Essay Example on the Challenges in the Food Industry

The current world is faced with many challenges among them those found in the food industry. Human existence is dependent on various interlinked aspects where food plays an important role in sustaining life. On the other hand, as Delicarpini & Selzer (2012) suggest on their book conversation: Reading for writing that it is important to air our concerns regarding the issues facing us as human beings. Despite food being imperative in our lives, there are still challenges affiliated with it which include food security, recalling of food products and other issues related to the human health. However, states have been on the forefront to develop ways of mitigating the issues related to food. While the conversation about food as a major issue in the modern world forms the basis of this discussion, aspects considered include fast foods, fight against foodborne disease and food insecurity.

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Food exists as one of the things human cannot exist without. Through food, the human body grows while factors such as fighting diseases and infections are considered. It is described as the fuel to the growth of a person. Food is the sources of energy and nutrients essential for growth. It is, therefore, imperative for people to consider eating healthy which is the basis of the nourished body. In a broad perspective, food is the source of employment for millions of people globally. This is with regards to food based industries and the entire process of food production from farming to the consumer. Some of these areas where food avails employment include agriculture as a general area while extending to supplying the produced commodities. Besides, there is an issue of marketing and providing areas for selling the food such as supermarkets which is also another source of employment. It is important to note that not only does food discussion entail solid commodities but also the liquid aspects. Food, in broad terms, is defined as anything edible from vegetables and cereals to fruits and drinks. The dynamics in the food sector has seen the inception of fast foods which are ready to consume (Schoisser, 2002). Some of these fast foods include burger, hotdogs, and kebab. Although there have been numerous advantages of these foods which include fast to take, minimal preparation by the consumer and time saving, there are also concerns based on health issues. Traditional food composition and preparation has drastically changed where nowadays carbohydrates and fats characterise the foods unlike there before which included meat and vegetables.

The discussion on fast foods has sparked numerous discussions which are based on their impacts on the economy and also people health. While some claim that the foods have greatly contributed immensely to the economy of a country through providing employment, there are several critiques which have imposed a hard time to the fast food industry executives. Such include the analysis by Eric Schlosser (2002) who makes people rethink their actions before purchasing the next burger. One of the characteristics of these foods that is being fought is its components which are mainly sugars and fat. Also, in the wake of health conditions attributed to these components such as obesity and diabetes, people are being urged to reconsider healthy dieting besides exercising which aims at burning the high calories intake. This industry which began three decades ago by hotdog and hamburger in California has since then spread to various corners of the world where there is the presence of paying customers. These areas include zoos, high schools, airports and stadiums among others. Through technology, the process has been enhanced with people only required to place an order and pushing various buttons and within seconds a plastic tray full of the order drops. This experience has become a norm and has penetrated the culture and custom of the society.

Considering both the commodity and metaphor of what we take, it can be ascertained that these foods are defined by various forces among them socio-economic and technological. Although the fast foods have transformed the world as regards to dieting, economy, and culture, the consequences are inescapable. Also, the preparation of these foods has been published in the cookbooks which are also another significant aspect of the industry. There is also a concern regarding the fast foods impact on children who are increasingly becoming the target market (Schoisser, 2002). A key driver of this fact is that the foods are sweet, inexpensive and convenient. However, the real price is not evaluated on the menu but in the effects after that which includes paediatric obesity that is also being realized globally as a dangerous health condition and increasing in numbers. The youths are also greatly affected while considering other effects such as high unemployment rates where inexpensive workers are hard to identify. These issues are considered as more challenging than the perception out there thus need a comprehensive intervention such as educating the population on the unbalanced effect of fast foods and challenges. According to the food nation, controlling the effects of fast foods will aid in a providing a healthy future population.

Food fight is also another aspect characterising the food industry which is centred on challenges such as foodborne diseases. There have been several cases of food poisoning such as the salmonella outbreak in peanuts. Another significant history was the recalling of more than 20 million pounds of contaminated beef in 2007. The CDC is also concerned about the number of Americans getting sick as a result of foodborne illnesses. This are some of the reasons for regulations and demands for food oversight to ensure that foods are safe. Also, the monitoring and regulation of the foods include baked goods and dairy products where some of the factors to be considered include tracking the source of outbreaks and devising measures to prevent a recurring event (Roberts et al., 2009). However, there is also another source of food scares which is attributed to the expensive inspection process. Food manufacturers and suppliers are thus tasked with ensuring a cheap process and one of the ways they consider is reducing the food safety inspection process. This brings to question the issue of public safety and health. According to CDC, manufacturing and production of food based commodities in a large centralized place is a challenge in that in case of a problem, most people including those from other continents will be affected unlike in smaller production plants where few people face the health condition, and the source of the challenge can be traced.

In conclusion, the discussion on food is immense considering the dynamics present in the industry such as technology and the nature of the foods. Among the changes include the introduction of fast foods more than three decades ago. These foods despite the numerous advantages also have setbacks which include health effects such as obesity and diabetes. There is, therefore, need to control these effects such as educating people on the consequences of these foods. On the other hand, food safety is a concern which includes foodborne diseases. This has been the reason behind the food regulation policies which monitors and identifies the sources of food borne diseases.

References

Delicarpini, D., & Selzer, J. (2012). Coversation: Reading for Writing.

Roberts, P., Jensen, K., Foote, J., & Neighbor, T. W. (2009). Global classroom workshops made possible by: The end of food with a special focus on the earth charter A resource packet for educators resources compiled by photos courtesy of Tese Wintz neighbor. Retrieved from https://www.world-affairs.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/2009-04-21-end-of-food.pdf

Schoisser, E. (2002). Fast food nation. In The Top 50 Sustainability Books (pp. 167170). Retrieved from http://jhampton.pbworks.com/w/file/fetch/51769044/Fast%20Food%20Nation.pdf