We as consumers are a part of an unhealthy loophole that traps us into constant exposure to foods that are far from natural and organic. We are exposed to a realm of processed and packaged foods that leave us to make the decision whether or not to fall for the trap created by these industries to eat their over modified snacks. The choices a consumer makes while strolling the aisles of a grocery store will often time predict their decisions later on. This being said, consumers often fail to realize how and what their food is made of; therefore, they continue to make the unhealthy decision of choosing processed foods. By looking at paragraphs 5-7 and 11 in Michael Pollan’s “Eat Food: Food Defined,” we can see through Pollan’s use of vocabulary and imagery that people are unaware of the ingredients in their food, which many do not take into consideration. This is important because consumers must realize what they are eating and see they can make a smarter decision on what they put into their bodies. 

The imagery used in paragraph 5 that supports the idea that what consumers are eating is in fact not products that should be advertised as food. Those searching down aisles at the grocery store for food are often blinded by overly dramatic displays and colorful packaging, but when a consumer examines the ingredients of the product in the package itself, it creates concern of what we will be munching on later. Thinking back to a time where there were no factories to pop out a breakfast bar or frozen dinner, many grew their own food in their own gardens which guaranteed they knew every ingredient being used. Pollan uses a cereal bar as an example. He describes them as “bright white veins representing, but in reality having nothing to do with milk” (07) that are supposed to resemble the milk we would normally have with our cereal. When depicting those “bright white veins” Pollan is wanting us to picture a zombie type product due to the intense modification of the product that is factory made which we should recognize as unhealthy. Pollan also brings to attention “cheeselike foodstuffs equally innocent of any bovine contribution” and “cakelike cylinders” (07). Through his condescending descriptions of these products it brings our attention to how unnatural a “cheese” is when no ingredient contributed is dairy. The “cakelike cylinders” or Twinkies are plasticized through their description by Pollan. He immediately emphasizes that a Twinkie is highly processed and furthers that by saying we shouldn’t consume anything incapable of rotting. Pollan feels this is a choice we should make each day when facing products such as these because we have the option to choose goods that are in fact more natural with more recognizable ingredients. 

Beyond the production process, there are many unknown ingredients infused into our food like products that are unfamiliar to most individuals. In paragraphs 6 and 7, we see through Pollan’s use of personification that what we consume merely tricks our body into thinking what we eat is acceptable. Almost any product found in a supermarket contains controversial ingredients. Joan Gussow explains that “products of food science lie to your body” (07). The fact these products “lie” to our bodies is alarming in a sense of what are they lying about. When consumers buy these products, they are some of many who fall into the web of lies. Pollan is suggesting we look further into the products to realize these ingredients that make up what we eat are fake. He explains that much of what is found in our food is not found in nature, emphasizing how unnatural it is. The concerns Pollan voices targets the reader to realize their options. They can choose different products, not just ones produced by scientist. 

An issue that can overwhelm consumers when choosing items at the store is the length of ingredients itself. Pollan warns us in paragraph 11 about the amount of ingredients in a product. Today with almost anything, there is a lengthy list of ingredients that compose our food items and most often we don’t know what they are. What is even worse is that people don’t take the time to realize what each item is or even just a few of them. It’s difficult for consumers to find a product with a minimal ingredient list if it’s not a raw fruit or vegetable or even something they make themselves. A loaf of bread from a supermarket doesn’t compare to a homemade loaf. Pollan uses the “great grandma rule” (08) to make the reader question themselves about the products. The reader is then made to think about the foods they buy and how often they participate is buying these scientifically altered products. A set of rules were proposed to see if a product would be anywhere near acceptable. “Exceeds the maximum of five ingredients” was one Pollan focused on with a Sara Lee loaf of bread. One’s great grandmother (or even themselves) wouldn’t be able to recognize the ingredients that make up the bread or even recreate it at their home. A homemade loaf of bread takes minimal ingredients, so Pollan wants his audience to be concerned with the amount of unknown additives in the products they are consuming. He also uses the word “traditional” which challenges the audience to think about what they know as traditional. Traditional often times might bring up the idea of homemade; therefore, the packaged foods Pollan is referring don’t fall under a “traditional” standard. This reemphasizes the choices we as consumers have when picking out what we want to eat. We have the option to look at ingredients and be more aware of what we are putting into our bodies. 

Pollan in “Eat Food: Food Defined” makes it a point to educate his audience on the complexities of the products found in grocery stores that we see as food. Colorful packaging, persuasive advertising and promising labels keep us consumers coming back for more when in reality we should be avoiding these so called food products. By looking at paragraphs 5-7 and 11, we can see through Pollan’s use of vocabulary and imagery that people are oblivious to the ingredients in their food which is important because the consumer should be more aware of what is going into their bodies. Even though most of the items we are exposed to have lengthy ingredient lists and artificial additives doesn’t mean we don’t have the choice and freedom to choose a healthier option instead. 
