FORTY YEARS ON, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE? YOU DECIDE!

As I was flicking through the pages of a 1973 Womans Day (I know, I know, its !13", I foun# an interesting article $y %ar$ara &im$er' %ar$ara inter(iewe# foo# scientist Dr William Draper as he forecaste# the #irection of foo# in Australia' )n the whole, I foun# the article har# to swallow' *he reason $eing, forty years on from the year it was written, we ha(e gone so far in the opposite #irection to what ha# $een forecaste# an# I cant help $ut feel (ery #isappointe#' +Dr Draper thinks that in the (ery near future our whole pattern of shopping an# eating will change,' Well yes Dr Draper, it has change#, $ut not in the way that you ha# hope#' Dr Draper $elie(e# that +youll recei(e (alue for money in the sense that such foo#s will #o what foo# is suppose# to #o $uil# your $o#y an# keep you healthy,' .nfortunately, the only thing that has grown is the amount of chemical a##iti(es inclu#e# in our foo#s an# the pockets of the $ig corporations' %oth in the way that our foo# is grown an# raise# as well as the chemical a##iti(es inclu#e# in our processe# foo#s, things are not looking goo# an# something nee#s to change' )ur new crisis in(ol(es the use of genetically mo#ifie# foo#s' With the safety of our foo# supply an# the integrity of our ecosystem in /eopar#y, com$ine these issues together, an# the safety of our future generations is truly at risk' I fin# it interesting that Dr Draper commente# that the +)rganic foo# fans may pro#uce a list of unaccepta$le foo#s which might inclu#e no artificial fla(ouring, 012, synthetic sugars, synthetic preser(ati(es, emulsifiers, or hy#rogenate# fats,' *his is a true fact in#ee#, the sa# part a$out it, is that instea# of the companies that pro#uce these pro#ucts listening, they ha(e instea# gone to great lengths to trick the consumer with their mislea#ing foo# la$els' +In a time of uni(ersal #eceit, telling the truth is a re(olutionary act, (2eorge )rwell - 3oo# A##iti(es 2ui#e"' Draper goes on to claim that +Women will $ring this (the change" a$out, $ecause they will #eman# that their families recei(e nourishing foo#' 4is faith in the strong practical, protecti(e an# maternal instincts of women gi(es him hope they will fin# the answer to the foo# crisis,' .nfortunately, #ue to the large corporations an# their great marketing strategies, women cant $e $lame# for $uying what they think is the $est foo# a(aila$le for their family, especially when these foo#s are often the most economical, con(enient an# accessi$le options'

)ther points ma#e $y Dr Draper in the article5 +1o far Australia has $een a lucky country with foo#, particularly our plentiful supply of meat' %ut as more an# more nations turn to Australia for foo# we will fin# that the ol# careless #ays of foo# $uying are o(er,' I $elie(e that one of the $iggest issues with our foo# in#ustry to#ay, is the unfair treatment of the Australian farmer' *hese #ays, we are seeing so much more foo# importe# into Australia from other countries gi(ing the $ig corporations much more $argaining power' *his has $een at the e6pense of the farmer an# the consumers well7 $eing' 3resh, local pro#uce is always $est for our $o#ies' +In the new economy there will $e no room for the #istri$ution of foo#s which ha(e a low nutritional content' In fact, with the new foo# technology, we shoul# all $e healthier,' 3orty years on, I can confi#ently say, no, we are not healthier' )$esity rates are higher an# car#io(ascular health is getting worse' 8ot to mention the huge increase in asthma an# foo# allergies' 0e#ications howe(er, are much more wi#ely prescri$e# an# use#' 2reat for the wealth of the pharmaceutical companies9 +*he me#ical profession, Dr Draper pre#icts, will work in closer harmony with foo# chemists an# nutritionists,' .nfortunately, it also #oesnt look like this has happene#' :ersonally, I think it looks more like the #octors are working with pharmaceutical companies'

In conclusion, I $elie(e it is fair to say that not only ha(e things not change# for the $etter o(er the past forty years in regar#s to the ;uality of our foo#, $ut things ha(e greatly #ecline#' It all seems to $e a$out a#(ertising an# making money these #ays, not the health an# well7$eing of the consumer' :rocesse# foo#s an# fresh pro#uce fille# with chemicals are now a part of our e(ery#ay #iets' I fin# it interesting that forty years ago we were fighting to ha(e package# foo#s carry la$els to re(eal the entire contents, an# to#ay, we are fighting to ha(e foo#s la$elle# if they contain genetically mo#ifie# organisms (20)s"' We are also fighting for our foo# la$els to $e transparent' %lanket terms such as +natural colours, an# +natural fla(ours, hi#e $ehin# a huge list of chemicals an# processes that gi(e me a pain in the $elly /ust thinking a$out them' Is science failing us< *he consumer has the power, please stick together an# fight this $attle for the safety of our future generations'