Page 9 - DIVA_2_2008_No.33

chickens produced
thing about the chemicals
in all count'es.
added to food. A number of
the chemicals you addto food
So micro-organisms
are there to conserve it so that
in food, or at least
it does not spoil wifl'iin a few
some of them, seem
days, etc. Some of these
to have increased.
chemicals are, in fact, very
Some of the
good to have in food, and
chemical contami-
they have been thoroughly
nation seems to have
investigated before they were
increased too. A few
approved. A number of these
countries, where
chemicals are beneficial, and
they have done
there is global scientific
something to the
agreement saying that if you
food production
do not go beyond the
system to avoid
approved level, thenit is quite
salmonella, have
correct to use them. So that
actually decreased
these chemicals are not
the problem. In

actually a major problem.
addition, we should
There may be a little bit of a
remember that
problem with some colouig
general hygiene has
agents. Some manufachu'ers
to be better for the environ- consumers and tell them
improved in many countries.
might add colout'ng that is ment. I do not think that any-
So, while in some areas we something new every two
not strictly necessary; a few
body disputes that. But if you months-and we could
have an increase in the
people may be allergic to it.
problems, there are also some ask whether it's healtier to easily do that-everybody
However, this is really a
eat bio-labelled products or would soon become very
areas where the risk has been
relatively small problem.
clearly reduced over recent not, for a number of reasons, confused. First you might say
it is more complicated than that fish is not good because
years.
A bigger problem is the
that. In some cases it might it contains mercuiy, and then
chemical contaminants that
be healthier, and in other that fish is very good for you
Q: Consumers tend to
you findin food, such as lead,
cases it might not. because it's nut'tious and can
think that "bio labelled
persistent organic contami-
prevent some types of
food" is more secure
nants, dioxins or other indus-
Q: How can we find out diseases. Next, you might say
and better. Would you
trialpollutants.You findthese
about this? that acrylamide is very
in the air, in fields, in water, say that, in reality, this is
dangerous in chips and
true?
in fish ... and then we eat
Itis amajorproblem tgto certain types of bread and
them. We are getting more
Let us say that the "bio" communicate some of these coffee. Next, salmonella is a
and more of these substances
facts, because there are so problem in chickens, but at
production system functions
in our food as industrial
without the use of chemicals many complicated ISSUES the same time it's good for
ponutants increase. Tis is an
involved. You do not want to you to eat chicken, rather
or fertilizer. Then, of course,
important problem.
attempt to tell everybody eve- thanrelying only onredmeat.
it means that you will not get
rything, because then they We are concerned that
these chemicals in the final
Then we have the other
food. might understand nothing. consumers would become
chemicals, like the one I
That is the reason why we hy confused if we presented
mentioned earlier-the ones
to communicate about the them with too much
However, in some cases, it
we create when we heat up simplest (and most impor-
has been shown that you get information.
food. This not only concerns
tant) tgs, so people them-
more micro-biological
acrylamide, but others too. selves can do something On the other hand, we have to

aThisis also a real problem. problems in some of the bio
about food and food safety. inform everyone when some-
products than in some other
We have better and better
non-bio products. This is We are also hy'ng to make a thing new comes up. So when
scientific data telling us that
stand and communicate the the acrylamide issue came up
because some of the
this is probably causing a
chemicals you are allowed to simple issues, like mercury five years ago, we did ti'y to
significant number of cancers
found in fish and the acryla- inform all the countries, who
use in the nomial production
all over the world.
mide issue. However, we are could then infomi consiuners
process will remove some
aware that one of the major in their respective countries.
micro-organisms, which you
Then we have the micro-
problems we have to consider We thought it was necessary
do not get rid of in bio
organisms, which are also a
production. is the confusion we may to do that but, most of the
problem. Everybody has
create if we give too much time, we try not to approach
heard about salmonella,
So it's not just as simple as information to consumers. consumers directly w'th a lot

which has spread from
We have to strike a delicate of information. We go to the
say'ng "bio is always better
Europe all over the world. balance.
for health"! Bio could be said level before the consumers -
Now it can be found in
I think that if you go to the
2 2008 Diva 7
wwwdjvafntevnatioavale:h