Eating Right?

                                                                                                  EE1.

Leake

                                                                                                                              Ben Massey

                                                                                                                              4/30/12

Each culture possesses distinctness that makes it unique, these attributes can be seen in all aspects of society from styles of dress to religion to food. American culture is unique in its own ways and the average American diet is reflective of our food culture and how we interact with food. “Currently processed food sold in supermarkets takes up 80% of retail sales in the United States” (Regmi, and Gehlhar). Processed food is any food item that has been altered from its natural state; in many cases for preservation or safety reasons. The opposite of processed food would be local produce or meat taken straight from the farm to the dinner table, also known as local or primary food. Processed food has become so widely available today that many people do not see the distinction and assume that the only type of nourishment is what is available on the grocery store shelf. There has been a reversal of the roles processed food and primary food play in American diets, processed food is now the norm while local food has become decentralized and even foreign to many American consumers. There are detriments to the overwhelming presence of processed foods in American diets, especially environmental and health impacts.  This relatively new view of food reflects American food values such as convenience and affordability. As processed food has grown into its current market share, American food culture has changed as well.

Food processing has been around for centuries. As soon as humans discovered agriculture and began keeping livestock, extra food became a commodity. Keeping this surplus from spoiling became very important. People have used salt to preserve meat for thousands of years; preservation of food was one of the key skills required for nomadic tribes to become stationary villages and towns. Up until the industrial revolution primary food, food consumed directly from the land or animal, was the most important source of nourishment around the world. That changed in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. In America the first house hold refrigerators rolled off production lines in 1913 (National Academy of Engineering 2012). This was key for the expansion of preserved food into the mass market. In the 1960s the “TV dinner” was introduced to Americans, for the first time dinner could be made with just a microwave in less than five minutes. The 20th century also saw the advent of supermarkets across the county. These stores are now the base of American’s food needs and can be found in almost every town across the country. They made access to a variety of foods easier than ever, increasing ease and convenience and playing to American cultural values.

Processed food has a large environmental impact as well. Raw ingredients must be transported to processing facilities and then to stores across the nation. This is accomplished primarily through the use of fossil fuels. A Carnegie Mellon study was conducted in 2008 to study the climate impacts of American food sources, they estimated, “the average household’s climate impacts related to food to be around 8.1 t CO2e/yr”(tons of CO2 emissions per year)(Weber, and Matthews ). Much of this footprint was attributed to the production plants where raw ingredients like corn become Frosted Flakes and other familiar products.

With the advent of processed food across much of the developed world there are both benefits and detriments that we now take for granted in America. First and foremost processed food allowed the expansion of cities into suburbs by provided preserved food that can be eaten miles away from its source. Many places in America would be uninhabitable if food were not driven in from around the country. These benefits were driven by the food industry’s business model of feeding as many people as much food as possible. Shelves across the country are overflowing with food; many perishables are displayed and then thrown away if they expire before being sold.  Preservatives have also brought previously unavailable food items into new markets. For example, seafood can be found in every state even though only a handful have access to the world’s oceans. American’s have developed an attitude of “I can have it all” that is spurred on by marketers. Processed food is a manifest of this attitude. You can have seafood from Alaska and meat from the Midwest, even if you don’t live next to the sea or a cattle prairie. “Global trade in processed food grew rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s, as consumers in high-income countries demanded more foreign food products” (Regmi, and Gehlhar). These products were brought to American consumers through an explosion of supermarkets across the country during the 2^nd half on the 20^th century. As soon as consumers realized foreign products were readily available to them, demand exploded.

If you look on the supermarket shelves today they are stocked full food proclaiming self-value. If you look even more closely at the packaging, words like big, best, and more, jump out at you. This has become the norm in marketing food to Americans as our food culture has shifted to value “bigger” and “more”. By processing raw ingredients the food industry can create products that cater to these values at the cheapest price possible. This occurs through the addition of synthetic ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup. By engineering new chemicals that produce different tastes a product can be the “spiciest” or the “sweetest” on the shelf. It is in fact a loop of circular logic; marketers sell us the idea that bigger is better and then create newer and newer products that cater to this belief. In many cases these new products have been shown to have negative health effects.

One of the most apparent effects of processed food is the growing obesity rates among Americans. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that 35.7% of adults are obese (Ogden, Carroll, and et al).   Processed food has increased the choices available to consumers as well as increasing the convenience of obtaining food.  Today food is more available and affordable than ever before, this increase combined with a lack of nutritional education has led to the highest obesity rates the United States has even seen. As a culture we have gravitated away from the idea of a meal and more towards “eating on the edge" a term coin by the author Jamie Horwitz to describe “occasions when food is an additive to a situation, such as a cigarette would be, rather than being definitive” (Horwitz 42). Instead of wholesome meals we consume processed snacks multiple times a day. It is so easy for many American’s because they readily available to us. In terms of food culture our obsession with easy and convenient meals has proved to be unhealthy in the long run. Yet despite the evidence against processed food we stick to our firmly entrenched values and keep eating it. Processed foods can cause more harm than just obesity, in a study published by the journal Clinical Epigenics scientists found a possible link between synthetic additives such as high fructose corn syrup and increasing rates of autism (Dufault, Lukiw, et al ). As a culture we now pursue easy and convenient meals at the expense of our health.

Less than 200 years ago Americans got much of their food from local sources. Grain and meat were cultivated in each town and cities relied on satellite fields to feed their population. There was a cultural ethic that valued a connection to the earth. Each farmer cared for his fields and sold his grain to the town. When you bought a bag of corn in colonial America you knew it either came from a nearby field or it was spoiled. Today you would be hard pressed to find any local items in your supermarket. This change has led to our desensitization towards the environment as our food source becomes less and less apparent. If you ask the average American child where their food comes from most of them would answer, the grocery store, not even considering the fact that it had to be grown and processed somewhere else. We are more inclined to preserve our land when we gather food from it every season. American culture is pulling farther away from the source of our food and as a product we are losing our connection to the earth.

Like it or not processed food is the only choice for many Americans. However there are farmers markets in many towns along with other options to buy local food. Despite the obvious health effects, environmental impact and a loss of connection to the earth many people choose processed food over local meat and produce. Our diet is reflective of many societal aspects; American’s obsession with fast and convenient food, disregard for our health, and a need to have whatever we want when we want. What is needed is a reformation back to local sources for nourishment. It won’t be as easy as driving to Safeway to get groceries with a transition back to primary sources. Many of the foods we love and take for granted wouldn’t be available ether, but in the long run we would benefit as a society and individuals. Already community gardens and community supported agriculture programs are gaining traction as an alternative to processed food. Not only would Americans be healthier but we would regain a connection to the earth that seems to have been lost over the past century.

Sources

National Academy of Engineering, . "Air Conditioning and Refrigeration History - part 3." Great Achievement. n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3862>.

Dufault, Renee, Walter Lukiw, et al. "A macroepigenetic approach to identify factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States." Clinical Epigenics. n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.clinicalepigeneticsjournal.com/content/4/1/6/abstract>.

Ogden, Ph.D., Cynthia L, Margaret D. Carroll, M.S.P.H, et al. "Prevalence of Obesity in the United States, 2009–2010." NCHS Data Brief No. 82 January 2012. (2012): n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.pdf

Regmi , Anita , and Mark Gehlhar. "Processed Food Trade Pressured by Evolving Global Supply Chains."Amber Waves; USDA. n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/february05/features/ProcessedFood.htm>.

Horwitz, Jamie . "Eating at the Edge." Gastronomic. 9. (2009): 42-47. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://blackboard.du.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/2017.201230/Eating at the Edge - Horwitz.pdf>.

Weber, Christopher L., and H. Scott Matthews. "Food-Miles and the Relative Climate Impacts of Food Choices in the United States." Environmental Science and Technology . 42.3508–3513 n. page. Web. 30 Apr. 2012. <http://pubs.acs.org/doi/full/10.1021/es702969f>.

Eating Right? (Draft)

Eating Right? (Draft)                                                                                            EE1. Leake

                                                                                                                              Ben Massey

                                                                                                                              4/25/12

Each culture possesses distinctness that makes it unique. These attributes can be seen in all aspects of society from styles of dress to religion to food. American culture is unique in its own ways. The average American diet is reflective of our food culture and how we interact with food. Currently processed food sold in supermarkets takes up 80% of retail sales in the United States” (Regmi, and Gehlhar). Processed food is any food item that has been altered from its natural state; in many cases for preservation or safety reasons. The opposite of processed food would be local produce or meat taken straight from the farm to the dinner table, also known as local or primary food. Processed food has become so widely available today that many people do not see the distinction and assume that the only type of nourishment is what is available on the grocery store shelf. There are both benefits and detriments to the overwhelming presence of processed foods in American diets. This relatively new view of food is reflective of American food values such as convenience, affordability and safety. As processed food has grown into its current market share, American food culture has changed as well.

Food processing has been around for centuries. As soon as humans discovered agriculture and began keeping livestock, extra food became a commodity. Keeping this surplus from spoiling became very important. People have used salt to preserve meat for thousands of years; preservation of food was one of the key skills required for nomadic tribes to become stationary villages and towns. Up until the industrial revolution primary food, food consumed directly from the land or animal, was the most important source of nourishment around the world. That changed in the 19^th and 20^th centuries. In America the first house hold refrigerators rolled off production lines in 1913 (National Academy of Engineering 2012). This was key for the expansion of preserved food into the mass market. In the 1960s the “TV dinner” was introduced to Americans, for the first time dinner could be made with just a microwave in less than five minutes. The 20th century also saw the advent of supermarkets across the county. These stores are now the base of American’s food needs and can be found in almost every town across the country. They made access to a variety of foods easier than ever, increasing ease and convenience and playing to American cultural values. Processed food also has a large environmental impact as well. Raw ingredients must be transported to processing facilities and then to stores across the nation. All of this is done with fossil fuel burning vehicles leaving a huge carbon footprint.

Processed food has many traits both good and bad that we now take for granted in America. First and foremost processed food allowed the expansion of cities into suburbs by provided preserved food that can be eaten miles away from its source. Many places in America would be uninhabitable if food were not driven in from around the country. These benefits were driven by the food industry’s business model of feeding as many people as much food as possible. Shelves across the country are overflowing with food; many perishables are displayed and then thrown away if they expire before being sold.  Preservatives have also brought previously unavailable food items into new markets. For example, seafood can be found in every state even though only a handful border the sea. American’s have developed an attitude of “I can have it all” that is spurred on by marketers. Processed food is a manifest of this attitude. You can have seafood from Alaska and meat from the Midwest, even if you don’t live next to the sea or a cattle prairie. “Global trade in processed food grew rapidly during the 1970s and 1980s, as consumers in high-income countries demanded more foreign food products” (Regmi, and Gehlhar). These products were brought to American consumers through an explosion of supermarkets across the country during the 2^nd half on the 20^th century. As soon as consumers realized foreign products were readily available to them, demand exploded, due to their rarity.

If you look on the supermarket shelves today they are stocked full food proclaiming it’s self-value. If you look even more closely at the packaging, words like big, best, and more jump out at you. By processing raw ingredients the food industry can create products that cater to American values such as “bigger is better” and “more is good” all at the cheapest price possible. Through the addition of synthetic ingredients such as high fructose corn syrup, a product can be the “spiciest” or the “sweetest” on the shelf. It is in fact a loop of circular logic; marketers sell us the idea that bigger is better and then create newer and newer products that cater to this belief.

It is important to differentiate between processed food and junk food. Junk food is one of the most processed of all food and has the most negative health effects. It can be identified by large amounts of sugar or carbohydrates relative to a serving size. Processed food is almost everything else in the American diet that can be purchased at the grocery store.

One of the most apparent effects of processed food is the growing obesity rates among Americans. Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey indicate that 35.7% of adults are obese (Ogden, Carroll, and et al).   Processed food has increased the choices available to consumers as well as increasing the convenience of obtaining food.  Today food is more available and affordable than ever before, this increase combined with a lack of nutritional education has led to the high obesity rates in America today. As a culture we have gravitated away from the idea of a meal and more towards “eating on the edge" a term coin by the author Jamie Horwitz to describe “occasions when food is an additive to a situation, such as a cigarette would be, rather than being definitive” (Horwitz 42). Instead of wholesome meals we consume processed snacks multiple times a day. It is so easy for many American’s because they readily available to us. In terms of food culture our obsession with easy and convenient meals has proved to be unhealthy in the long run. Yet despite the evidence against processed food we stick to our firmly entrenched values and keep eating it. Processed foods can cause more harm than just obesity, in a study published by the journal Clinical Epigenics scientists found a possible link between synthetic additives such as high fructose corn syrup and increasing rates of autism (Dufault, Lukiw, and et al ). As a culture we now pursue easy and convenient meals at the expense of our health.

Less than 200 years ago Americans got much of their food from local sources. Grain and meat were cultivated in each town and bigger cities relied on satellite fields to feed their population. There was a cultural ethic that valued a connection to the earth. Each farmer cared for his fields and sold his grain to the town. When you bought a bag of corn in colonial America you knew it either came from a nearby field or it was spoiled. Today you would be hard pressed to find any local items in your supermarket. This change has led to our desensitization towards the environment as our food source becomes less and less apparent. If you ask the average American child where their food comes from most of them would answer, the grocery store, not even considering the fact that it had to be grown and processed somewhere else. We are more inclined to preserve our land when we gather food from it every season. American culture is pulling farther away from the source of our food and as a product of this we are losing our connection to the earth.

Like it or not processed food is the only choice for many Americans. However there are farmers markets in many towns along with other options to buy local food. Despite the obvious health effects, environmental impact and a loss of connection to the earth many people choose processed food over local meat and produce. Our diet is reflective of many societal aspects; American’s obsession with fast and convenient food, disregard for our own health, and a need to have whatever we want when we want. What is needed is a reformation back to local sources for nourishment. It won’t be as easy as driving to Safeway to get groceries with a transition back to primary sources. Many of the foods we love and take for granted wouldn’t be available ether, but in the long run we would benefit as a society and individuals. Already community gardens and community supported agriculture programs are gaining traction as an alternative to processed food. Not only would Americans be healthier but we would regain a connection to the earth that seems to have been lost over the past century.

Editing notes

New organization; better organization for pargraphs?

Do you understand the main thesis? Is it clear enough

Some paragraphs feel unnecessary, what do you think?

Sources

National Academy of Engineering, . "Air Conditioning and Refrigeration History - part 3." Great Achievement. n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.greatachievements.org/?id=3862>.

Dufault, Renee, Walter Lukiw, et al. "A macroepigenetic approach to identify factors responsible for the autism epidemic in the United States." Clinical Epigenics. n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.clinicalepigeneticsjournal.com/content/4/1/6/abstract>.

Ogden, Ph.D., Cynthia L, Margaret D. Carroll, M.S.P.H, et al. "Prevalence of Obesity in the United States, 2009–2010." NCHS Data Brief No. 82 January 2012. (2012): n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db82.pdf

Regmi , Anita , and Mark Gehlhar. "Processed Food Trade Pressured by Evolving Global Supply Chains."Amber Waves; USDA. n. page. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://www.ers.usda.gov/amberwaves/february05/features/ProcessedFood.htm>.

Horwitz, Jamie . "Eating at the Edge." Gastronomic. 9. (2009): 42-47. Web. 24 Apr. 2012. <http://blackboard.du.edu/bbcswebdav/courses/2017.201230/Eating at the Edge - Horwitz.pdf>.

Eating on The Edge

  In “Eating on the Edge” Horwitz describes how our food culture has changed over the past century. She describes our changing attitudes towards food such as the advent of the snack and how we are moving away from the idea of a meal (Horwitz 42).  It is written in a style that combines the author’s personal experience with researched facts to present his argument. This argument is that as a society we have latched on to “eating on the edge” Horwitz describes this as "occasions when food is an additive to a situation, such as a cigarette would be, rather than being definitive (Horwitz 42)." Horwitz developed his argument by describing examples from starkly different times and places. She begins with the “tv dinner” introduced in the sixties, then moves to multicultural meals on the space station and ends with the nuances of airplane food and cuisine in Brussels. I liked how Horwitz used this style to explore “eating on the edge” from multiple viewpoints. It is easy to read similar essays, describing some obscure aspect of society, and immediately link the argument to here and now. Horwitz ensured that the reader understands that this is a global societal shift that has happened over decades.

  I and most college students would wholeheartedly agree with Horwitz’s argument that meals have become de-centralized and “snacks” have risen in prominence. I think this shift is based mostly on convenience. We live in a world where time is very precious and both students and employees find balancing time more and more difficult. I know in my experience I don’t have the patience or time to sit 3 times a day and eat a full meal with company. It is much easier to grab a burrito to go and eat it on your way to class. There are many benefits that we forgo by choosing snacks and convenience over centralized meals. Snacks tend to be unhealthier and it is easy to eat more of them. We also lose the social connection that happens over a meal, something that is often overlooked. I wish I could hold meals with more importance and savor the health and company, but the fact is, I’m just to busy.

Food Culture and Values at 11,000 ft.

                                                                                                                                     Ben Massey

The Vista Haus struck me as more of an enclave from the elements than a restaurant. Located in the shadow of Peak 8 at Breckenridge it is easily accessible from multiple descents and lifts. I arrived around eleven just as the lunch crowd was starting to congregate. A light snow outside had already driven in the family vacation crowd along with a few who were mistakenly dressed for a warm spring day. A welcoming fireplace strategically visible though wide windows beckoned many skiers inside. The first thing I noticed inside Vista Haus was the heat. It felt as if the thermostat had been cracked around its axis three or four times. Even in just my base layer I was beginning to sweat. Another immediate observation was the cozy and homely atmosphere presented. The architecture reminded me of a stone cottage transplanted into a massive structure, soothing and elegant music rung out of the speakers at a perfect background volume. Due to this pleasant atmosphere many people stayed inside for the duration of my hour note taking, sometimes going back for seconds. The food was served in a cafeteria style setting conducive to feeding a large amount of people in the shortest time possible. Patrons sat at long “log” styled tables with room for at least twenty on each side. It became obvious to me that Vista Haus was set up to accommodate as many people as possible, while still maintaining an atmosphere vacationers expected.

Vista Haus exemplified the intangibles that tourists value while on vacation. There are certain expectations that accompany a meal while on the mountain. The homely and warm atmosphere was very important, I also noticed that the staff were all very well dressed and almost always had a smile on their face.

Being from a ski town it is easy for me to spot the difference between locals and vacationers on the snow. They are given away by many clues; their equipment, clothing, style of skiing and the dead giveaway of a day ticket secured by zip tie to the hem of their coat. The Vista Haus was overflowing with this breed of mountain enthusiast. They flocked towards the fireplace like pigeons and lines of them overflowed out of the bathroom. I couldn’t tell where each distinct group hailed form, but it is a safe guess that the patrons of Vista Haus represent mid to upper class America and reside in a diversity of states. In the 2010-2011 ski year 6,946,826

skiers visited Colorado Ski Resorts from around the world ("ColoradoSki.com"). Based on my observations I could deduce specific food cultures sand values of this geographically diverse crowd occupying Vista Haus at 11:00 am Sunday morning. An interesting note is that many of these cultures and values I observed are temporary for patrons. There is a stark difference between how one behaves on vacation compared to the normality of a Monday to Sunday work or school week and this difference was in full effect at the Vista Haus. The first and most apparent food value was that the cost of food is of little or no consequence. I saw cheeseburgers going for twelve dollars accompanied by four dollar fountain drinks. I observed one father drop at least fifty bucks on his family’s lunch without so much as a flinch. It is also important to note that the food quality was very much in line with what Sodexco serves up on a daily basis. A far cry from what twelve dollars can buy you at a nice burger joint.

While sitting and taking notes I was struck by the realization that I was the only one sitting alone out of two stories filled with hundreds of people. Food and community go hand in hand but usually in most restaurants you can find at least one person eating solo. I think this observation is a product of the communal nature of snow sports. Almost no one skis or snowboards alone, not only is it not as fun, it can be dangerous as well. Around me sat many families, almost all were laughing and generally looked like they were having the time of their life. Again I think that this shows that the Vista Haus compels temporary food values that may dissipate when these people return to their day to day lives.  

It was clear to me that patrons of Vista Haus did not come just for the food. They came inside for the warmth, atmosphere and a place to congregate off the snow. For these benefits many were willing to pay overly-exuberant prices for low quality food. Vista Haus is essentially a “shelter” from the elements and Breckenridge Ski Corp. is able to capitalize on this image by offering overpriced food to anyone looking for a warm place. The patrons I was taking notes on were from all over the country representative of many different food culture and values. However here they became one group, occupying a common set of values found from Mexico to Alaska, the carefree and expensive flair typical of a vacationer.

Works Cited

. "Colrado Ski." ColoradoSki.com. CSCUSA Member Resorts, 2011. Web. 17 Apr 2012. <http://www.coloradoski.com/uploads/10-Year Skier visits thru 10-11.pdf>.

Source

http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1300/J073v07n03_04
This is an academic article applying "Importance Performance Analysis" to a ski area in Switzerland. It discusses different aspects of this ski area as they relate to the management's business model

Blog Post 4-Food and Community

                                                                                                                                           Ben Massey

These two essays show how food is intertwined with certain communities. “Breaking bread with spread” describes the inner workings of a San Francisco jail and how “spread”, a jail house conglomeration of food, functions as a social crux. Inmates use portions of meals, edible gifts from the outside and any food they can find to create different spreads, usually with the help of just a microwave or boiling water. The spreads have evolved to represent a “rebellion” of sorts from prison food the inmates consider bland and unsatisfying. While reading I couldn’t help drawing a connection to dorm life. Sometimes I feel “imprisoned” by Sodexco’s food and I cherish the ability to make dinner in my room that is not only tastier but empowers the feeling of freedom from the mundane day to day cafeteria feed. Cate also describes how the spreads function as a social rallying point, certain inmates always cook together and buying/selling of spreads pulls different groups and individuals together.

O’Donnell’s essay connects food and communities as well, but in a much different setting, the emerging Chinese city of Shenzhen. While the spreads of San Francisco relate relatively small groups of inmates, O’Donnell discusses how food is tied to different generations in the world’s largest country. On one hand there is an older generation who value the socialist ethic and on the other are the young emerging Shenzheners wrapped up in the self-interest of hybrid capitalism. O’Donnell writes, “Old Shenzheners nostalgia for socialist meals competes with New Shenzheners commodified appetites (pg. 38)” The older group values small government issued meals and the ensuing sacrifice for the “greater good”. The younger Shenzheners view this socialist rhetoric as old and outdated, preferring instead to bow to the capitalist notion of fulfilling self-needs as the highest priority. The rapidly expanding, high end, bars and eateries of Shenzhen are a product of this new notion of food. This is very much representative of the “westernization” of Chinese culture away from its humble traditional roots.

Food holds a special place for everyone. Inmates in the city of brotherly love have found their own type of community centered on jail-cooked treats. Traditional Shenzheners hold small bland meals of cornbread and state-issued rice in high regard as a means of supporting their country. These essays have shown me that certain meals hold more value that just nourishment and that this value can become a social rallying point for just a couple of people or an entire generation.  

Classmates Blog

As I read though Nick's blog the 5th paragraph caught my attention. It is describing an ad for a upper-scale steak  joint in Chicago. He made the point that "Wildfire does not have to advertise, their food and reputation does that for them." I immediately latched on to that quote as it was very similar to a point I made in my short essay, that McDonalds and Heinz do not need to advertise their brand because they are already household names. Because all three of these food establishments already have recognition they can focus their advertising on other aspects; the atmosphere of the meal for example at Wildfire or the "fit" version of ketchup. It is true that brand recognition is one of the most important themes in marketing and these three companies all understand that.
http://847cuisine.blogspot.com/2012/04/advertisements.html

Straight American Food

These ads convey two of the most Americanized food products, McDonald’s sandwiches and Heinz ketchup. Both could be considered staples of an average American diet and the ads reflect centralized values of American society, health and knowledge. Appealing to a person’s identity can be one of the strongest marketing strategies. McDonalds and Heinz employ this by relating to who the viewers think they are or who they want to be. Primarily these ads convey the impression that if you are smart you eat McDonalds and if you are healthy you use Ketchup.

I stumbled upon the ketchup ad while searching the internet and it immediately caught my eye. It has a simple and elegant design that highlights the partially eaten tomato occupying dead center. Beneath the vibrant green and red it reads “No Sin” and “more tomatoes less sugar”. This print ad is directed towards consumers who are health conscious, but not ready to give up their favorite brand of ketchup. Product recognition is very important for generating sales and Heinz Fit Ketchup, still has the brand name but is supposed to be healthier than original ketchup. The irony is that ketchup is not a part of a healthy diet, but can be made to look the part by labeling it “fit”. Food advertisers use other words like “skinny” or “slim” to the same effect. Similar to the McDonalds ad, the actual brand they are trying to sell occupies only a small portion of the area, overshadowed by a graphic designed to capture your attention. This is a benefit of being a multi-national chain; McDonalds and Heinz are already recognizable companies and don’t have to devote the whole ad to emphasizing their brand.

The McDonalds ad I chose employs very interesting imagery. I chose it because it is very different that most fast food ads I have seen. It is not emphasizing health or product quality as is usually the case with fast food.  A hamburger is stylized as a stack of different books each cleverly colored and named to match an ingredient. A cursive M occupies the lower left and on the bottom it reads, “A sandwich for experts”. Through this ad McDonalds is conveying the message that “experts” eat McDonald’s sandwiches and if you are an “expert” you should too. This ad throws the common conception of McDonalds on its head. It tries to portray a sophisticated image of the golden arches, despite the fact that many American’s would never associate sophistication and McDonalds. In today’s highly stratified society, education is directly equated with success. This ad successfully appeals to an audience who yearn to feel “educated” or “smart”. Both this and the Heinz ad rely on the premise that if you use this product you will feel better about yourself.  The designer of this ad also chose the font to match the theme of intelligence. Using cursive evokes imagery of the upper-class and elegance as oppose to the mundane or regular of print.

These ads speak volumes about food cultures and values in America. The “fitness” value can be seen in almost every food isle today.  Americans place great value in foods that are supposed to be healthier. Labels such as “0-trans fat” and “less than 100 calories” are commonplace. Most Americans do not know what trans-fat is and can’t differentiate between simple and complex carbs.  They place their trust in the product and assume that it simply must be better because that’s what the packaging says. The irony is that most of the products that rely on “health advertising” are the very foods a health-conscious eater would avoid. You never see labels on lettuce or fruit telling you how healthy they are. This kind of marketing is so prevalent today because it is so successful. Everyone wants to be fit, but not everyone wants to give up Heinz ketchup.

By analyzing ads a consumer can see deep into a company. How they wish to be seen, who they market to, and most importantly what value their products hold. You can also peer into society’s food culture and values and how companies employ these to entice customers. Heinz and McDonalds are food giants in America and these two ads show they are experts at appealing to consumer’s identity. As long as there are people who believe that “experts” eat at McDonalds and that Heinz’s new ketchup is “fit” then ads like these will keep showing up and will keep being successful.

Everyone Loves Chips

Freedman and Jurafsky’s research make deep inroads into how language and culture are connected. What their work suggests is that there is a distinction between the language used by the higher socio-economic classes and the lower ones. Food advertisers take advantage of this distinction by marketing specific brands to each class through use of class-specific diction on the packaging. One of the most interesting points they made is the connection between health, class and food advertising. It is a well-documented fact that members of a higher demographic usually lead much healthier lives. Freedman and Jurafsky postulate that more expensive chips employ diction such as “natural” or “zero trans fat” on the packaging while less expensive chips forgo phrases such as those. The chips then appear healthier when really all chips are similar in healthiness despite who they are marketed to.

The methods Freedman and Jurafsky’s applied to potato chips can be used with almost any mass-marketed product. I could imagine it being used with diapers and other baby-care products. Similar to potato chips, diapers are a necessity for both upper and lower class families. I would suspect that the findings would correlate with their previous study in that different brands employ varied diction and word complexity to appeal to different socio-economic classes.

The geography of food

                                                                                                                                    Ben Massey

                                                                                                                                    4/1/12

                                                                                                                                    WRITT 1133

                                                           

            There was a time when food was just a means to an end, a way to achieve nourishment and keep living. Had we all lived 1000 years ago we would be more worried with providing the next meal than analyzing its significance in our life. As our concept of food has evolved so has the role it plays for each of us. For me food holds a significance relating to its geography, food represents a connection to the earth that has become unique in modern society. This connection is often taken for granted or overlooked and is even being destroyed by the advent of processed food. This significance food holds for me stems from my family, my mother in particular.

Karen Massey, my mother, has always held food in a special place. She was a professor of nutrition and currently works as an extension agent, a sort of free consultant working with farmers and ranchers. Growing up I was never as grateful as I should have been considering I was able to relish in a healthy home-cooked meal every night (college has made this a scarce novelty). Whenever a new meat or vegetable made its appearance on the table Karen would make its origin and journey to our plates well known. By doing this every night I gained a special appreciation for a variety of foods. Palisade peaches are softer and sourer than the rest and Routt County beef is the tenderest (due to its very short travel time from the ranch to our freezer). Each food I consume fosters a connection to the land can’t be found anywhere else. In every bite you can taste the soil and air of a meal’s former home. After sampling enough fruits and veggies from across Colorado I was even able to taste the distinctness in “mountain grown” produce west of the continental divide and “plains grown” towards the east.

The connection is becoming harder and harder to find today. I first noticed it as I moved to Denver last fall with a multi-thousand dollar meal plan in my pocket, which could buy nourishment but not real food. Processed food is taking over American diets. Not only is it unhealthy but it lacks what I love most about food, a story. When you eat a bowl of cereal or a fruit rollup there is no connection to earth, just the sugary rush and ensuing dental harm. No one worked night and day to bring that high fructose corn syrup to your table. Is the convenience of processed food worth the loss in value? For me the answer is a resounding no, however many people could care less.

The distinctness of a food’s geography is most apparent while traveling. It is easy to overlook the minute differences between American crops, but less so when comparing traditional Japanese food to American cuisine for example. Sampling food from other cultures is always an interesting experiment and one begins to associate that taste and smell with a locale. Spain, will always remind me of Tapas, an appetizer dish filled with different combinations of vegetables, seafood, cheeses, olives and many other ingredients. When I sampled a tapa bar while traveling in Spain the taste became inextricably linked with soil, sea and livestock of Europe. The taste of tapas prepared with Spanish food will always taste more authentic than the same dish made elsewhere. The same holds true for American food, a burger made in America tastes like America. I had the opportunity to eat a hamburger in Mexico during spring break. As I scoffed it down like a true American I could immediately taste tartness in the meat that didn’t belong in my concept of a burger. The bun also possessed a floury quality as if the baker accidently dropped it in a barrel of the white stuff. In all it was nothing like a good ole’ American burger I love so much.

Food can taste good, bad or just plain bland (aka Sodexo), more important than the taste however is how the food connects you to a place. Food reminds us of home and of foreign places far away, food fresh out of the ground oozes of local nitrates, soil and even atmospheric particles. These combine to give a unique geographic taste that is impossible to reproduce. Next time you eat, give the food a second thought. Ask yourself, where did this come from and what peculiarities give this meal personality? When you genuinely care about the food you eat it becomes more than food. It is a timeless memory, reminding you of places once visited and long forgotten times. That is the true value of food.