Last week Dr. Robins gave a fascinating talk on the evolution of fat in America. Prior to his talk, I had only thought of fat as a nutrient in a chart on the back of food packages. I did not realize the huge business run on the sale and production of fat.
Dr. Robins explained that different fats can be manipulated to create similar flavors. As a result, large food manufacturers use the cheapest fats and manipulate their flavors to their liking. The industry of food prospers on cheap fats, keeping the American people away from many fats that are actually good for us.
Another interesting idea from Dr. Robin’s talk was about fat extracted from fruits and vegetables. Although this fat is thought to be healthier, there are some serious repercussions. Many vegetarians or vegans refrain from animal fats, and prefer to use vegetable fat. However, the production of vegetable fats actually helps mass animal fat production companies. The remains of the vegetables, after the fat has been extracted, provides cheap feeds for animals. Dr. Robins provided a very interesting perspective on an issue I did not realize was this complicated.
That sounds really interesting–especially the parts about the production of vegetable fats. Though I don’t think vegetarian/vegan consumption of vegetable fats spurs the meat industry as much as people who consume meat, it is interesting how people who try to do less harm to the animals by not eating them still inevitably feed the system.