Saturday, March 3, 2012

Food alergy

If you are a diabetic or celiac or have a peanut or other food alergy, everyone understands when you can't eat certain foods. I think sometimes that people think my husband and I are just cranks because we can't eat junk and struggle with most coventional foods! We don't like the flavour and texture of conventional meats and vegetables and they do make us feel sick at times. So why can't people accept that we have special dietary requirements? Why can't we just say "we have a food alergy" and have it accepted as okay.

When I say conventional I mean foods that are grown using intensive farming practices and/or heavily processed.

The other thing that is really starting to concern me is the way the two big supermarkets are going. In the near future, it's going to be very difficult for the average consumer to buy anything but conventionally grown foods. It's an absolute joke when you see Coles/Woolies with "freerange" products. They manipulate the rules so much that you just have to question how geniune it is. They have a lot of power and knowing what they can do, I do't trust their versions of freerange. What they have done to the dairy industry is criminal. It won't be long when milk will have to be imported because the dairy farms just can't produce milk for the price they receive. Other industries will follow.

Consumers need to realise the true COST of food. As a primary producer, I know that the cost of production keeps going up while the price received either stays static or goes down. If you are buying milk for $1/L or vegies for $1/kg, the producer is going to suffer. And if you think you are on a winner when you buy produce for that price, have a look at what else is in your trolley and whether you are paying more for that. Coles/Woolies have to make up the difference somewhere!

I've said it before and I'll say it again. Pay now or pay later. Buying good quality, healthy food now, will save you health care bills in the future. We spend more today on electronic toys and eating out, so there isn't enough money to buy good food!