[One Sip of a Book] Why Food Is a Political Product

Some sentences encapsulate the entire content of a book, while others instantly resonate with the reader’s heart, creating a connection with the book. Here, we introduce such meaningful sentences excerpted from books. - Editor’s note

Is the low-carb, high-fat diet, known to be good for the body, truly a healthy diet? Are fake meats better for the planet and our bodies? Why is it that even in wealthy countries, some people still go hungry? Is it true that 40% of food is wasted? How are the food we eat and the climate crisis connected? Food is humanity’s greatest pleasure, yet it is also an incredibly complex and political product. The author, known as ‘the most persistent chronicler of the food industry,’ kindly and incisively unravels the stories they have researched throughout their life for modern people who care about a healthy world.

The debate over whose responsibility food choices are never ends. And the question of whether it is personal responsibility or the result of the food environment is the same. I believe both bear responsibility, but I am always surprised by the invisible influence of the food industry. If you search online for ‘factors influencing obesity,’ countless graphs appear including family, peer groups, health, religion, and cost. The food industry’s marketing? It’s absent. Skilled marketing is invisible. If Beyonc? openly advertised Pepsi, it wouldn’t work, right? So, we don’t know.

- From There Are Too Many Delicious Things in the World

Food capitalism has always been a global phenomenon and will continue to be so. It is only natural that people in low-income countries are fed up with poverty. They envy the US and Europe and view famous food companies as symbols of prosperity. To fuel this perspective, food companies invest huge sums in Africa, Asia, and Latin America, often damaging local food systems. I have written about Coca-Cola’s entry into Myanmar. Until then, no sugar-sweetened carbonated drinks had been sold there. Heart disease and type 2 diabetes are external costs of capitalism.

- From How Your Favorite Food Is Made

What We Don’t Say When We Eat | Marion Nestle & Kerry Trueman | Translated by Sophee | Hyunamsa | 224 pages | 15,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.