An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan - Article Example

We go by mob psychology without giving any justice to what actually is the truth. Other animals and organisms do not have such requirements, they are capable of making a decision on what they should eat and they eat what nature has offered them. Our story is different as we need a variety of different things to eat to stay fit and healthy. The author has thrown light upon the biased nature of human beings regarding what to eat, how much to eat and what sequence to follow.

We have set certain parameters regarding what a particular food item will go. This tendency came into the picture because a lot of variety has captured the market with guiding and misguiding food labeling rules. Genetically modified food and all the variety of processed food have taken us away from our roots. What we are eating today is totally different from what our ancestors have eaten and most probably what our mothers have eaten. Food comes with various logos some are stating that they may protect against cancer but actually, it has no such role.

Some of the food items presented in the market are the result of vague kind of research that has been carried out in the market, for e.g. the genetically modified food is gaining much prominence these days. "Genetically Engineered" food is grown, manufactured, created, developed, or changed by utilizing the techniques that bring changes in the molecular or cell biology of an organism. This technique cannot be exploited in nature or under natural conditions. These techniques are mostly based on recombinant DNA technology, cell fusion, micro-and microencapsulation, gene deletion or duplication, the introduction of any gene from another organism through microinjection or by the process of transgenesis where the desired foreign gene is inserted in the early stages of development and also the techniques based on altering the position of the genes.

The process does not include propagation, conjugation, fermentation, hybridization, in vitro fertilization, and tissue culture method (Grubesic, 2005). These marketed food products are highly advertised in the TV, newspapers, and magazines with big claims but according to the author, the best food is what our grandmothers have eaten and recommends us. In the present era, in order to make maximum gains, people are adopting unfair means to market the products by decorating them through packaging and a variety of other methods to attract women and children.

This processed food has no true food value and incorporates food additives for manufacturing, stuffing, or in packaging, dispensation, preparing, treating, and packaging, food additives may also be used when long-distance transporting is to be done or when the food item is to be kept for long duration. Nowadays radiations are given to ensure the safety of food from chemicals. The food is labeled with the name of the company or firm or by any legal or commercial entity. If the research has provided us with the processed food items then research has also provided us the information about the repercussions of eating such products.