Almost everyone in America has in some way been affected by cancer. Instead of trying to cure this horrible disease with painful and often ineffective treatments, why aren’t we focusing on the causes? How much research is actually being done on the prevention? Is cancer being served to us daily at the dinner table?
Carcinogens are found in all sorts of products that we use daily. Deodorants, soaps, shampoo, cleaning products, and yes, our foods, all contain these chemicals. Dyes, added to our food have been shown in studies to cause cancer. These dyes are still added to our foods to look more appealing. Sadly, this is aimed at our kids in many products. Where is the FDA?
There are studies that show links between these consumed chemicals and other health issues also, such as ADHD, obesity, and food allergies.
Why does the government allow miscellaneous chemicals to be ingredients in our food? Countries in the European Union follow a precautionary principle to protect their consumers. So, if something hasn't been tested to be safe, it's not sold. Companies make two formulations: one "safe" version of the product for the E.U. (and China) and one "questionable" ingredients version of the product for the U.S. Is it too much to ask the FDA and the processed food companies, such as Kraft for example, for the same value to be placed on the lives of the American kids that has been placed on the lives of kids in the UK? Manufacturers are scared to remove these sketchy ingredients in the American versions in fear of potentially being sued after admitting there was something wrong with their product in the first place.
The more I read about the possible carcinogens in our products, foods and materials we are exposed to daily, including the air we breathe and the water we drink, it angers, shocks and depresses me. Doesn’t our government care about us? Whose side is the FDA on? The American people, who rely on them for protection against harm or the big manufacturer’s who’s main goal is one thing…………………money.
1 comment:
Amy's concerns over food safety and links to cancer are legitimate, but I would have to say that her "emotional appeal" approach leaves out some key information and does not allow the reader a clear view of the issue. I would have liked to see some more in-depth information on the specific carcinogens found in foods and other products (instead of just stating that there are), and also more information about the FDA's actual policies and actions. Asking the questions "where is the FDA?" and "whose side is the FDA on?" without then answering those questions leads the reader to the conclusion that the answers are "nowhere," and "not ours," but without any real information to back that up. Amy states that there are studies that show links between consumption of chemicals and health issues, but does not cite any of those studies for the reader to draw their own conclusions. If the commentary had gone a bit more in depth and offered up some more concrete information, it would have been a much more effective argument.
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