7 no preservatives and was only cooked with salt and pepper But if that was the case why did the meal not rot What Are Processed Foods Foods that are processed are altered to make them easier to consume They may be frozen or packaged Processed foods are convenient for people or families with busy lifestyles Processed foods may also feature added ingredients that enhance their flavor or make them last longer Heavily processed foods
Grocery stores are full of a variety of packaged cookies and other treats include packaged cookies or crackers These foods usually include many ingredients Minimally processed foods include packaged spinach or precut carrots They usually have only a few ingredients When heavily processed foods first entered grocery stores in the early 1900s consumers were thrilled People thought of them as a wonderful technological advance Processed cheese slices that 8
