Food industry has created causes of obesity

CLAIRE O’CONNELL’S article (Irish Examiner, March 1) quoted Professor Liam Donnelly, director of food research at the Teagasc Food Development Agency, as saying the battle against obesity was being lost, and suggesting the food industry could have “its input into providing its version of a solution”.

Asking the food industry to find a solution for a problem it created is like asking the fox to come up with a solution to make the hen-house safer.

For example, since the flavour enhancer monosodium glutamate (MSG) was found to turn bland foods into gourmet meals, the food industry has been using it excessively. The production of MSG has become a multi-billion euro industry — but MSG has been found to cause injury in the brain’s hypothalamus region, where glutamate is the primary neurotransmitter.

Aspartic acid (a major ingredient of aspartame, the artificial sweetener) has a similar effect as MSG. The obesity epidemic started with the introduction of aspartame into the European markets. Countries like France and Spain, where mainly fresh and homemade food is consumed, have few obese people.

Hundreds of articles have been written on the obesity epidemic in recent years and not a single expert seems to know about the link.

Furthermore, medical and food research is often funded by the industry. The US campaign Truth in Labelling has experienced a major setback since MSG has been allowed to be sprayed on crops as an enhancer and pesticide — it kills insects by interfering with their nervous system.

This way, the food industry can avoid labelling, as residues of pesticides don’t have to be labelled.

Dorothee Krien

9 Mathew Place

Ballintemple

Cork