Culturing Food Acceptance

Foods are generally regarded as an energy and nutrient provider. Food can heal one’s body or work the opposite way.

All of us live in a society where food choices come with a rule called social acceptance. There are also rules and terms that accompany food itself ,for this instance we will go with either nutrition or revolution.

Science and nutrition tell us what we know about our food- its nutrients, benefits and side effects. It is the basis for our food regulatory system to helps Government approve ingredients permitted in our food and the associated levels.

Without getting in to details about food science and nutrition and how it relates to your health, most of us will understand the terms ‘good food’ and ‘bad food’. It is just an easy set of terms that everyone understands and on the Nutritionist use in nutrition consultation.

Let me give you few examples- salt reduction campaign, evident presence of sugar substitute and fat-reduction campaign. Fat-Sugar-Salt is what they are.

Further, we regard food products that are natural, organic, and wholesome as good food. Processed food, fast food restaurants labelled as low nutrient and high calories provider.

We questioned what people are eating- junk food, fast foods, grilled steak, sodas, cheese cakes, muffins and pretzel. They just seems culturally unacceptable. Simply because of the fat-sugar-salt in them and caloric values.

We are stigmatized that these foods are bad and they damage your health. Hence, that gets communicated to the society and now, trending in local, organic, non-added preservatives, MSG, use of sugar substitutes, non-GMO etc.

These trends brings endless possibilities to the food industries and we see products getting into and out of the shelves just to please consumers. Food companies voluntarily rework their formula creating what it meant as healthier for you and me. Salt reduced potatoes chips sound good. Salt and fat reduced potatoes chips sounds even better. Sprinkled nutrient powder on potatoes chips sound like a great addition to the low nutrient high calories product too.

If you aren’t aware yet, please do. We are in a society who prefer healthy people – healthy eating, local, organic, natural and to a certain extend looking at non-GMO. As a consequence, we see differences between a fat and a thin person. Indirectly, we judge his or her eating habit. After all, eating habit is a main contributor to obesity. Our society have learned to judge, accept and disagree with certain food categories.

People are adapting to the society and what is valued there would be dominance, ie social acceptance. What is not would lead to social rejection. Ponder about this: Are your current food choices yours or is it a consent choice from the society?

About the author:

Felicia Loo is a food technologist. She graduated from the University of British Columbia. She seeks to learn how food choices are made by the consumers and what influences the food choices. She also writes for her own website and blog.