NOS writes about sugar levels in food and minister Schippers thinks our food should be healthier; what a brilliant week this has been when it comes to food and health.....
Minister Schippers on sugar content.....
The week started with the news that Minister Schippers thought our food should become much healthier. A wonderful headline, but of course my gut said that given this minister's actions and expressions in recent years, nothing will probably come of this.
In the article, then, I immediately read something that made my whiskers stand up: "A special conference aims to make the food in European supermarkets healthier. This is the first time that organisations, governments and manufacturers have come together on such a large scale to discuss the problem.
The aim: to agree together on reducing the amounts of salt, unsaturated fat and added sugars."
The loose parts are not the problem!
In addition, this plan focuses on sugar, saturated fat and salt as individual components. The individual components are not the problem, but the combination that makes for irresistible products. You never eat too much of sugar lumps, you don't eat a packet of butter, and you don't pour a packet of salt backwards either, but the combination of the three is the problem. By looking at the individual substances, the following will happen:
- Sugar is replaced by sweeteners
- Saturated fat is replaced by unsaturated fat
- Salt is reduced while more flavour enhancers are used (E621)
This does not solve the problem. The food remains heavily processed, artificial and still provokes overeating. All this achieves is the supposedly healthy washing of the food industry's image.
So what should we do?
We need to move towards food that is less messed up and stuffed with unnecessary additives. This is often meant to ensure that the pack or bag empties in 1 go and you will reach for it at emotionally weak moments because all kinds of fun substances are released in your mind after eating it. We need to go back to more natural foods and taste sensations. This ensures that food is still tasty, but more satiating, allowing us to control ourselves better.
Dietary behaviour for a large part of the population is not about discipline, but mental dependence on processed food with a built-in "delight point". You never eat too much of unprocessed food. It is therefore high time to enforce this on the industry. This can be done in two ways:
- The government should patronise the industry adamantly to ensure that products are less processed, embellished and more satiating. People also need to be less tempted. This means not being bombarded with marketing from this billion-dollar industry at every moment of the day and instead promoting unprocessed food more.
- Consumers should encourage the industry and supermarket to adjust the product range through changed buying behaviour. It's very simple: If you want this to change, don't buy this flat processed junk. It is wonderful that a health-conscious movement has emerged and that I get to be part of it. That this approach works has become clearer than ever this week. Just read this post.
I am very proud of the health-conscious movement that is spreading like an oil slick. Thank you to everyone who contributes to this by making yourself and your fellow man aware and buying healthy unprocessed food more often!
Ir. Ralph Moorman
English 
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