Food

Generally, I am a trusting person. When I go to a resturant, I never even think to question to food i'm presented with, unless the resturant is sort of sketchy looking - you know the type; with dirty floors, greasy countertops, greasy workers, and a strange scent. At home I don't question the integrity of food either, because obviously food at home is prepared by someone at home, ie myself or a family member, and i trust them and myself with safe food preparation whole-heartedly. But sometimes, what if something bad has happened to or is in the food you eat and think is perfectly fine?
You don't actually usually know where your food has been or what it has gone through or how old it really is before it gets to your plate and into your system. In AP environmental we had a whole unit of nutrition and genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and now we are learning about pesticides. I find it really interesting, because I've never thought much about it. GMOs are often used to increase good qualities and decrease bad qualities in crops or livestock, but no research yet can show whether there will be tremedous affects of this on human health and the environment as well. And pesticides - they are sprayed on plants (although not as much now due to restrictions) to eliminate bugs, but ultimately end up being consumed by us, and in great enough quantities have a negative effect on our health. Unless the produce that you buy has a USDA organic label on it, who knows what chemicals and gene splicing are part of your salad.
In AP euro, we've been reading Orwell's Down and Out in Paris and London, and in it, the main character describes in detail the innerworkings of a hotel cafeteria, which are to say the least, completely disgusting. If a health inspector were to inspect this particular hotel, they would be put out of business immediately. Things fall on the floor and are picked up, wiped off, re-plated and served. Waiters spit in the soup, and assistant cooks sweat drops onto the food. What if this was actually happening behind the scenes at places that I eat at?

We went grocery shopping and bought some fruits and vegetables, since we have none at my house right now, and also a big piece of salmon, for dinner. We got home and my mother started putting everything into the fridge except the salmon, which she began to prepare. Soon, I could see her, suspiciously inspecting it, smelling it. I smelled it too. It was as if someone took a beautiful piece of salmon, and magically aged it a week without changing its appearance. That's how it smelled. like it should have just been tossed into the garbage. or more specifically, like the tray the salmon comes on after its been in the garbage can for a little while - faint, but distinctively unpleasant. My mother called the store, and they will take it back and we wont consume it. I guess sometimes you can tell if something is unfit to eat without that much thought or speculation.