National Food Safety Education Month

This past September was National Food Safety Education Month. And as usual, they had advertisements and promos about washing hands properly, keeping your cooking and eating places sanitized, and eating well-balanced, nutritious meals. These of course are all important things that everyone should remember all year round. And it's good that the government has become so involved in the well-being of the American people. However, there are many issues that the government could address more frequently that might have an even greater impact than National Food Safety Education Month.

For Example

• Why do public schools allow junk food in their vending machines? This seems like such a terrible idea no matter how you look at it.
• Why do we live in a country where organic food companies must label their products at such? They should just be allowed to say "peaches" or "fresh chicken," while non-organic companies should be forced to label their food as "chemically treated peaches" and "genetically altered chicken."
• Restaurants should have to list the full ingredients they use for their meals.
• Fast food chains should be required to be more forthright and honest about the health hazards of eating their products. Many companies bill themselves as offering wholesome, balanced meals.
• The government should make a greater effort to advertise and promote non-processed foods. The cost of this advertising would be offset by the tremendous decline in medical complications farther down the road.

National Food Safety Education Month is a great idea that has produced many terrific results. However, because it only comes once a year, and because it is poorly funded, it does not make nearly as big an impact as it could. With nutritional information now readily available online, elementary schools can lead the charge in directing the youth to more fortifying diets. The fact of the matter is, America is one of the most affluent nations in the world, and yet, we have such terrible health and nutrition standards. Unless we take more active steps to rectify this problem, preventable medical conditions like diabetes, obesity, and heart failures will become the standard and not the exception.

About the Author

A freelance writer and researcher, Austin Brentley is an English teacher currently living and working in Yamaguchi, Japan. His previous experience includes working for a lobbying firm in his native Washington, DC and working for various record and television studios in New York. Austin holds a B.A. in history.

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