You are what you eat, naturally

Straight from the soil or reared naturally. No artificial sweeteners, additives or flavours. Only natural elements, and no antibiotics being pumped in for extra effect. Simple. Sounds like the perfect culinary world. An Eden of sorts for the gastronome. But not many of us know that antibiotics are making poultry and plant produce look good for the untrained eyes and ready for the plate. So cut, chop, sizzle and chomp away. Modern (tampered) food is also offering solutions to the starving millions in Asia and Africa. It’s cheap if one ignores the impact on global health? Are we more unhealthy because we are consuming too much produce that has been genetically modified and cultured? Maybe. The alternative is going organic — if one can afford it. The question that arises is if ordinary people can shell out more for organic produce that could be healthy in the long run, and add more years to our lives. The jury is still out on that one, though research is leaning towards a better life if we skip the synthetics in our food, and the rot that is creeping into our bodies through the cycle of flawed eating habits.

Organic food cafes and markets have sprung up across the world, but is there a trend towards everything natural? Those flush with dirhams could try foods that smell of the earth, but that won’t solve problems of those living in penury. Modified foods have eased hunger pangs in many parts of the world. Even the US was back on its feet after the recession with this unnatural green revolution. It took a war effort to feed millions with the best crop and animals that grew quickly and well. The world had its first taste of fast food back then. Genetically modified (GM) food is now part of our diet. They are also the answer to the lack of cultivable land and decades of droughts and natural disasters that have made farming a time-consuming process. Having killed off nature, or at least parts of what was once nature, it would take a massive effort to get back to who we once were. But the seeds have been sown as many people turning organic in their dietary habits. We shall call them the ‘haves’. As for the ‘havenots’, they still have fast food to help them fill their bellies and burp with satisfaction.