Persuasive: on Government Regulation of Food - Essay Example

number Section Introduction Food is an essential part of the day to day lives of people. Without food, it would be hard to survive even though the main basic supplement that the body needs is water. All in all, food is important and has been present ever since human beings came into existence. Background Food is the core reason why there are food chains all over; from animals to the human beings themselves. Food is essential since it provides individuals with energy that is essential for the body.

There are different types of foods all around people (Hutt, 23). Some are healthy while others are not. The basic necessity that guarantees human survival is food, shelter and clothing. In this essay, attention will be focused on the Mark Bittman and Muaz Paracha argument that the government should regulate what Americans eat. Argument Their main argument was that food eaten should be regulated and should have an active role in regulating the food that is eaten in the United States. The government should regulate the food eaten by any means; from taxation to using regulations that focus on the use of certain food substances.

With regulation, there will be the ensured protection of the nation’s people and the provision of healthy and safe food. The risks that are related to food will be reduced significantly, and this will be a major development in the system. Regulation will also enable customers to have a settled choice when choosing their foods. The will be able to make more informed choices concerning food and this will ensure that they have the required information about proper food (Nestle, 68). The same sentiments can be shared by Bittman and Paracha; “The first government department dealing with food was the USDA (United States Department of Agriculture).

The USDA focuses on implementing agricultural government policies on ranchers and farmers, and making sure their products meet the set standards. The USDA also informs the public about agricultural foods and nutritional science regarding those products.” (mark_bittman_muaz_paracha_essays.docx, quote from Muaz’s essay, 386) Confirmation It will also help in supporting the public health objectives. This will be achieved by helping promote healthy food choices and also aid in the maintenance and enhancement of the various varieties of food that have certain qualities.

The regulation will also help in maintaining the quality of the public health issues. Lastly, regulation will aid in enabling for there to be a sustainable and strong industry that is mostly concerned with food and that will help in reaching a certain goal; to achieve a food system that is affordable, diverse and that has the economic benefit to the people and the nation (Hutt, 45). Today, the process in which food is made has changed. With developments in many fields and in particular technology, there has been the rise of foods that are being processed and transported to various destinations in cans.

Some have chemical additives that may affect individuals who take such food substances. For such foods, which are obviously new products in the market, there have been no laws or regulations that determine what such products should have as ingredients. Some can even have the chemical substance but not list them in their ingredient list because there is no rule or legislation that dictates it. Some products are even packaged or labeled wrongly. Then again, there is the issue of putting substitutes in the market instead of the real food products (Hutt, 63).

Such products are more deceitful mostly to those consuming them. Such misbranding food stuffs and also the using of substitutes could lead to serious consequences particularly to those consuming the products. According to Matt and Muaz, the food that is eaten everyday by a very large number of people contributes to global warming and also brings about certain environmental challenges that ultimately lead to huge consequences. Bittman particularly says that; “It is true that you do not need to smoke and you do need to eat.

but you do not need sugary beverages(or the associated fries), which have been linked not only to type 2 diabetes and increased obesity but also to cardiovascular diseases and decreased intake of valuable nutrients like calcium” (mark_bittman_muaz_paracha_essays.docx, Bittman, 297). Another category and one that should be at the top of the list of the foods that should be regulated is junk food (Nestle, 98). Junk food constitutes to the highest number of obese cases that are currently present.

The government should enforce rules and regulations that will aid in the adjustment of the lifestyle of people. These rules and regulations will help in those in need of losing weight, reducing the chances of getting sick with long-term diseases associated with food. Another important thing that the regulation will do will be to help in the reduction of the production of toxic wastes that lead to global warming. The rules and regulations concerning foods should focus on the importance of food (Nestle, 102).

There should be regulations that focus of the safety of processed food, misleading about food and the false misbranding. Food tampering when processing results to what is termed as a danger to health and also consumer fraud. Conclusion A consumer has the right to the information about certain foods, and it is by their own decisions that they should be allowed to enjoy the real products and not the fake products. A consumer is a tax payer, and a tax payer to the government is a very valuable asset, both to the development of their individual country and to the world.

The government of any state is responsible for its citizens, and it is their responsibility as leaders to ensure that the citizens are comfortable and safe. Food regulation will change the eating behavior of many individuals. Regulation should not be viewed as a way to punish individuals; rather, it should be seen as an easier way for people to eat healthfully without the need to worry that there will be negative results. With the government regulation on food, individuals will make it their mission to make the healthy choice when it comes to food.

Works Cited Hutt, Peter B. A History of Government Regulation of Adulteration and Misbranding of Medical Devices. Boston, Mass: Center for the Study of Drug Development, Tufts University, 1989. Print. Potter, Norman N, and Joseph H. Hotchkiss. Food Science. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum, 1998. Print. Nestle, Marion. Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2007. Print. mark_bittman_muaz_paracha_essays.docx