Unit 3: Eating in America Today

Americans have a long history of worrying about what to eat. While many factors have shaped our food habits, Sarah Ash, Ph.D., will argue that the food guidance we have received over the years is a significant cause of our fads and phobias.

What some people tell us about what we should eat and cook collides with the realities of food insecurity and systemic inequities.

Dr. Mary Haskett discusses the food insecurity some NC State students face, and ways to both offer and get help.

In this presentation, Ondulla T. Toomer, Ph.D., explains how food allergens are identified and labeled in the U.S. per the Food And Drug Administration guidance. Toomer gives the audience a brief explanation of the mechanism of allergic reaction from food.

In this podcast, Toomer explains the process of risk assessment of food items in terms of allergenic potential. She then explains how allergenic individuals are then exposed to food items to determine if they have a response.

In this presentation, Toomer defines genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and explains how the U.S. Federal Government ensures the safety of the American food supply to screen incoming imports and GMOs for undeclared food allergens and the presence of allergenic food proteins.

Jason A. Delborne, Ph.D., explores the case of the genetically engineered (GE) American chestnut tree, which could be the first genetically modified organism (GMO) approved in the U.S. that is designed to spread and persist in unmanaged environments.

Aquaculture is the farming of aquatic organisms and it is the major source of seafood produced globally. There is a great window of opportunity to expand the domestic aquaculture industry as a whole to support a reliable and sustainable seafood industry.