Don't know if I want that Jaffa Cake now...
During the 1971 election, Richard Nixon was fighting to get
re-elected as president. However, he had one hell of a fight on his hands. At the
time the Vietnam War was threatening is popularity at home and there was also
the issue of rising food costs. To get the country on his side, he needed to
address the food crisis first and foremost. To do this, he would need a very
powerful bunch of people in the food industry to help him… the farmers!
Nixon got on side Earl Butz, an academic, with a farming “home-boy”
background. He had a plan that would effectively change human beings from a eat
to live to a live to eat lifestyle. Earl pushed farmers into a “maximum
production!” and farming one crop in particular… corn.
Because of the mass production corn was so cheap that it
completely changed the American diet. Corn is used in a wide range of foods,
such as; cereals, biscuits and flour to name but a few. It was even used in the
cattle’s diet, so as a knock on effect featured in burgers, steak etc. not only
this, but it was also used to fry potatoes in, which made the fat man’s best
friend, chips! Overnight small farm
holders, turned into well off business men!
By the mid 1970’s there was more supply than demand in corn.
So Earl travelled to Japan to look for an idea that would change everything. The
scientists worked flat out and came up with a new product out of this American golden
corn… this was called High fructose corn syrup. This was incredibly cheap
because there was so much corn around. This syrup was to be used in coleslaw,
pizza, cake and it gave that golden brown (Mrs Rodgers cookery class!) shine on
bread and pastries. Food companies such as Coca-Cola jumped on the band wagon
and brought into it. This is because it was so much cheaper than sugar. Also,
they found that even if they used less HUFC in there drinks, it still tasted
sweeter than just with sugar. However, Coca – Cola couldn’t just stop with
using less, the big wigs felt that they at to get there products even more
sweeter, so they added more HUFC! The reasoning behind this is that people like
sweet stuff and the more sweeter a food is, the more the person will consume.
So, with all of this taken into account + great marketing +
every one owning their own vehicle+ Binge drinking+ the internet (define irony
please!). It all = a bunch of people who are on average 3 stone heavier than 30
years ago.
RANT OVER! = ]
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b01jxzv8 - A really good watch!
On another note..
Im loving the pain face smile at the recent Crocodile 8! Wet, hilly and steps.. All good on a sunday afternoon! :)
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