GIVE ME SOME FEEDBACK ON THIS ESSAY PLEASE!

QUESTION: Many processed foods and ready-made meals contain preservatives and chemicals. What are the advantages to this? Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

MY ANSWER:

Many chemicals and addictives have been increasingly used in food production over recent decades in many parts of the world. Although this may offer certain benefits, I think its drawbacks are more significant.

There are several plausible reasons why some preservatives and chemicals need adding to a wide range of processed foods and ready-made meals. First, such chemicals, including spices, natural and artificial flavours, are able to enhance the taste of food. For example, a type of phenomenal seasoning powder in every pack of Hao Hao noodle, an instant noodle brand in Vietnam, has been making it one of the most popular food brands in the country over the past decades. Second, extra vitamins and minerals are added to many food products to enhance their nutritional values. Such enrichment has helped reduce malnutrition in a large number of undeveloped countries.

However, I am of the opinion that the negative effects of food preservatives on the human body outweigh the benefits. Sodium nitrate and nitrite, which are detected in meat products and act as chemicals preventing bacterical growth, are proved scientifically to have a close link with an increased risk of serious diseases, including cancer, diabetes, and respiratory problems. Furthermore, considering children are more vulnerable, a regular exposure to such chemicals is one of the leading causes of childhood obesity and other overweight problems.

In conclusion, despite some possible beneficial effects, I believe that the overuse of addictives and preservatives in food industry is more likely to have detrimental impacts on human health.

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