Oy Vey It's A Food Newsletter - Vol 2, Issue 16

A newsletter full of labels that is tired of labels.

Hi hi,

Ever since I learned how to, I have always loved reading. These days, I read a decent amount but it’s mostly non-fiction books, news stories, or industry and scientific articles about our food system. To be fair, I do enjoy them and find it interesting but a couple of times a year I find myself craving the feeling of being captivated by a story, by a book that is so good I don’t want to put it down.

A few weeks ago this craving hit so last weekend I hopped on a bus and took myself on a coffee date to a new-to-me bookstore. I had two goals for this activity. One was to experience some solo enrichment time in the world instead of just solo enrichment time in my enclosure (apartment). The second was to find a book that would reinvigorate my desire to read for fun.

I sipped an oat milk cappuccino and found three books that caught my attention. They all happened to have food as a central theme, predictable sure, but you can’t say I don’t know what I like. I managed to stick to my strict budget of one book, and I chose Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang. I’m glad I trusted my choice because this book is everything I wanted.

Within the first five pages, I knew I could fall in love with anything C Pam Zhang writes. Every sentence comes to life and wraps me up in the story. I haven’t finished it yet (because I’ve been busy reading to give you this newsletter, you’re welcome) but my craving has been satisfied and I’ve gained a new writer crush.

Hope you are able to find something that brings you some joy, or at least some reprieve from the daily throttles of life. If you’ve read Land of Milk and Honey let me know what you thought (without spoilers, duh.

-K

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What I’ve Read

• Eugenicists Shaped the Pathologized Way Many Americans Think About Nutrition Today - First of all, let’s give

  Anjali Prasertong
  a warm welcome back,
  Antiracist Dietitian
  is one of my absolute favorite Substacks 10/10 recommend. Anjali also wrote this article and did an excellent job taking the reader through the history of dietetics, starting with the eugenicist religious fanatic John Harvey Kellogg ( I feel like I have frequently mentioned him in my newsletters), and showing how the roots of dietetics and modern nutrition are indisputably problematic. I am frustrated that this conversation, within the nutrition science community, still seems to be centered on getting people to even acknowledge that this white supremacist “science” permeates our field’s past and present, but I am grateful to the leaders, like Anjali, who are pushing us from acknowledgment to accountability and action.

• Here’s why you should eat your vegetables first - Oy, this is an article on why some studies suggest that it could potentially be beneficial for people who need to be mindful of their blood sugar levels. It frequently references the measurement of the glycemic index, which has controversial roots and its use is debated in the nutrition science community. It also repeats a couple of times that people should not “obsess over every meal” in between giving you new food rules, excuse me, I mean sequences to follow. They basically give you some reasons to worry and then double back to be like, this protocol and its benefits shouldn’t cause you to worry so don’t (see GIF below)! I don’t doubt the science or the efficacy that food sequencing has seen. Still, the general population doesn’t need more of a pedantic view of nutrition from media that uses definitive-sounding headlines knowing that most readers will not scroll beyond that to read about the nuance and limitations.
  p.s. if you don’t like paywalls you can hypothetically click here to read the article
  p.p.s. for someone who co-authored a scathing piece concerned about “influencer dietitians” being paid by the f&b industry to promote certain products or explain aspects of nutrition science I think it’s funny that out of the 10 peer-reviewed studies referenced in the article, 3 (that I could find) disclosed a looong list of competing interests from pharma companies. Out of all the nutrition experts in this piece, not a single dietitian was interviewed.
  

  

• Groups object to processed food focus in dietary guidelines development - There has been political pressure and industry opposition to the dietary guidelines since their first publication. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) are updated every 5 years and the food industry wields its political power by cozying up to the DGA committee members, flooding the public comments, and good old-fashioned lobbying. Ok back to the groups objecting to the inclusion of processed foods in the DGA, it’s coming from industry trade groups like the Corn Refiners Association, Food and Beverage Issue Alliance, the Grain Chain, American Frozen Food Institute, etc. Absolutely to be expected. What I find most interesting is the language used in the industry’s public comments. They basically use the same phrasing as people, like myself, who caution against evaluating foods as good and bad and get frustrated by the inconsistencies of what is considered processed or ultra-processed. There are many benefits to ultra-processed foods (UPF) (long shelf life, convenience, affordability, etc.), which many comments acknowledged. What this coverage, and the comments I’ve seen, fails to do is take this conversation deeper and discuss giving people, who are reliant upon UPF, sufficient alternatives so that their UPF consumption is a choice rather than a survival necessity. The deeper discussion should ask how we can provide people with safe housing and a kitchen to cook in, living wages, and universal basic income to help purchase ingredients, healthcare, and social services like childcare and eldercare to free up enough time in a caregiver’s day to cook meals. Conversations about hunger, food insecurity, and the resulting health outcomes should never be debated without consideration for real-world whys and structural inequities.

  • For more on the DGA conflicts check out a report released this week about DGA Advisory Committee conflicts of interest the NYT article covering the publication of this report or, if you’re looking for a longer read by someone who has had a lot of personal experience with the DGA dive into Marion Nestle’s books, like Food Politics and Slow Coked: An Unexpected Life in Food Politics.

• Two Bills Ignite Congressional Battle Over School Milk Choice - The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) has 5 required components for student lunches, and fluid cow’s milk is one of them. If the cow’s milk is not on a student’s school tray the school does not get reimbursed for the meal. There are exceptions for students with a doctor’s note or note from their parents detailing a need for a medical or religious exemption. One of the bills mentioned in this article is the Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act (H.R. 1147) which seeks to amend the USDA regulation that the milk served in schools should be fat-free, low-fat, and flavored or unflavored so that schools are permitted to offer whole, reduced-fat, low-fat, and fat-free flavored and unflavored milk. This amendment would also require the USDA to increase the allowable average saturated fat content to account for additional milkfat. The second bill, the ADD SOY Act (H.R. 1619) is an amendment to the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act that requires schools to provide fluid cow’s milk substitutes upon request of a student or guardian. This article focuses more on the context of these bills rather than their content; detailing the racism and ableism of the fluid cow’s milk requirements and recent actions of the dairy industry which is, essentially trying to protect their financial interests and stranglehold on the US government, from the rise in consumer popularity of plant-based milk alternatives.

  • You can also see how some ag outlets are reporting on the ADD SOY Act. They briefly mention the racial and ethnic disparities between people who can tolerate lactose from cow’s milk and those who can’t. Their solution? Lactaid milk, of course. Honestly, I could (and might) do an entire Kvetch Sesh on this article but for now, I’ll leave you with one of the quotes that shows they haven’t even fully sold themselves on the pro-dairy slant, “If you can tolerate milk without issues, there aren’t any real reasons to avoid it. Unless, we suppose, you don’t like it. And then, you do you."

• FDA’s Dr. Califf expresses skepticism of supplement health claims - Hey supplement industry, do you need some ice for that burn? At the Council for Responsible Nutrition conference, FDA Commissioner Rober Califf revealed he does not take any supplements and when he was asked for his impression of the dietary supplement industry in general Califf seemed to give an honest answer (so wish I could have been in the room for this). While Califf didn’t directly call the supplement industry bunk, he did slam them with an even better allusion to it being bunk saying, “‘So, when I walk down the aisle, I see a lot of these structure/function claims, and I have no idea what they mean,’ Califf said. ‘Maybe you understand it. You’ll have to explain it to me one day.’” He didn’t challenge their legality just bascially called out that health claims need to be backed by rigorous science and conveyed clearly to consumers.

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Q&Kay

Q: Have you ever considered stopping being vegan?

K: Kind of? When I first went “vegan” (this question pairs excellently with today’s Kvetch Sesh) in May of 2014 I just went from being a lacto-ovo vegetarian to not consuming any food products or ingredients made from animals. I was in the final few weeks of my freshman year living in a dorm in Bloomington, Indiana, and was basically already living off of soy lattes and the same horribly bland cafeteria salad bar.

(CW: mentions of disordered eating)

I didn’t know a single other person who was vegan or who had been vegan and I didn’t really seek out more information or community. I don’t even remember doing a Google search and the only reason I made the transition was to challenge myself. I still struggled with disordered eating, even though at the time I thought my OCD and I had moved beyond obsessing over food. I was, and still am, the type of person who will eat pretty much an entire container or plate of whatever is in front of me. I decided that I would go vegan for a year to see if I had the impulse control to stop eating dairy cheese. Even with my severe and lifelong lactose intolerance, I loved dairy cheese and endured the consequences. So, for an entire year, I avoided eating food made from animals. And at the end of that year, I celebrated, with a huge plate of nachos covered in dairy cheese.

I never went back to consuming eggs and still described myself as vegan to other people, but I would occasionally consume animal dairy products despite feeling like absolute shit every time I did. I don’t remember exactly when I recommitted to eating fully animal-free but I do know that it was because I started to learn more about our food system in my classes. I also met other vegans around Bloomington and the more I learned and existed in these vegan spaces, the stronger my commitment became.

And since then I’ve remained fully committed, I have absolutely no desire to consume animals in my food, clothing, personal care products, or entertainment. It probably helped that within the first few years of my vegan journey, the animal-free food industry really started to grow. I haven’t considered stopping since I actually did stop back then. I’ve kept learning, finding community, and digging deeper into my ethos, I will maintain my vegan practice as long as I am able.

As always, you can submit a question for a future Q&Kay here!

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Kvetch Sesh

What do you think of plant-based as an umbrella term?

Food Print recently released a podcast episode with Alicia Kennedy on plant-based eating. I saw the following quote across a couple of Food Print’s social media platforms.

“Whatever your reasons for eating less meat, whatever anyone’s reasons, it’s adding up to significant growth in what is now pretty universally being called ‘plant-based eating’— and umbrella term that includes everything from veganism to vegetariansim to flexitarianism to simply trying to eat a little less meat, dairy, and eggs.”

This is definitely not the first or last time I'll ask what you (not a figurative you, you as in the person reading this) think plant-based and/or vegan means. Feel free to drop your definition in the comments!

Surprising to literally no one, I think about this nomenclature frequently, and my thoughts continue to develop the more I read, write, and talk about it.

Here's where I'm at this week.

I think plant-based, as an umbrella term, is fair, for people talking about their individual preferences or habits. It can become more descriptive, if needed, by adding "100%" "fully" or "mostly" as modifiers. I would agree with the podcast that plant-based has a wide interpretation. From my experience, people in the vegan community either tend to think of plant-based as the dietary aspect of veganism where one does not consume animals or ingredients derived from animals, or as more of a dietary preference that prioritizes whole foods like produce, legumes, grains, etc but may not be strictly animal-free or vegan in the rest of their consumption behaviors. Since there is no universally accepted definition, everyone is right in their own way.

However, my thoughts change significantly when we’re discussing food labeling. Like the podcast, the food and food service industries also seem to view plant-based as an umbrella term. Some products or menu items labeled as plant-based may contain ingredients derived from animals while others are fully animal-free. I frequently hear from people, who don't consume eggs or honey, that they accidentally purchased or consumed products labeled as plant-based that actually contained ingredients like bee honey or cow’s milk. There are also brands that use plant-based interchangeably with vegan, without distinction. While no one in the industry is technically incorrect because there is no regulatory definition for plant-based, this is still dicey territory.

For example, look at this Reddit thread started by someone who was upset that the frozen meal brand Morningstar Farms labeled veggie sausages as plant-based even though it contained animal dairy and eggs. There’s a lot of disagreement in the thread over what should or shouldn’t be in plant-based foods and a general frustration with food companies and the lack of FDA regulation for plant-based. Morningstar has been confusing for a long time. From my online sleuthing, it seems like their products now use “100% plant protein” on their packaging rather than plant-based; however, plant-based is still used on their website to describe veggie burgers containing egg whites and caseinate. Since 2020 they began getting some of their products Plant Based Food Association (PBFA) certified and publicly claimed to be shifting all product lines to vegan by 2021. While one of their product lines is fully vegan (no animal-derived ingredients), it seems the company wildly overshot that goal.

Speaking of third-party certifications, those little seals of approval do give unregulated phrases, such as plant-based and vegan, some consistency and assurances for consumers. As long as those consumers know the specifics of each certifying agency to determine if they match up to their own needs and preferences. The PBFA certification does make their stance on plant-based clear; to get their certification a product must contain no-animal derived ingredients. I don’t think private certifications are our best long-term solution but at present, they really are the only opportunity consumers have to feel somewhat secure in their purchase.

So, do I prefer vegan or plant-based?

*Drumroll*

I really don’t care.

After working with CPG food and beverage brands, taking classes and seminars on food regulation, and engaging with the food industry as much as I do, my preference continues to be for transparency. Because of how big the umbrella is for these unregulated terms, the labels alone do not offer transparency. I would much rather know the specifics of the (sub)ingredients, sourcing, manufacturing, company ethos, and whatever else a brand can share so that I know they deserve my trust beyond the heuristics of food packaging, labeling, and presentation. This doesn’t mean that I don’t trust all food companies, eschew third-party certifications, or don’t use the terms myself (hence this entire newsletter), but if I had my way we’d be given as much information as possible about our food so that everyone has the option to use as much or as little of that information to make informed choices for their personal preferences and needs.

And yes, my lack of allegiance to the plant-based and vegan label translates to everyday life, as well. For 9+ years I have reduced or eliminated my direct consumption and commodification of animals as much as practical and possible; that’s how I would describe veganism. I've been a content creator and social media manager in this space for the past 7 years. In this time I've learned that many people in the community have differing definitions or conceptualizations of what veganism means and it is much more helpful to directly ask someone what their vegan lifestyle or practice looks like rather than having a conversation assuming we're both talking about the exact same thing. The limitations to terminology aren’t unique to plant-based and vegan, most dietary labels are umbrellas and therefore limited in their capacity to be helpful.

I’ve met vegans who will eat fish sushi at a friend’s birthday dinner, vegetarians who don’t mind chicken broth in their soup or animal gelatin in their candy, and people who are gluten-free except for pizza or desserts or while traveling. I’m sure you have, too. For more of a deep dive into how broadly vegetarianism is interpreted in practice by a country that is known globally for its primarily “vegetarian” population and food culture read The problematic undertones of vegetarianism in India by

Anisha Chandra

. This range of interpretations can cause frustration, it can result in people accidentally buying or consuming things they didn’t want to, and it definitely causes in-fighting within the groups built around these identity terms. Within the “vegan” community there is a lot of time and energy spent arguing over people’s choices and language, hellbent on convincing other vegans that our way is the only right way. I wonder what else we could accomplish with the time we spent on policing each other?

I am not at all judging anyone else for their interpretations or choices. Like I said, no one of us is technically correct or incorrect. As much as I’d rather do away with labels, I don’t see myself cutting them out of my vocabulary or taking “vegan” out of my bios any time soon. But I would like to push us to seek and provide transparency whenever possible and lessen our reliance on umbrella terminology, whenever possible. 

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