One fun way college students like to spend their summers is by traveling internationally. Europe, in particular, is an especially popular destination because of its cultural landmarks, fantastic architecture and delicious cuisines. But even if you find yourself gouging during your European vacation, regardless of how much you consume, you’re most likely going to lose weight.
One of the big reasons this happens is because Europe’s food is healthier. 60% of American calorie and sodium intake come from ultra-processed foods, versus an average of 29% for residents of many European countries. Because more European farms are local, consumers can get fresh food more often than Americans. Clearly, Europe is doing something right that the United States isn’t: regulating food to a higher and healthier level.
What do azodicarbonamide, butylated hydroxyanisole/butylated hydroxytoluene, brominated vegetable oil, coloring agents, potassium bromate, ractopamine and recombinant bovine growth hormone all have in common? Besides being chemistry buzzwords, they’re eight ingredients in American food that are banned in Europe because of how harmful they are. However, these ingredients are more aesthetically pleasing, durable and tastier than the healthier alternatives, thus making them more profitable in the eyes of American food corporations.
Lucky Charms and Rice Krispies are just two of the many foods and drinks that are banned in other countries due to the aforementioned preservatives in them. Yet, they are still readily available in many American grocery stores. BHT, for example, is found in Rice Krispies and caused both hormone disruption and toxic damage to vital organs in animal studies.
In a study done by the World Health Organization, Diet Coke and Trident Gum were both found to contain aspartame, a possibly carcinogenic substance. Yet, one could easily go to their nearest grocery store and still see these products on shelves.
Other non-name brand food items, such as milk, chicken and bread contain harmful additives, too. Some milk in the U.S. has rBGH that is supposed to stimulate milk production. Although the Federal Drug Administration claims there is no difference in cows that are treated with the hormone, high levels of rBGH can lead to the development of certain cancers. Bread that contains potassium bromate is banned in other countries because the chemical is linked to cancer, kidney problems and nervous system damage.
Unfortunately, unhealthy food is cheaper and more accessible in the States than healthy food. Fruit and vegetable costs increased by 12.8% in 2022 — 3% higher than that of unhealthy foods. In Congress, the 2023 Farm Bill, a piece of legislation renewed every five years that controls our farming industry, supported industrial lobbyists more than the farmers the original bill was intended to serve. Labor shortages in the farming and agricultural industries also contribute to rising produce prices. Plus, as mentioned earlier, junk food lasts longer due to those toxic additives, making them cheaper than their healthier counterparts.
Even in Ann Arbor, the options for affordable healthy food close to the University of Michigan campus are limited. The only close grocery store on Central Campus is the Target on State Street, and as a result, charges higher prices relative to other Targets due to a lack of competition. Because grocery stores are inaccessible, students have to rely on grocery delivery services — such as Instacart. Sweetgreen on State Street charges $13 for a make-your-own salad and around $15 to $18 for bowls.
The FDA is responsible for regulating all American food, but lags behind European and Canadian standards. When it comes to considering a food substance “harmful,” the European Food Safety Authority takes a more “proactive” approach by banning harmful preservatives before they go on the market, while the FDA takes a more “reactive” approach and only bans preservatives if people get violently ill.
The FDA should ban the eight aforementioned ingredients, adopt a European approach and allow certain additives only after they’ve been proven to not be harmful. Congress needs to go back and revise our Farm Bills to encourage more produce production. Governments should make agricultural wages more competitive so more people are willing to enter the industry. City planners must consider making healthier options more convenient. In lower-income areas, there are disproportionate amounts of fast food restaurants available. By adding one more grocery store or one more nutritious restaurant with fresh options, more people may begin to eat healthier.
But our federal and local governments aren’t the only entities that can institute change — we can also limit our unhealthy food consumption and organize our lives around making fresher food more readily available. Various apps can analyze the food you’re consuming and tell you how processed it is. Yuka is popular because it has over 2.5 million products registered in its database and provides healthier alternatives after scanning your original item.
More and more Americans are realizing that our food is killing us. It shouldn’t take a trip to Europe for us to change the way we eat.
Liv Frey is an Opinion Columnist writing about any and all kinds of relationships one can encounter in college. For questions, comments, concerns, inquiries or theories please reach out at livfrey@umich.edu.
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