The hottest Food Processing Substack posts right now

The food supply chain is critically important but built for maximum efficiency, so features like just-in-time inventory, long refrigerated transport, and minimal buffers make it brittle and prone to cascading failures.
Extreme consolidation and geographic specialization concentrate risk in a few companies and regions, creating single points of failure that can shut down large parts of the global food system.
Fixing it requires re-aligning incentives toward resilience. Building regional processing hubs, strategic reserves, and crop/supplier diversity will cost more but reduce the chance of catastrophic shortages.

Phthalates are chemicals used to make plastics flexible, but they can easily leach into food, especially when heated or in contact with fatty foods. This makes it important to be cautious about what food has been in contact with plastic.
High levels of phthalates can mess with brain chemicals, potentially leading to mental health issues and even thoughts of suicide. They affect the way the brain processes important compounds, increasing toxic levels.
It's really hard to avoid phthalates completely in our modern world since they're found in many food products. To minimize exposure, it's good to choose less processed foods, be careful with food packaging, and be aware of how food has been stored or cooked.

Cry toxins are proteins made by a bacteria that help kill insects, like mosquitoes, but researchers believe they are safe for humans because our stomach acid breaks them down before they can harm us.
When corn is processed using a method called nixtamalization, the alkaline solution can change the Cry toxins into their harmful form, raising some concerns about potential health effects.
The food system is complex and constantly changing, so it’s important to remain cautious and informed about what we eat, rather than just trusting the system as it is.

Food irradiation uses controlled doses of radiation to kill germs and pests, helping to keep food safe without making it radioactive. It's useful for extending shelf life and preventing spoilage.
A labeling error in almond milk almost caused a serious illness due to botulism because the company didn't clearly state that it needed refrigeration. This shows how important accurate food labeling is for safety.
The presence of harmful chemicals in food packaging can pose health risks, leading to numerous alerts in Europe. It's important for food safety that all materials used in packaging are safe and comply with regulations.

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You can't rely only on whole plant foods for a vegan diet. You need extra supplements to get enough nutrients.
Global trade is really important for a vegan diet. Many of the foods vegans eat come from different parts of the world and weren't available in the past.
To get the right nutrition on a vegan diet, high-tech processing is often necessary. This means lots of chemicals and advanced techniques to create the foods.

UPFs are often demonized in the health and nutrition world, leading to fear and anxiety about food.
The classification of ultra-processed foods lacks nuance and lumps together a wide range of products with varying nutritional profiles.
Issues with our food system go beyond just avoiding ultra-processed foods and need to address systemic inequities and lack of access to nutritious options.

We are moving towards creating sustainable seafood like shrimp made from algae to address issues like overfishing and climate change.
The food industry is focusing on synthesizing specific parts of seafood like peeled, headless, tailless shrimp to cater to what consumers in America prefer to eat.
The evolution of food technology aims to provide accessible food experiences similar to traditional ones, but it also reflects a shift in societal values and priorities.

The recent E. coli outbreak linked to onions at McDonald's sickened many, raising concerns about the hygiene practices at the supplier, Taylor Farms.
There were serious food safety breaches found during FDA inspections at the supplier, including dirty equipment and inadequate handwashing protocols.
A case about fruit juice showed that what seems like fraud may not always be; sometimes it's just a difference in regional practices regarding ingredient usage.