SECOND OPINION: The recent alert about the presence of Sudan 1, an illegal carcinogenic colorant, in a wide range of prepared foods has once more turned an unwanted spotlight on the origin and composition of manufactured foods.
This is the latest in a series of food scares that have included the dioxin contamination of eggs and poultry in Belgium, the scandal of re-hydrated chicken meat originating in Thailand, the BSE crisis as well as the ongoing controversy over genetically modified foods. It certainly brings back into the public gaze some of the hidden aspects of our contemporary food system.
The inclusion of this contaminant, otherwise used as a dye in shoe polish, in several hundred different food products raises a critical issue of trust in the contemporary food industry and poses questions about the ingredients used to colour, flavour, stabilise and extend the shelf-life of products.
In our willingness to accept the corporate mantra of convenience at low price, those ready-made meals and snacks may have been doing us more harm than we thought.
It also raises questions over the capacity of public agencies charged with responsibility for ensuring food safety and the health of consumers.
In some ways, part of the problem in the governance of food today arises from the extraordinary internationalisation of the food system, with the worldwide sourcing of ingredients primarily on grounds of price.
It has been suggested that there are two opposing paradigms around which food governance will be constructed going into the future.
The first paradigm envisages a leading role played by the life sciences, in which the continued provision of cheap, mass-produced food (using GM ingredients) is accompanied by increasing medicalisation involving nutrigeonomics and functional foods.
While this emerging area may offer hope to a small number of individuals suffering certain kinds of medical disorders and able to afford boutique pharma-foods, it offers no prospect at all of improving the general health of a population accustomed to cheap industrial convenience foods high in salt, saturated fats and sweeteners.
Here, food policy is largely driven by the practices of global corporations engaged in finding new ways of adding value to ingredients, then advertising these brands to win new (young) consumers, meanwhile enjoying a high degree of self-regulation unhindered by food safety authorities.
That we have growing problems of childhood obesity, coronary heart disease and diet-related cancers demonstrates the disconnectedness of public policy that separates the nation's health from what we put into our mouths.
The second paradigm acknowledges that food is utterly distinctive in its intimacy with the body and its importance to human wellbeing; that it can be a source of individual pleasure in its ingestion and through shared eating experiences; that it underpins a great deal of our cultural heritage; and that the manner of its production has a huge bearing on our farming landscape and wider environment.
In contrast to the industrial logic of "low cost convenience" that is taking us on a race to the bottom with serious consequences for public health, a degraded environment and a societal mode of food consumption that has been labelled "gastro-anomie", many people are choosing to buy and consume food laden with positive characteristics. These include associations with place (providing the reassurance of traceability), to environmentally sound methods of production (organic), addressing ethical considerations (fair trade, animal welfare) and, above all, locally produced and often purchased from the producers themselves.
Throughout Ireland, and especially in the southwest, we have seen an upsurge in high quality food production that has sought to respond to these consumer concerns. This has also partly been driven by resourceful individuals seeking new ways of retaining value within the family farm as the corporate food sector continues its ceaseless downward pressure on farm-gate prices.
Developing new enterprises engaged in low volume, craft-based production of quality foods has proven a rewarding strategy for many farming families as the growing number of producers of farmhouse cheeses, cured meats, fresh vegetables and other artisan products in Ireland attests.
Recognising the importance and potential of this sector, UCC has developed a new diploma in speciality food production. The course has been designed to provide participants with an understanding of the science and technology of artisan foods, issues of risk management and sensory evaluation, as well as providing an introduction to marketing and the management of small enterprises.
Naturally, it will also be highlighting the distinctive characteristics of this sector and helping participants understand the vital importance of a food governance paradigm that demonstrates a commitment to high quality food underpinned by principles of sustainability, health, affordable access and the rediscovery of enjoyment in its consumption.
Colin Sage is a senior lecturer in the department of geography at UCC. He is a contributing lecturer to the diploma in speciality food production at UCC.
Dr Sage will present a paper entitled Effecting a paradigm shift in food policy at the forthcoming international conference, The future of food: food security in an energy-scarce world, which is to be held at UCD between June 23rd and 25th. For further information contact Dr Colin Sage, Department of Geography, UCC, tel: 021-
4904339, 023-49899, 086-01728908 or visit http://www.ucc.ie