What do we eat or Where have natural products gone?

Where have natural products gone?

In any store, products are now presented in abundance. And how many varieties of each - it’s simply mind-boggling! Unfortunately, there are only a few of them made from natural ingredients...

Conversations about the fact that natural products are disappearing from the menu of modern people do not subside. But on the other hand, what do you want to do about it? Previously, of course, everyone had their own things. So we ate everything natural. Vegetables and fruits - from the garden. We also made preserves and jam ourselves. And they had meat from their own farm. And they caught fish in the rivers themselves.

But what is there to remember about this? Now everything is different. Division of labor. Everyone is doing their job. And few have a subsistence economy. The majority refused to give up dachas with garden plots.

Today we don’t even have time to devote time to cooking. Everything is on the run, in a hurry. We eat at fast foods. We cook from semi-finished products. Canned food, jam, juices, dumplings, dumplings - all from supermarkets. And what the manufacturers make them from - God knows.

Sometimes what is sold supposedly as sour cream is actually a mixture of palm oil and soybeans, and the taste perfectly imitates real sour cream. The milk is mostly powdered. In products labeled “bio” there is no trace of “bio”, namely lactic acid bacteria. And sausage, which is widely available for sale, increasingly has nothing to do with natural meat.

Previously, during the times of the “scoop” so hated by many, the state stood guard over quality. And before, the problem was to buy a product, and once you bought it, you didn’t have to worry about the quality. But today everything is different. Buying is not a problem, the problem is buying quality.

Since the early 1990s, the state has given producers greater autonomy. In parallel with GOST standards, specifications (technical conditions) arose. Thus, enterprises began to approve new product formulations themselves, which, according to the state, should have led to improved quality and diversification of the product range.

As a result, it turned out this way and that. The assortment has really become more diverse. But the quality leaves much to be desired. Moreover, the further, the more.

Take a look at the label. The state standard GOST has not been canceled. How often do you come across products with GOST indications? Infrequently. This can be understood by the name. Why, say, the inscription on the package does not read as usual - sour cream, but, for example, sour cream. A small suffix in the name, but it may no longer comply with GOST.

GOST clearly defines the composition of a real product listed under the GOST name, all the ingredients allowed in it and the content of natural components in it. GOST requirements are the same for everyone; they can only be circumvented by breaking the law. And thanks to the TU, everything has become different - it’s enough to approve the TU, and you don’t have to comply with GOST.

Be honest, how often do you read the ingredients of a product on a product label? Probably rare. If you read at all. And there are so many mysterious letters and numbers. These are all food additives. Today, almost all food products contain food additives. They are classified according to their purpose, which is reflected by the first digit of the code indicated on the label.

Of course, there are also natural food additives, such as beta-carotene, saffron, vinegar, salt, pepper, etc., but this is not what we are talking about. We are talking about synthetic food additives, which are most widespread. It is around them that the most heated debates are taking place.

Environmentalists are sounding the alarm, saying it’s a disaster, these are all substances foreign to our body, they are harmful, and we are not fully aware of their harm. It is clear that manufacturers prove their harmlessness, citing studies and acceptable dosages.

Today, only 3 food additives are prohibited. And more than 100 food additives are not prohibited, but also not allowed for use. While they are being tested