Let's pack the food...

Over the past year the topic of food has gained quite a bit of attention in our classes.

More articles are referring to the health issues facing humans and the connection to food.

While the topic is gaining more attention in the U.S., a greater number of Asians are eating more packing food and with greater intensity. Maggie noodles, chips, and other snacks are very popular in India.

Metrics - Factory Food - NYTimes.com: "Americans eat 31 percent more packaged food than fresh food, and they consume more packaged food per person than their counterparts in nearly all other countries. A sizable part of the American diet is ready-to-eat meals, like frozen pizzas and microwave dinners, and sweet or salty snack foods.

'Americans tend to graze rather than sit down and eat a full meal, so the food is tailored for convenience,' said Mark Gehlhar, who has studied global food consumer preferences at the Economic Research Service of the Agriculture Department. 'And Americans do not seem to be as discerning about quality.'"