Sherry(Tzu Hsien) Tang- DESMA 9 Event Blog 1

 

Event 1









I attended an online and in person hybrid event hosted by the Sociology Department at UCLA covering the topic on the history of Ultra Processed Foods. From the beginning of the seminar, the speaker introduced us to a variety of foods chemicals, their history and how they are integrated in processed foods we see today for instance yogurts, or other processed meats. A majority of the seminar was dedicated to discussing emulsifiers and the risks they have towards our health. Emulsifiers are defined as any of the chemical additives that encourage the suspension of one liquid in another for instance the mixture of oil and water in margarine, ice cream and salad dressing. Majority of those mentioned in this seminar are very commonly seen in the foods we see in our daily lives now, but have only been more common after industrialization and the rise of science. The most common emulsifiers are derived from algae as well. While listening to these examples, I thought back to my daily diet, for instance the spread I chose to accompany my morning bagel is fresh due to the invention and integration of these emulsifiers. For lunch the salad dressings I regularly get or the strawberry puree I add in my matcha drink are all due to these chemicals. Even after listening about the potential health risks especially to our digestive cells, I think it would still be challenging for me to completely conduct a diet with natural, unprocessed foods. 





Relating back to our course on science and art, I think the beauty behind these chemical reactions can be seen as a form of art. Some people view the creativity behind each dish a chef brings out as a form of art in the medium of food on a plate. With this presentation, our development in processed foods, how we eat food and our choices can also be seen as a development on the food options we are given. This event opened a new perspective on not only the scientific topic of food, but the cultural stories behind them and the scientific progress society has done to come to this progress. 



Citations:


 “The Many Health Risks of Processed Foods.” LHSFNA, 30 Jan. 2024, lhsfna.org/the-many-health-risks-of-processed-foods/#:~:text=Heavily%20processed%20foods%20often%20include,Lacking%20in%20nutritional%20value. 

Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt2” Lecture. BruinLearn DESMA 9.  April 20. 2024.Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.  


Vesna, Victoria. “Robotics pt3” Lecture. BruinLearn DESMA 9.  April 20. 2024. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024. 


“What Are Emulsifiers?” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/diet/what-are-emulsifiers. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024. 


“What Are Emulsifiers and What Are Common Examples Used in Food?” Eufic, www.eufic.org/en/whats-in-food/article/what-are-emulsifiers-and-what-are-common-examples-used-in-food. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024. 





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