A True Idea of an Authentic Food - Essay Example

Critique Concepts of ‘Local’ and ‘Authentic’ Food and Drink Origin Local food products are foods that are produced in a certain region such as crops grown and animals reared in a particular region. Authenticity has been associated with the origin of a particular type of food or drink. For instance, people associate foods produced within their locality to be ‘local’ foods because they are not obtained from another region. In addition, they are considered ‘authentic’ because it has grown under normal environmental conditions existing in the community. (Beer, 2008), states that if the food product is processed and packed in a manner that complies with particular standards that are known to the people, the people are able to know the processes involved in making the food product, then it is considered to be ‘authentic’. According to (Boyne, Hall & Williams, 2003), another facet of origin is the culture of the people that produce a particular kind of foods. It is suggested that authenticity of a food product can be assured if it is produced by people from a particular culture who share common values and understanding of their environment. (Spence & Shankar, 2010) state that, this ensures the product is linked to a particular territory. This idea is supported by the fact that particular food and drinks that exist in towns and big cities have particular origins where the idea of their preparation was developed. Thus, authenticity of a food product or a drink product can be understood well if the origin is known. This leads to determination whether the food product is authentic or not (Brida, Disegna&Osti2012). Foods from other regions or countries are not considered authentic because people do not have an understanding of the conditions under which they have been developed. According to (Skuras&Vakrou 2002), there is a possibility that other methods were used to prepare the foods but cannot be proved by people in particular areas due to unfamiliarity with the food. However, this cannot be considered as a better concept of authentic food or drink because there are some foods and drinks that do not have specific origin. These include foods such as chicken tikka masalas that are authentic but they are not associated with a particular origin. The increase in technology of preparation of foods also has contributed to sharing of ideas on various methods of preparation of foods (Dimara&Skuras2005). Thus, a person in another part of the world can learn how to prepare a certain kind of food irrespective of the origin of the food product. The knowledge of recipe and steps involved in preparation of a particular kind of food can enable a person prepare food that is not available in their culture. This does not affect the authenticity of the food or drink despite having a different origin. The idea of recipe in preparation of a particular food has been associated with its authenticity. For instance, when cooking chicken stew, particular types of ingredients are incorporated and the procedures are almost the same (Henderson 2009). However, this idea does not account for the fact that a person can add personal influence in preparation of such foods. For instance, the person may add other ingredients that are found within the locality. According to (Sims, 2009), this does not affect the authenticity of the food or drink prepared provided the person feels comfortable using the food the way it has been prepared. Therefore, in order to qualify as a strategy of determining authenticity of a food or drink product, it must illustrate how the ideas of a person can be considered and still ensure the food or drink product is authentic. An example of food prepared using particular ingredients is Italian Sausage tortellini. According to Singh(2006), the ingredients used to make this food product include: fresh cheese tortellini, Italian sausages, sliced mushrooms, garlic cloves, chicken stock, cream torn baby spinach and grated Parmesan cheese. A consumer who wants to buy this food product must look for the above ingredients in the product. If other ingredients are used, then the product is not authentic (Verbeke2005). However, there are variations that may exist in the ingredients used based on the experience of a person in preparation of Italian Sausage Tortellini. Thus, consumers must be aware that these variations do not affect the authenticity of the food. Another reason why ingredients do not act as an illustration of authenticity is that innovations are taking place on methods of foods preparation and new methods and ingredients are used (Shankarmahesh 2006). Thus, the technology used in a particular year cannot be used as a basis of understanding authenticity of a food product because new technologies have been developed. In addition, quality labels in packed foods are used to identify ‘local’ and authentic food products. In this case, ‘authenticity’ of particular foods is associated with particular sets of ingredients that are expected of such kinds of foods (Roberfroid 2002). A packed food that provides a particular nutrient will be required to have a set of ingredients which contribute to that nutrient. If these ingredients are not available, the food is considered to be unauthentic (Ilbery&Kneafsey2000). For instance, a soft drink manufacturing company that manufactures of drinks must incorporate water in the soft drinks as a major composition of the soft drink. If water component is low, consumers will regard the drinks to be unauthentic because it does not contain the nutrients in the expected proportions. According to (Wier& Calverley, 2002), this is a true idea of an authentic food because foods and drunks must comply with the purpose for which they are sold. If a food product does not provide nutritional value for which it is used, it can be regarded as unauthentic. In addition, authentic food or drink must have a statement of ingredients used to produce the food so that consumers can know whether there is a component that can be harmful to them or one that they do not desire. Foods that do not contain statement of ingredients should thus, be considered to be unauthentic (Kim&Jamal 2007). Another labeling quality that a food product must have in order to be considered ‘local’ is the description of the contacts of the manufacturer and the country in which the food product is manufactured. For instance, the location of the company and telephone contacts of the manufacturer should be provided in a food product. Food or drink products that do not have the contacts of the manufacturer and the country where the product has been manufactured cannot be considered to be ‘local’ and ‘authentic’. This is based on the fact that in case of any implication of using the food product, the user will contact the manufacturer for accountability purposes (Lachenmeier 2007). This ensures consumers are assured of the relationship between them and the manufacturers and that the product is authentic. While the concept of quality labels may be an idea of how authenticity of a food product may be understood, it does not provide a method that can be used to prove that the labels are actual illustrations of ingredients used in the product. Thus, an analysis of the contents of a food or drink product must be examined in detail before coming to a conclusion regarding its authenticity. Example of Scottish Minced Beef Scottish Minced beef is an example of a ‘local’ and ‘authentic’ food product that makes use of labels as proof of its locality and authenticity. According to (Lairon, Vincent &Defoort, 2006), it ensures the company that produces the beef is to illustrate its country of operation and the location of the country as a proof of its locality. It addition, it illustrates the components of the minced beef thus enabling customers understand whether it is ‘authentic’ or not. An example of a label of the food product that shows that it is ‘local’ is the label of country of origin of the beef, where the container is labeled: UK as an illustration that the animal slaughtered comes from UK. In addition, the container has a flag of Scotland which shows that the animal slaughtered comes from Scotland. According to (Ji & Wood, 2007), these descriptions give the user an idea of that the food product is ‘local’ in England while it is an authentic product. The container also contains the breed of animal slaughtered such as whether it is Aberdeen, Shorthorn or Galloway. This gives the consumer the choice whether to buy the product of not based on the breed preferred. Another mark of authenticity is an EU protected name that the animal slaughtered has been reared in Scotland under quality standards which ensures its beef is of high quality. (Jaeger&Meiselman, 2004), states that, a mark of quality from Bureau of Standards of the UK has also been indicated in the label of the container. This acts as a guarantee that the food is obtained from companies that have been approved to implement quality standards of food safety and hygiene, protection of the environment and animal welfare. In addition, there is the Union flag in the mark of quality standards which states that the food product is farmed, processed and packed in the United Kingdom. Consequently, any customer who buys the minced beef is likely to be convinced that the product is authentic and the producing company is accountable for the needs of customers and accountability for the impact of the product on consumers. Habits and Natural Foods are also considered to be ‘local’ and ‘authentic’ when the food or drink product has been consumed in the past in a particular region (Mak, Lumbers & Eves 2012). This is a condition where people of a particular region understand that particular food is consumed in their locality and if they find it in another place, they are able to consume the product. However, this may be affected by the fact that there might be a change in technology used to make a particular food product. The new technology may involve the use of different packaging mechanisms based on the geographical location of the people involved in its production. Foods that are seasonal are considered authentic if they occur in their expected seasons but if they occur unexpectedly, they are considered authentic based on previous experiences of using them. While this is a concept that can enable understanding whether a particular food or drink product is authentic, it does not account for the fact that some foods might not be available in a particular region but they are authentic (Okumus, Okumus&McKercher 2007). This is because this concept is based on previous experiences in a particular region. Therefore it does not provide an accurate illustration of the concept of authenticity of a food or drink product. Local and Authentic Drinks There are particular drinks that are ‘local’ and ‘authentic’ based on the manner in which they are produced and packed and the country of origin of the product. Let’s take the case of Puerto Rico where there are a number of ‘local’ drinks. For example; the Puerto Rican coffee has been produced and consumed in the region for more than 300 years. This is a proof that the drink is a ‘local’ in the region. In addition, the coffee is grown in the island and it is a major export product. The product is ‘authentic’ because it is grown locally and processed, hence there is no observation of producing a fake product. Another ‘local’ drink in Puerto Rico is the beer that is called cerveza where the most prepeffred brand in Puerto Rico is Medalla. Due to the fact that the drink is processed in companies in the country, it is considered a ‘local’ drink. In addition, rum is a ‘local’ drink produced in Puerto Rico. This is a drink that can be bought in various shades. The country is the leading producer of rum and accounts for 80% of rum consumption in the United States. The historical development of rum production in Puerto Rico has been traced as back as 1508 when there were large sugar cane plantations that produced sugar from which rum was produced. Puerto Ricans have been able to know that rum is ‘authentic’ by looking at characteristics such as gold, amber or white color of the drink. The inclusions of flavors of gold or amber are contributing factors to the use of rum as a substitute for whiskey. ‘Local’ rum in Puerto Rico is also regarded as one that has been produced with cream of coconut and canned pineapple juice. The process involves blending the ingredients and serving in a frappe-style garnished with maraschino cherry. Another brand of ‘local’ rum drink in Puerto Rico is planter’s punch that is served as cracked ice. However, there are other ‘local’ drinks that can be used as substitutes to rum such as rum Collins, Jamaican rum and Angostura bitters. References Beer, S. 2008. 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