We all need to eat. We also need to eat foods that are safe. That is one of the main reasons why foods are regulated. Food regulations promote industry best practices, encouraging food companies to put systems in place that will protect consumer health. It also prevents unfair trade, since some unscrupulous manufacturers will try […]
The food industry employs several methods to preserve food and food quality. Among these is irradiation. This process was developed by the US army after the second world war as the army researched new ways to preserve foods for troops beyond refrigeration. The word irradiation often concoct feelings of fear of nuclear energy. Many feel […]
Nanotechnology is the study and engineering of structures at the nano-scale; usually in the range of 1-100 nm. One nanometer is one-billionth of a meter. To visualize how small this is, take out a strand of your hair and look at it. It is approximately 80,000 – 100,000 nm in width. The difference between one […]
Kosher means “proper” of “acceptable”. It describe foods that have been prepared following Jewish religious dietary laws based on the Old Testament Bible . The most common symbol is the “U”, a certification mark issued by the Orthodox Union. Not only Jews recognize kosher. It is a eating choice followed my millions for lifestyle, dietary restrictions, and health reasons. […]
Before 1990 there was no federal regulation of the organic food industry. Therefore, there was a lot of confusion in the marketplace as to what was truly organic. In 1990 the Organic Food Production Act was promulgated which allowed for standardization of the industry. The first draft of this act allowed for the use of GMO, […]
Introduction Genetically engineered (GE) foods continues to be a topic of public interest. Other names for genetically engineered foods that you may hear include “genetically modified foods” or GMO, “Biotech”, and “bioengineered” foods. The FDA uses the term genetically “engineered” to differentiate it from other methods that can also result in genetic modification such as cross-breeding […]
