3 ms·

Indeed. Until then we hapless individuals trapped in the present will have to resort to heuristics. The best one I can think of to start with is avoid processi

Indeed. Until then we hapless individuals trapped in the present will have to resort to heuristics. The best one I can think of to start with is avoid processing. The more processed a food is the more opportunities it had to potentially be contaminated. Contamination can happen with raw ingredients too, but at least that's fewer opportunities strictly speaking. So, for example, in order from most dangerous to least: French fries from a restaurant French fries pre sliced in a bag but you bake them Raw whole potatos you yourself slice up and fry in oil you purchased Raw whole potatos of random origin, baked Raw whole potatos of known origin, baked It's very similar idea to eating lower on the food chain to avoid bioaccumulated toxins. Just a heuristic but can't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Happens to coincidentally also be a good way to eat healthy in general even ignoring contamination. PS: if anyone has any other ideas for heuristics I want to know them!

mtsr 3y ago
If only. The amount of plastic absorbed by pretty much everything we eat could easily be the most significant part. With possible exceptions for especially badly treated products such as GP's plastic-rolled fries.
- cameldrv 3y ago
  There is tons of plastic in a food factory. For example, lots of liquids flow through plastic tubing which is proven to leach phthalates. This is not going to happen with a whole potato you cook yourself using metal cookware and utensils.
  - cereal_cable 3y ago
    How much of our ingredients come in plastics though? I'm thinking about how all of my condiments and oils come in plastic containers. Heck even my potatoes come in a plastic bag as well. It's near impossible to avoid plastic contact right now.
RangerScience 3y ago
> The more processed a food is the more opportunities it had to potentially be contaminated Huh. You know, I've heard for a long time "avoid processed foods", but this is the first time I've seen a "why" for that. Makes sense! Thank you
- abdullahkhalids 3y ago
  The reason for avoiding ultra-processed foods is that they are pretty bad for your health. This report [1] by the UN food agency is a good resource. A short paragraph from the conclusion: > the results from the studies on health outcomes show plausible, significant and graded associations between the dietary share of ultra-processed foods and the occurrence or incidence of several non-communicable diseases, including obesity and obesity-related outcomes, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, breast and all cancers, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, frailty in the elderly, and also premature mortality. [1] https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/CA5644EN.pdf https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/CA5644EN.pdf
- ikesau 3y ago
  I can find evidence to suggest that consuming processed foods increases microplastic exposure[1], but I don't think that's the main reason public health officials advise against eating processed foods. It's a different level of cause and effect, but the main reason I've read is that people consume a higher amount of calories in processed food to attain the same level of satiety attained from non-processed foods. This is in large part due to added sugar and salt, as well as the removal of fibre and other nutrients during the refinement process.[2] [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019317416?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041201... [2] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed...
gamblor956 3y ago
You are aware that restaurants clean their food before cooking them? It's a major part of food safety. Indeed, because restaurants generally source their food from better sources than a regular consumer can (many times, straight from the farm), restaurant food is arguably safer than "raw" food you can cook at home. Thus, french fries from a restaurant would be at least as safe as french fries you eat at home. Another paradox that would violate your heuristic: frozen fruits and vegetables are more nutritious, and cleaner, than "fresh" fruits and vegetables in the grocery store.
- gigatree 3y ago
  Where did you get that? Restaurants have paper-thin margins and strong incentives to use the lowest quality ingredients they can get away with.
  - galdosdi 3y ago
    Agree, gamblor clearly has only eaten at restaurants, not worked at them. Restaurants definitely love using cheap nonstick pans and other plasticware for general convenience. I've heard of chef's tricks involving plastic wrap that make me cringe.
  - Ntrails 3y ago
    "Restaurants" is a broad church, and has venues on both ends of the spectrum - sourcing either best possible quality or lowest possible price depending what you're buying. As an idle heuristic, i'd tend towards French Fries in restaurants being made cheaply though.
  - gamblor956 3y ago
    When I was at a firm, my clients included a number of restaurants ranging from the high-end to the decidedly low-end (i.e., fast food), including a number of major restaurant chains HQ'd in the SoCal area. I can guarantee that I know more about restaurant finances than anyone on this thread other than an actual restaurant owner, because for years it was my job to know this stuff. But anyways: the number one operational cost that kills restaurants is leasing costs, not supplies or employee wages, because those latter costs can be managed based on the amount of business, time of year, etc. And the truth about "high quality" versus "low quality" ingredients is that at the restaurant scale, the price difference isn't that large; excepting meat, it can be as low as 10% (and in some cases, at least in SoCal it can be cheaper to buy organic produce than nonorganic). I' still close friends with a number of food purchasers and suppliers in the SoCal area, and you would be absolutely shocked at how little restaurants have to pay for their produce and fish. Consequently, their isn't much of an incentive for a restaurant to use the lowest-quality ingredients because their isn't a significant cost savings but there is a huge risk associated with using lower-quality ingredients. (However, the calculus is different for food manufacturers, who sell their products at wholesale prices and so have significantly smaller potential margins.)

mtsr 3y ago

If only. The amount of plastic absorbed by pretty much everything we eat could easily be the most significant part. With possible exceptions for especially badly treated products such as GP's plastic-rolled fries.

cameldrv 3y ago
There is tons of plastic in a food factory. For example, lots of liquids flow through plastic tubing which is proven to leach phthalates. This is not going to happen with a whole potato you cook yourself using metal cookware and utensils.
- cereal_cable 3y ago
  How much of our ingredients come in plastics though? I'm thinking about how all of my condiments and oils come in plastic containers. Heck even my potatoes come in a plastic bag as well. It's near impossible to avoid plastic contact right now.

RangerScience 3y ago

> The more processed a food is the more opportunities it had to potentially be contaminated Huh. You know, I've heard for a long time "avoid processed foods", but this is the first time I've seen a "why" for that. Makes sense! Thank you

abdullahkhalids 3y ago
The reason for avoiding ultra-processed foods is that they are pretty bad for your health. This report [1] by the UN food agency is a good resource. A short paragraph from the conclusion: > the results from the studies on health outcomes show plausible, significant and graded associations between the dietary share of ultra-processed foods and the occurrence or incidence of several non-communicable diseases, including obesity and obesity-related outcomes, cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, breast and all cancers, depression, gastrointestinal disorders, frailty in the elderly, and also premature mortality. [1] https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/CA5644EN.pdf https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/CA5644EN.pdf
ikesau 3y ago
I can find evidence to suggest that consuming processed foods increases microplastic exposure[1], but I don't think that's the main reason public health officials advise against eating processed foods. It's a different level of cause and effect, but the main reason I've read is that people consume a higher amount of calories in processed food to attain the same level of satiety attained from non-processed foods. This is in large part due to added sugar and salt, as well as the removal of fibre and other nutrients during the refinement process.[2] [1] https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160412019317416?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S016041201... [2] https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed-foods-and-are-they-bad-for-our-health-2020010918605 https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-are-ultra-processed...

gamblor956 3y ago

You are aware that restaurants clean their food before cooking them? It's a major part of food safety. Indeed, because restaurants generally source their food from better sources than a regular consumer can (many times, straight from the farm), restaurant food is arguably safer than "raw" food you can cook at home. Thus, french fries from a restaurant would be at least as safe as french fries you eat at home. Another paradox that would violate your heuristic: frozen fruits and vegetables are more nutritious, and cleaner, than "fresh" fruits and vegetables in the grocery store.

gigatree 3y ago
Where did you get that? Restaurants have paper-thin margins and strong incentives to use the lowest quality ingredients they can get away with.
- galdosdi 3y ago
  Agree, gamblor clearly has only eaten at restaurants, not worked at them. Restaurants definitely love using cheap nonstick pans and other plasticware for general convenience. I've heard of chef's tricks involving plastic wrap that make me cringe.
- Ntrails 3y ago
  "Restaurants" is a broad church, and has venues on both ends of the spectrum - sourcing either best possible quality or lowest possible price depending what you're buying. As an idle heuristic, i'd tend towards French Fries in restaurants being made cheaply though.
- gamblor956 3y ago
  When I was at a firm, my clients included a number of restaurants ranging from the high-end to the decidedly low-end (i.e., fast food), including a number of major restaurant chains HQ'd in the SoCal area. I can guarantee that I know more about restaurant finances than anyone on this thread other than an actual restaurant owner, because for years it was my job to know this stuff. But anyways: the number one operational cost that kills restaurants is leasing costs, not supplies or employee wages, because those latter costs can be managed based on the amount of business, time of year, etc. And the truth about "high quality" versus "low quality" ingredients is that at the restaurant scale, the price difference isn't that large; excepting meat, it can be as low as 10% (and in some cases, at least in SoCal it can be cheaper to buy organic produce than nonorganic). I' still close friends with a number of food purchasers and suppliers in the SoCal area, and you would be absolutely shocked at how little restaurants have to pay for their produce and fish. Consequently, their isn't much of an incentive for a restaurant to use the lowest-quality ingredients because their isn't a significant cost savings but there is a huge risk associated with using lower-quality ingredients. (However, the calculus is different for food manufacturers, who sell their products at wholesale prices and so have significantly smaller potential margins.)