A GROWING PROBLEM WITH FOOD!

When I say the word Frankenfoods, I would be willing to bet the first thought that comes to mind is either the story of Frankenstein or the silver screen rendition of John De Belo's " Killer Tomatoes".
In actuality, the issue of Frankenfoods is of a biological nature in which the appearance of some food products become altered or redesigned using genetic cloning, by the food conglomerates, while they try to meet the supply and demand. As of lately, there have been calls for healthier food options at lower costs which has forced the food industry to delve deeper into this issue of genetic enhancements to our food supply. Also, we are forced into this field in an attempt to stave off potentially crippling droughts that have plagued European countries and our very own over the course of mankind's history. There are consequences for pursuing this course of action, due to limited time for testing and the possible human harm these Franken Foods might incur .Which leaves us with two major dilemmas. So, do we as a nation halt this lab experiment? Or do we slow it down, become more diligent and cautious? We must address these concerns and decide the best course of action. Probably, meeting somewhere in the middle would be the first step towards a resolution to solve this quandary.
Now, there are four major players that make significant decisions on our food supply today. They are the following: Cargill (beef), Farmland (pork), Perdue (poultry) and Tyson (poultry).
The government supplements these major food corporations, as well as regulating their pricing, quality and production. While there are a handful of major companies responsible for livestock and crop selection. For example, today we can grow a chicken in 45 days as a harvested animal. This system which is bottom line driven, has been cost effective. So as long as this equation continues to equal a net profit, more of these instances will become common place.
Unlike before where the United States' population was growing at a rapid rate, we are now facing a population declension of ZPG (zero population growth). That means for us in the United States that it will be not be the demand for food but that lack of a supply to feed a very geriatric citizenry. Adversely, in the rest of the world, places of great economic growth like China and India will continue to increase their consumption of meats and grains. This will directly impact the rest of us globally, as prices of basic food staples steadily increase. So the final question is, will food shortages become the the norm? Sadly, the first to feel the effects would be underdeveloped countries like Ethiopia, who have been stretched to their limits. However, with the rise of emerging countries and their food demands along with real concerns on the burden this will place on our natural resources, eventually this will effect all nations across the globe.

Finally, I want to end this entry on a postive note, with all the advancements we made so far with organic alternatives and with the help of technology we are rising to meet the many challenges we face with food and feeding the masses.
Remember my saying,  "with innovation comes culinary creations".

Please check out these sites for further information on genetically produced food   www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18989835 & the recent news on the drought in Russia and their wheat crop. http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20100805&id=11806663


Please watch this video called Food, Inc. 
Our high demands for easy accessibility, comes at a cost.  



Best Regards,


Chef SamBFD


PS: My next blog will be very interesting, I will have some great recipe ideas!