Interview With Gemma Del Caño: “we Must Know What Food Security Is”

Nowadays, when we talk about shopping, it is more and more common to worry about choosing “the best” to have health and well-being. The term “food security” is also on the rise, and that’s what we’ll talk about in this article.

We want food to be of quality, to have adequate nutritional value and to benefit us the most. Furthermore, we want variety and speed. However, for this, we must inform ourselves and carefully observe what we decide to take with us in the basket, not just what we read in large letters on the packages.

Gemma del Caño talks about food safety

Gemma del Caño –  better known as @farmagemma on her social networks – has a degree in pharmacy, specializing in industrial pharmacy and PHD, a master’s degree in innovation, biotechnology and food safety, scientific disseminator and BRC auditor (food safety). Today, it will help us expose and clarify some of the most common consumer concerns.

Q. How would you define the term “food security” and what does it mean to someone who doesn’t know you?

It would be interesting to differentiate between “food security” and “safety”, despite the fact that the first term is used regularly, when in reality we refer to the second.

Food safety refers to the availability of food, and food safety refers to the fact that the food we eat is safe, not harmful to health. However, we generally refer to safety rather than safety.

Advances in security have saved millions of lives and this, above all, gives us peace of mind when shopping for food, as we know that we will not suffer a toxic infection, encounter a foreign body or chemical contamination.

Obviously, zero risk does not exist, but today we eat the safest foods in history.

Q. Do you think there is enough knowledge about what is actually done in the food industry?

No, and the responsibility lies with the food industry itself, which for years has not been transparent and, on many occasions, chose to give in to misinformation in order to take advantage of consumers. This happens, for example, with additives. Any authorized additive is safe (which does not mean it is necessary); if we promote a “no additives” product as good, we indicate to the consumer that the one with additives is bad, when this is not necessarily true.

The problem is the product, not the additive. There are foods with additives that are great (such as canned legumes) and products that, even without additives, will still be bad choices (such as some ultra-processed ones).

Q. Where can you learn to fill knowledge gaps? What would your recommendations be for the public?

The food safety agencies (AESAN in Spain), the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the FDA in the US are correct sources of information.

We have to run away from false news and rumors that come through WhatsApp or Facebook that misrepresent information or lie directly to gain some clicks.

The reality is much more boring than what some people try to make us see and fear. We must not give in to alarming theories. Instead, we should always look for official sources. At the moment, there are a lot of popularizers in the area of ​​Food Security trying to dispel myths.

Q. Reading labels is a recommendation made by many experts to help people know what they buy, consume, and develop their own criteria. But there are often questions about how to read them correctly. What are your guidelines?

The order of ingredients is always from highest to lowest. We must be able to identify the product we see on the packaging with what we read in the ingredient list.

If we read CHEESE and the ingredients include milk, salt, rennet and yeast, that’s correct. On the other hand, if the product appears to be cheese, but its own ingredients contain “cheese and many other things”, be wary.

Let’s not get carried away by the big letters on the packages “with vitamins”, “without palm oil”. Remember that you must always read the label, not the packaging. The label doesn’t lie. Therefore, the big print shouldn’t make us ignore the small ones.

Q. Why aren’t all additives and preservatives bad?

Additives are not bad. In fact,  preservatives, emulsifiers, etc., improve product characteristics and reduce food waste. On the other hand, some of them – such as sweeteners – may not be needed, as they induce a feeling of sweetness that may not be needed but is far from toxic.

It’s the same case with flavor enhancers, tomato, parmesan, crab… They all have glutamate and are correct products. On the other hand, a glutamate-free snack can be just as “bad”. The problem will remain the product, not the additive.

Q. Why isn’t everything done at an industrial level bad? What are the points in favor that we should consider in order not to panic?

Industry allows us to consume the products we want at the best price and when we want them. Remember that there are many good foods that are industrially produced: frozen fish, pulses, pasta, wholemeal bread.

Just because something is industrial doesn’t make it bad. However, we must choose the correct product, always prioritizing foods that do not have a label.

Q. Do you think it is important for parents to convey certain ideas about food safety to their children? 

This is essential for several reasons. First, because food security starts in industry, but ends in our homes. Nearly half of all food-borne infections occur in our homes, so children must know how to treat food to keep it safe. On the other hand, they should go with us to the supermarket to know that all food is safe.

Q. What do you think is the “life cycle” of health and food myths? 

Many myths surface from time to time and we must continually deny them. Videos such as the “apple with plastic” – when in fact they are edible waxes that protect against mold and knocks – or others about “how the industry deceives us” go viral again a few times a year, misinforming the public about the reality of the food.

Q. Is being judgmental and aware of what we eat every day a worry or a relief? Why?

In fact, this involves responsibility. If we eat several times a day, we must be aware of something we do so often. Without falling into myths, but with a conscience.

Reading the labels and not getting carried away by “zero”, “no”, but for good information, it seems like it takes time, but it only happens once. When we have already chosen the correct food, the next time we go shopping we will do it much faster and cheaper, because we have already eliminated superfluous products.

If we fill the basket with unlabeled food and if we choose the correct ones that have labels, it will be a real relief and we will ensure safe and healthy eating.

If we know what we buy, we will eat better

As we have seen, when shopping, it is important to learn to look at product labels and not just focus on the large print or advertisements we have seen in the media. If we don’t, we will miss the opportunity to understand more about what we take home.

As Gemma del Caño explains, once we’ve done this first exercise, it will be easier to know what to discard and what to regularly include in the basket. The point is to give ourselves the opportunity to do the exercise and always prioritize official sources of information.