FOOD

Food packaging isn’t just the shell that protects or contains a product. It’s a powerful miniature billboard—a tool that food producers use to reel in customers. It’s also a document, of sorts, that conveys how a food was produced and whether the government has overseen that process. The problem for consumers? Knowing the difference. (Nat Geo’s The Plate blog)

Use our resources, including interactives, activities, and videos, for teaching about food and food issues.

Teachers, scroll down for a quick list of key resources in our Teachers’ Toolkit.

Discussion Ideas

• How does the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) define the word “natural” in food labels?
  • Right now, it doesn’t. This week, the agency “will begin to consider input from the public and the food industry on how best to define ‘natural,’ one of the most misused and misunderstood terms in food—and one that has immense marketing power.”
    • On the other hand, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), which regulates meat and poultry, has a definition: “A product containing no artificial ingredient or added color and is only minimally processed. Minimal processing means that the product was processed in a manner that does not fundamentally alter the product.”

• How do your students define an “all-natural food”?
  • Could the food contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs)?
  • Could the food be grown using pesticides?
  • Could animals used in production (such as dairy cows) be fed growth or health-related medications?
  • Could the food be processed (chicken nuggets, for instance)?
  • Could the food be artificially colored?

• What does GMO-free or GE-free mean?
  • “The FDA considers genetically engineered ingredients to be ‘substantially equivalent’ to those produced by conventional growing methods. This means it has not, and does not, require foods containing genetically engineered ingredients to bear a label.”
  • Third-party organizations, such as the Non-GMO Project, defines GMOs as “organisms whose genetic material has been artificially manipulated in a laboratory through genetic engineering, or GE.”

• What does “organic” mean?
  • The USDA defines organic food as being “produced without synthetic ingredients, synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, or genetic engineering.”
  • Methods used to produce organic foods “integrate cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that foster cycling of resources, promote ecological balance, and conserve biodiversity. Synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge, irradiation, and genetic engineering may not be used.”

• What does cage-free, free-range, or free-roaming eggs mean?
  • According to the USDA, “eggs labeled ‘cage-free’ or ‘free-roaming’ are ‘laid by hens that are allowed to roam in a room or open area, which is typically a barn or poultry house,’ while ‘free-range’ or ‘pasture-fed’ eggs are ‘produced by hens raised outdoors or with access to outdoors.’”

• What does “humanely raised” mean?
  • There is no legal or governmental definition of livestock that is humanely raised. However, “third-party certification systems have popped up in recent years as more consumers have become concerned about how animals live—and die.”

• What do your students consider conditions for “humanely raised” livestock? Here is one five-step system to give you some ideas.
  • Could animals be raised on small or large farms?
  • Would animals live their entire lives on the same farm?
  • Would animals roam freely, be caged, or have time in each environment? How large would the cages or enclosures have to be? What materials would be used? Where would they be located (indoor or outdoor, warm or cool spaces, etc.)?
  • What kind of food would the animals eat?
  • How would the animals interact with humans or each other?
  • What level of health care would the animals receive?

• What does “grass-fed” mean?
  • There is no legal or governmental definition of livestock that is grass-fed. Again, third-party organizations have developed their own standards.

• What does “farm fresh” or “farm-to-fork” mean?
  • There is no legal or governmental definition of farm-fresh food. Many buyers associate “farm fresh” or “farm-to-fork” with locally grown produce.

• How would your students define “farm fresh” or “locally grown”?
  • How far away is “local”?
  • How old is “fresh”?

TEACHERS’ TOOLKIT

Nat Geo: An Eater’s Guide to Food Labels

Nat Geo: Food Education resources