Real Food

Last night I watched that show Unwrapped, which is usually fun to watch. They show how things we eat are made. Last night was the holiday issue so they were showing cookies, peanut brittle, gingerbread houses, champagne, etc. And it was interesting, like always. But something different hit me this time. As I was watching them pour ingredients into giant mixers and run dough through machines, all I could think of was "I don't want to eat that." Now I've worked in a food lab and I've seen outbreaks of e.coli, listeria, etc. Many of these things are due to improper cleaning of equipment and/or people. One outbreak was directly traced to a person who worked in the plant. They took care of a sick grand-baby and brought something into the factory where it contaminated the food. Lovely. Also, I do not care who you are, what you do, or how much you are paid, you do not care as much about some piece of machinery as you should. That machinery is cleaned, probably daily, but you know there are days when corners are cut. We are human, it happens. I'm not even condemning the humans for doing that. I just don't want to eat it. It really hit home for me that I do not want to consume things that are made like that. Because not only are the items being made like that, but so are the ingredients. The flour is made in some kind of plant. The eggs they add to the batter are processed in some plant. I don't want to eat that. I don't know how to stop eating that stuff entirely. Even if I made the majority of my own food, some things are still processed like flour and oil. I guess I just have to limit my processed foods to those absolutely necessary. That show was very enlightening....