Hello Everyone
Have you ever thought about eating rotten food? Well to be more precise, I should say ‘have you thought about the importance of eating food that rots? That was certainly running through my mind last weekend when I did my grocery shopping. One the one hand I was delighted to see a father doing the grocery shopping with his two young children. On the other hand I thought ‘he has bought nothing that rots’.
I watched him go through the checkout with numerous boxes of muffins, muesli bars, loaves of white bread, packages of sausages, containers of ice-cream and various other boxes. It occurred to me that he has nothing that rots! All the food stuffs had an incredibly long shelf life. There was nothing fresh, no fruit, no vegetables not even any frozen vegetables.
I guess we have all heard stories of the hamburger that has been left for months without any signs of deterioration. How does this occur? Obviously with large amounts of preservatives – things that stop the natural breakdown of matter. Nanoparticles are one of the key ways that bacteria is killed. It is bacteria which encourages the natural rotting process.
Nanoparticles are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair. And nanotechnology has been hailed as a new wonder technology. Accordin to the developers ‘it is able to make stronger and more lightweight materials, better cosmetics and tastier or healthier foods’. But the risks and research on it are sadly lacking.
Stephen Holgate, a clinical professor of immunopharmacology at the University of Southampton, says "Most of the research so far... has shown that these particles can penetrate barriers and get into the system. They can find their way into the liver, into the kidney and even into the brain."
A Friends of the Earth‘s report found that untested nanotechnology is being used in more than 100 food products, food packaging and contact materials currently on the shelf, without warning or testing. Tomato sauce for example is one of the 100s of common food items containing these nanoparticles.
Nanomaterials can be used as more potent food colorings, flavorings and nutritional additives, antibacterial ingredients for food packaging, and more potent agrochemicals and fertilizers. Nanomaterials can be in the packaging around biscuits, provide the color for meat, and supply added nutrients in shakes given to toddlers.
Nanoparticles have been shown in preliminary studies to be chemically reactive and when they find their way into our bodies, they can potentially wreak havoc. We also don’t know how much we can safely ingest without harm, but we do know that some studies have already shown that nanomaterials can adversely affect our immune system.
Why I am sticking my neck out to tell you about this rather scientific new technology? Because the best foods for our bodies are the ones that do rot if not consumed fresh.
What can you do to protect yourself and your family? You could consider taking part in a community garden project or developing your own vegetable garden. Consider learning about the benefits of permaculture. Consciously choose the foods that nourish you and the planet.
