This Monday morning, I woke to a cold bedroom and I decided I want to make myself a creamy shrimp alfredo pasta. I realized I did not have the ingredients to make the pasta, so I went grocery shopping. The recipe for the pasta included shrimps, oil, paprika, pasta noodles, onions, butter, cream, parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. I was missing the pasta noodles, parmesan cheese, and paprika, so I went to Target to purchase the items.
When I searched the counter for paprika bottles, I found there were multiple from which to choose. I pondered upon the differences between the paprika bottles, so I analyzed the food labeling of each bottle. I then found something very concerning: one of the paprika brands had no food label, no ingredient label, nor a nutrition label whatsoever. The only information the bottle provided was the name “Paprika” and “made in China.” All the other paprika bottles had the labelings in place.
I do not believe my concerns for missing food labeling was unfounded or an over-reaction. I believe everybody should have the right to confirm whether the food product they are buying is the exact product they have in mind and not some fake products made from unknown substances. Food labeling is important because people have allergic reactions to certain ingredients. Even if there are no ingredient labeling, there should be a nutrition table on the bottle to indicate the amount of calories or sodium that consumers should be aware. After all, America is a place where there are a lot of eating disorder concerns; heart diseases and diabetes rank as one of the most common causes of deaths in America. Consumers should know the nutrition table to be able to control how much volume of paprika should be appropriate in their diet, how much exercise consumers should perform after consuming the food, and how much water consumers should drink to balance their sodium-heavy diet and keep their body well-hydrated.
I would like to inform that according to the FDA or the Food and Drug Administration, “food manufacturers are required to list all ingredients in the food on the label” or “the label must list the names of any FDA-certified color additives.” The violation of the FDA policy of specific food such as additives not having labeling should raise concerns and make one skeptical of purchasing the content. I would also like to mention that consumers can also report product problems and complaints to the FDA for investigation: the list of products the FDA regulates is included here. Information on how to report food concerns such as allergic reactions to the product, concerns of the product quality, and the side effects of such products is listed here.
I know that city-life in the modern twenty-first century tends to be very busy. People always have tasks to do to pay for their living expenses: these include going to school for their degree and going to work to earn money to pay for their bills. The busy lifestyle of America can lead to many people to unconsciously neglect their health. It is very important to maintain a balanced diet, and the only way to ensure your diet is balanced and healthy is to verify the food labeling on the boxes or containers from where you purchased your products. This can be a method for us to practice self-care. The care and attention consumers partake right now will definitely be repaid in the future as consumers get older and have a weaker body constitution than when they are young.
by Naive Health Lady Lu January 20, 2020
Naive Healthy Lady Lu 