Blog 3

    Dear, Family of Funds  
    
     As a response, America is one of the richest countries, yet we still have children who go to school hungry, come home hungry, and lack the food and nutrition they need to grow. Because there are many government programs to aid in assistance, many people don’t know how serious of an issue this is. Although we have programs to help, not everyone who needs food fits into that scale. Knowing the facts is a key way to understanding the problem of childhood hunger and reaching out to others. This means that a lot of families are faced with the dilemma of paying a crucial bill such as rent, gas or electric or paying for food. This choice is not always a black and white choice. Many times these families are facing eviction, shut-offs, and other dilemmas if their bills are not paid. This means as important as food is, it has to wait.

    If you didn’t know how severe the stats were for childhood hunger in America, that means others don’t either. You can help stop childhood hunger by building awareness. Talk to friends, family members, and co-workers about the facts of childhood hunger in America. Let the country know that children are hungry in one of the richest countries in the world. Call your local schools to see if they participate in the backpack program. If your school doesn’t have this program, ask about starting one, and get others involved in donating food for kids on the weekend. Nearly half of children who are eligible for free or reduced breakfast don’t receive it. That is 10 million children starting their school day hungry. In America, 1 in every 5 children lives in a household where access to consistent food is slim to none. 20% of families needing food assistance are not eligible for government assistance.

- Colton Domingues

  

Blog 3

Dear FDA,

Something has to be fixed about the illnesses by the food that you have "inspected" to be safe. Everyone across the US is facing multiples problems with foodborne illnesses. Do you have any idea what damage the food the FDA has checked to be good?

So many people have been effected by this problem. Yearly, "an estimated 48 million people get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 to die"(FDA.gov) Foodborne illnesses are caused by contaminated food and drinks. They have many different types of disease such as microbes or pathogens. The FDA states that they check their food to the absolute best, but in that case they don't. If their food was checked then all their contaminations wouldn't be there in the first place.

There are options to fix this problem. If the FDA builds better and more sanitary facilities that check and process food in a better manner. Then food can be check in a better way. The outcomes that can come out from this is that there will be a higher chance of food without diseases, as well as people will trust in the FDA more. There has been a lot of controversy around the FDA and how the FDA can't be trusted.

The FDA has accepted drugs and foods that can really harm the body. Such as a new drug that revolves around opioids and drug overdoses. If the FDA can solve their problems then the association can be trusted and looked up too.

A Letter to the FDA

Dear FDA,

For an organization that prides itself on health safety for the public, you do

seem to let a lot of things slip under the radar. Your regulations on food have

been either overly dramatic or not stern enough. You seem to have a bias to

money making organizations and disdain held for those who want to make food

healthier for us to eat like when it comes to things like food coloring. There is

another danger I would like to make clear because it’s something that cannot be stopped

without regulation. Why not go to the source it which that is there job to do so?

Maybe it’s because it’s a problem that has no chance at being solved because it’s ruled

by big business. It’s probably one of the most common food products everyone knows about.

Corn syrup or corn starch and it’s probably one of the most addictive things people are eating.

Seeing regulations by your organization say they prevent any type of addictive

substance from getting onto the market. What is the excuse of corn syrup than?

It’s been banned in by places like the EU as they see it as an addictive substance. It also

being a leading cause of obesity and dietary imbalance. I would say the only reason that it’s

not been banned is because it would throw part of America’s agricultural business. Since almost

all food uses it many business markets would crash leaving us in disarray. I hope this

is taken into consideration so if there were to be a ban it would be regulated in way for it not

to topple an economic system. If anything the problem only stays because there is that fear.

I say it’s the fear competence. The process may take long but that is only if it’s followed. If not,

the crisis will stand and there is not much anyone can do after that.

It’s time to stop focusing on corn syrup as a diet concern. Believe me that is a big issue

but it’s an issue being caused directly by the constant production of it. It seems to

only be making circles instead of breaking the mold for any kind of real change. If the

EU can do it, why can’t we? Maybe not ban it outright but certainly get rid of it so it’s

not killing Americans. It’s highly addictive and only seems to bring more pain to the

economic system. If we put more money into it of course it will end in tragedy. We’re putting

all our eggs in one basket at this point. Choosing to accept it as some type of saving grace in

the food industry when it only seems to be killing it. There needs to be other sources looked

into as just focusing on one can shut out everything. The focus on corn syrup and effects is

pointless in the end as there are more drastic reasons to why it’s an actual problem.

Not just at our local supermarket but also with the financial stability of the nation.

Sincerely,

Aedon Zier

Blog 3

Dear FDA:

Each year, there are an estimated 48 million cases of people getting sick, 128,000 are hospitalized, and 3,000 of those cases end up with the victim dying from food-borne illnesses in the United States reported by the CDC. Restaurants are often the origin for transmission of food-borne illnesses; in 2015, 60% of food-borne illness outbreaks were connected with restaurants. There is also evidence that restaurants, play a role in sporadic cases (cases not involved with the outbreak) of food-borne illness. Instead of taking time from their day to make a proper meal people are going out to all these restaurants for fast food or takeout putting them at a higher risk of catching food-borne illnesses one of the major illnesses being Salmonella. Salmonella infection (salmonellosis) is a common bacterial disease that affects the intestinal tract. Salmonella bacteria typically live in animal and human intestines and are shed through feces. Humans become infected most frequently through contaminated water or food.

Rates of the Salmonella infection in the United States have not decreased not increased within 20 years. Restaurants are often times considered hotspots for Salmonella outbreaks and sporadic infections. Many studies have examined the effect of posting letter grades for restaurant inspections on the incidence of food-borne illness. One of the studies done was comparing Salmonella infection rates in New York, New York, with those in the rest of New York state before and after they have received a letter grade from restaurant inspections. The results showed that after restaurants received the letter grade, the rate of Salmonella infections decreased 5.3% vs the rest of New York state during 2011–2015. Posting restaurant inspection results as letter grades was associated with a decline in Salmonella infections in New York City and grants consideration for broader use.

A case that happened in 2008 involved A Kansas family that sued San Antonio Taco Co. over problems they experienced after eating salmonella-infected food at the restaurant near Vanderbilt University last August. The Metro Health Department received calls from more than 200 people who said they had symptoms of food poisoning after eating at the popular restaurant August 5^th -7^th. Health officials subsequently confirmed that 11 of those people were infected with salmonella, but officials said they could not pinpoint the exact cause of the outbreak. The restaurant's management closed it voluntarily for an extensive cleaning on Aug. 12-13.

With the research I have done I was able to determine a possible solution for the outbreak of salmonella is to have an inspection made in restaurants more often because once the inspection is made the restaurant workers may not make sure that the food is not cross contaminated or that the restaurant is well maintained. There are many other ways to prevent Salmonella for example: Avoid eating high-risk foods, including raw or lightly cooked eggs, undercooked ground beef or poultry, keep food properly refrigerated before cooking, clean hands with soap and warm water before handling food, clean surfaces before preparing food on them, separate cooked foods from ready-to-eat foods, and cook foods to a safe internal temperature.

Sincerely,

Jesus Alamilla

Blog 3

Dear President's Council on Bioethics,

As a response to past indiscretions, the modern American milieu is characterized by equality and inclusion. It is correctly believed that all social groups should be given the same opportunities and moral considerations as every other social group. This attitude, however, has extended beyond the realm of human interaction; it touches the treatment of non-human animals as well. It is no surprise that veganism acquired popularity at the same time postmodernism became fashionable. Omnivory is a strikingly controversial topic with comparable weight to religion and social class. Many believe that eating meat is profoundly unethical while others find it difficult to maintain good health or satisfaction without the food group. A solution is required so people of all ideologies can have their meat and eat it too. One solution comes from the advent of lab grown meat.

With modern technology, it is possible to develop fully artificial meat. This meat has the same exact molecular composition and atomic structure as organic meat. The best methods can create a steak that is completely indistinguishable from a steak that came from a cow. It has white and red marbling, it browns when put on a grill, it has the scent of a cooking steak, and butter, salt, and pepper can be added to enhance the flavor. The meat does all of this even with its origin being nowhere near a farm. The technology involved in artificial meat goes further than the mere creation of the meat itself.

Beef isn't the only item that can be cultured in a lab; Chicken, lamb, pork, cod, lobster, and alligator could all be made as well. Not only that, but the exact distribution and concentration of macro nutrients can be controlled. The amount of fat in a hamburger patty could be precisely modulated down to the micro gram. The amount of iron, phosphorus, calcium, and vitamins can also be modulated. This would encourage healthy eating because consumers can choose what meat would best fit their dietary needs.

Most vegans are such because eating meat incurs unneeded pain on innocent animals. Farming and slaughter without a doubt imposes an immense amount of emotional and physical harm on animals that would otherwise live lives unaffected by human appetite. Eating artificial meat is the best way to circumvent the moral scruple of eating organic animals. The biggest problem facing artificial meat companies, though, is that most people simply find lab meat creepy.

The current social atmosphere would be skeptical or even disgusted by artificial meat. Exposure is the only reliable way to solve this problem. Lab grown meat needs to find its way to store shelves as quickly as possible. There is a multitude of companies already developing lab meat. Memphis Meats and Mosa Meat are the most prominent.

It would be worthwhile for the PCBE to fund these companies so they can hasten their research and development and get their meats to the market sooner rather than later.

Best Regards,

Reid George Hallam

Blog 3

Dear Restaurant Businesses,

    World hunger is a major problem but if we take a look at America it is no surprise that there is a ton of food waste in America. In the United States each year about 63 million tons of food is wasted. A big part of food waste is restaurants creating 11.4 million tons of foo wast each year. A typical American restaurant throws away approximately 85% of the food that isn’t used and only a small percent of that food is either contacted or recycled. Restaurants are literally throwing away food while some people are starving. However there are many simple things that restaurant can do to help prevent and reduce food waste. One simple and easy way is instead of just throwing away everything in one trash can have separate containers that sort your trash for example one for recycle, compost
and a regular trash. Composting your food scraps instead of throwing them away helps the earth because it can go right back into the soil and enriches it. Food waste is organic and is an important renewable energy resource. Plastic bottles, cans, cardboard and paper although it is not food it can still be reused or recycle and helps the earth. Another big way to prevent food waste is to donate it or give it away to the people who are hungry such as the homeless. A lot of restaurants do not donate because they either are too lazy or do not want to get sued or be held responsible in case someone gets sick. But you can hire someone to take the food and if the food was good enough to sell they can donate it as long as its not rotting or gone bad it is still good to feed those in need, there has also been no cases of this incident. Lawyers aren’t interested in seeing people who are just trying to feed the needy, and if it is not edible then just compost it. There is many little things that can be done to the ingredients in the kitchen as well to prevent such as frequently checking inventory and keep an eye on expiration dates. If the portions are too big and are leaving large leftovers then change the menu and put smaller portion sizes and get smaller plates to make it look like the plate is full. Make sure all the perishable food such as fruits and vegetables are stored properly because they go bad faster and also make sure all your other food is stored properly to make sure you preserve its shelf life for as long as possible.  Make sure that you as a restaurant owner do your research and train and educate your staff as well. If you promote less food waste and have a “green restaurant” people will appreciate your business more and show people how to look at the environment and the importance of making less food waste and it will hopefully encourage people to do the same.

Blog 3 Letter Regarding Food

Dear Environmental Protection Agency

It has come to my knowledge that it is really common for small town farmers, and even some industrialized big business farmers to use pesticides for there produce/crops. I think the risk of these pesticides do not have a substantial reward in the final product. According to Pesticide Action Network UK, the short term effects of these pesticides being used involve respiratory tract infections, nausea, headaches, and extreme skin/eye irritation. Although these effects may seem only somewhat bad for some readers, the long term affects appear to be more detrimental for the human health. Some of these long term effect include Parkinson's disease, Anxiety, asthma, and some cancers such as Leukemia and non-hodgkin lymphoma. These severe effects prove that the use of these pesticides is widely irresponsible. I understand that the whole point of these pesticides is to prevent pest from damaging the produce and crops, but I think the effects of these pesticides is far more worse. Just because something may be harmful for pest, does not mean it will not be harmful for humans that want to consume the product. Personally I come from a small farm town surrounded by numerous amounts of farms that all use pesticides. This causes the air quality to be significantly bad and can lead to some of the health effects that I mentioned above. Im asking that you evaluate the risk/reward of these pesticides and if we can in anyway regulate them any further. Our air quality in most parts of the country is already severely bad and according to National Pesticide information center the sun can break down these pesticides, but not all the time. This causes the rest of the pesticides to dissipate in the air. but maybe harsher regulations could improve air quality and the health of people consuming these products. Some ways that I think we can be able to do this is more critical testing of what pesticides are specifically harmful to humans and air quality. I don't think we should just let certain pesticides go under the rug because they may only be harmful if exposed for long periods of time. I say this because if you are someone who lives near a farm where there is always constant pesticides in the air, then you are significantly vulnerable to the long term affects. Also if you are limited by your choices of produce in your local stores, then you can be facing the severe long term affects as well. I encourage you to act now before it is to late. I think positive change is very much obtainable in the pesticide issues that farmers and consumers face. With time, research, and exploring our options we can solve the problem.

-Timothy Costa

Blog 3

Dear Grocery stores,

    A rather big issue we are facing because of grocery stores is the fact that expiration dates are not regulated. In writing this letter, I hope to inspire you to make a change towards including expiration dates on food packaging.

    The only food in America that is legally obliged to have an expiration date is baby food. Yes, it is important to consider a babies health, but it is also extremely important to understand the importance of adults health as well. Though adults have stronger immune systems than babies, there is no harm in putting an expiration date on other foods. 

    One reason for this is that we do not want to see people getting sick from foods consumed that they thought would be safe to eat. With no expiration dates, potential problems such as grocery store shoppers getting very severe food poisoning could take place. The FDA must be aware of the fact that people may easily become sick if they consume bad foods, which makes me wonder why there is no rule on regulation for expiration dates. 

   Another reason that expiration dates must be regulated is to stop the vast amount of food waste. When people buy foods that have an expiration date and see that they are on the expiration day, they may become a bit hesitant towards consuming it. Even days before an expiration date many are known to throw the products away thinking they are at risk of having them go bad. As most people know, expiration dates are not exact so given that information, people tend to play it safe. When people are throwing food out regardless of how much is left, it is piling up all of the food that is being wasted day by day.

    If food companies were to start including expiration dates on their packaging, people would be more aware of when they should consume food products by, which would lead to a lesser amount of people getting food poisoning and other food related sicknesses. Taking this step would teach people to ration, for example when buying food products, shoppers would purchase smaller quantities of food which would help them save money and would lead to less food waste. With people being able to ration, the food companies could start to have less food production which would mean there is more food to conserve.

    I hope that you have found this letter both insightful and inspiring. Hopefully in the near future we can see more expiration dates on the foods being sold in grocery stores to better the customers who are purchasing it. Babies need to be healthy to develop correctly which is why their foods have expirations, and in order to be a healthy adult you must eat right which means we must also know more about the food we are putting into our bodies. All that has to take place in order for an idea like this to take place is to have the FDA's approval and encourage them to make the change. Though it is not required to include an expiration date on food packaging, we would still be able to get companies to include them because expiration dates do not have to be FDA approved. I am hoping to soon see a change that will lead to healthy people and less waste.

Sincerely, 

Olivia O'Neal

FDA

To whom it may concern,

It has been a long debated issue that the FDA is allowing far too many additives into our foods, many of them lacking any scientific evidence proving there are positive effects caused from them. One of these practices is most concerning, the allowance of carbon monoxide mixtures into the meat manufacturing industry. The use of these additives are designed only to hide flaws and potential risks of meat products, by prohibiting discoloration. The use of this process being allowed is distasteful and is in many ways a violation of consumer rights. The FDA claims its responsibility is to protect the consumer from any threats and risks either from drugs or food that are brought into the market. The practice of allowing this process not only deceives the consumer by hiding any signs of spoiling and bacteria exposure, but reflects that the FDA is more interested in the success of the market then they are of the health and safety of its consumers. I would hope that there would be more evidence supporting the opposite, but there hundreds of cases reported annually of tainted meat products being pulled off the shelves after it has already been too late and United States citizens have been exposed. There appears to be no supporting evidence that this process improves the safety of this product buts hides any red flags a consumer would be able to spot before making a purchase. Unless tangible evidence is brought to the table that proves that there are safety benefits to using this process during packaging, the FDA should prohibit and enforce the removal of this practice, ensuring that an honest product is brought to market.

A tax paying American,

Demitrique A. Butchert

March 27, 2019

University of Nevada Reno

Dear FDA,

The number of foodborne illnesses and transmittable diseases through airborne pathogens that are pushed on consumers, workers, and animals in animal agriculture is downright disgusting and should be addressed. To begin, a study conducted by UNC concluded that black Carolinians were one and a half times more likely to live near a hog pen then white Carolinians, as well as native residents being twice as likely, and Hispanic individuals being 1.39 times more likely. In just 2007 alone, the hogs of Duplin County produced twice as much human waste in New York City. If the insufferable amount of feces and urine weren’t enough for our POC citizens to endure, there have been several complaints from residents of “fecal residue on their houses and cars as well as disease and respiratory afflictions.” In January of 2015 a study showed “elevated levels of fecal bacteria in waterways near hog operations—and since this waste isn’t treated, it has a higher risk of causing hepatitis, typhoid, dysentery and other health problems.” 
Animals, just like humans, get sick. Because of the cramped environments that farmed animals are forced into, their likelihood of falling ill is more likely. Additionally, farmed animals are not bred for health, they're bred for size, and because of this genetics tend to mutate and cause many animals to develop cysts and cancers in which we consume regularly as there is not a fast and cheap way to discard cancerous lumps or cysts. All that can be done is the quick draining of cysts on the slaughter line, or hopefully, no one notices. Because animals are more likely to carry illness, they're typically pumped full of antibiotics to aid in the prevention of foodborne illnesses to humans. However, these drugs are only tested on animals, not humans. Therefore, in my opinions as well as many others, should be deemed unsafe. 
Workers in Tyson Foods, Perdue Farms, Pilgrim's Pride, and Sanderson Farms are denied breaks₇, as well as suffering from exposure to antibiotic-resistant bacteria which result in respiratory illness, and infection. The corporations such as the AHA, ADA, and the USDA which display a facade of charismatic care for the health of American citizens are all funded by animal-agriculture industries, even though they themselves admit to animal products not legally being able to be labeled healthy, nutritious, good for you, or even safe. This is increasingly untrue as the spread of illness and disease is rampant through animal-based agriculture. 
To resolve these matters, there need to be warnings and precautions taken so that fewer animals and people fall to illness. Warnings such as stickers on meat packaging labeling meat as being able to cause or spread certain illness or disease, as well as more strict regulations for pregnant woman consuming such products such as the warning on alcohol or cigarettes. Workers need to be ensured a safe, clean environment to work so that they do not succumb to such foodborne illnesses, as well as given proper slaughter times to be able to handle cysts or cancer if it does occur. Additionally, animals should not be mass produced in such a way so they are getting sick to the point of being riddled with cancer and puss pockets, as it is unhygienic and overall disgusting. Sustainability and health need to be brought forward for the greater good of our communities. 

From a concerned citizen,

Jaiden Christopher