FoodBanter.com - View Single Post - Foods that aren't as good as they used to be

a =E9crit :

> What foods do you guys know of that aren't as good as they used to be?
> Here's the ones I know.
>
> 1. Salmon.
>
> 2. Coffee.
>
> 3. Meat

The issue here is bio-uniformity for the sake of profits over what
nature originally offered us and which we blithely refer to as
bio-diversity (which is the natural state of things without man
screwing it up). On top of that, bio-uniformity stresses longevity (a
condition of profits), not taste or quality. Longevity is a function
of two things: transport and shelf-life. Foods have been travelling
farther in the last 50 years than they did in all the millenia before.
Just because it says "farm-fresh" on the nice crinkly plastic package
doesn't mean it isn't two weeks off the vine. Large chain food stores
are responsible for the shelf-life issue. One can hope the current
gasoline crisis will intensify rather than abate, which should
encourage the establishment of local provenders (many in each
neighbourhood) and the use of local food stuffs over imported ones.

But back to shelf-life: a product, say a green pepper, will be chosen
because it lasts longer on the shelf, and better tasting but less
durable ones will be destroyed to make room for the elected varietal.

The slow food movement which began in Italy stresses a return to
bio-diversity. In some cases, it is impossible to do, as
non-conforming varieties no longer exist, but every effort should be
made to develop not GM varieties, but naturally occuring ones.

One stated need for GM varieties is the need to eliminate chemical
pesticides by creating resistant strains. As as response to one
chemical nightmare, they resort to another, inserting animal DNA into
vegetable matter. Has no one ever heard of the Sepoy rebellion?

However, these strains would not be susceptible had all varieties been
available. The recent potato blight which ravaged Prince Edward Island
crops would not have had that impact had we not reduced the available
varieties of potatoes to four or five instead of the original 15 or 20.

http://www.slowfood.com/