Methods for gathering information
Several methods were used to gather information like food labels, online surveys, agricultural sites, and the fair trade network. Food labeling provides vital information on the ingredients used and the companies that produced a given product. The customer needs to make important decisions on the quality of the product they want. Also, one can grade the product as it describes the product by specifying its contents. For instance, the milk I use is coconut milk sourced from the Philippines and produced in the USA. The labels clearly showed whether the food is organic or not and the nutritional facts. Agricultural sites were a major source in providing useful information related to food items listed. The sites show the percentages of ingredients and where they originate. Knowing the origins of different products was key in getting information about the companies that produced them. Moreover, knowing the origin and companies that produced the food items is key in making informed decisions. One can choose the quality, freshness, and nutritional value a product has. Online surveys provided vital information to know the origin of food products. It was essential in helping me decided how the different items originated and the countries that produced them. It was beneficial as I could easily access data since some companies did not provide adequate information. Notably, the Fairtrade network also provided information that I maximized when making decisions.
The tables above show the foods I’ve consumed in the past 3 days. Using these food items, I came up with the ingredients used to produce the given items. Orange slices are gotten from the oranges, are grown in the USA, and they are considered organic. The bananas and apple slices are not processed, but they are grown in Ecuador and China. The apples are considered organic. Bread has several ingredients that include sugar and whole wheat grown in the USA and processed in Canada. Raisins are grown in China and processed in Canada, and yeast is grown in South America and processed in the USA. Basmati rice is an ingredient of the rice I usually use, and it is grown in the USA and processed in Canada. It is also considered as organic as it is grown according to some standards. Wholegrain spaghetti is an ingredient of pasta which is grown and processed in Singapore. Chicken wings are from chicken produced in Canada. Lastly, coconut milk is an ingredient of milk produced in the Philippines, processed in the USA, and is considered organic. Table 2 shows the different regions and the number of processed and grown food items converted into percentages in table 3. Canada has the highest number of processed foods, followed by the USA and the Philippines. Most of the products are grown in the United States, some of which are organic.
Moreover, the products help me look at the ingredients and trace them to their countries of origin. As we can see, not all of the products originated from Canada; some are from other countries. The major reason for sourcing the products was the quality and the potential of the countries to produce. Although Canada produces some of the products, their entire product is not enough to feed the entire population, hence importing it. For instance, sugar is grown in the United States of America and processed in Canada for use. Sugar is then considered as natural as it does not have any added additives. Also, apples are considered organic foods as they are produced complying to the Canadian organic farming standards. In a way, each country worldwide has set up its own organic farming standards to ensure that its populations are not exposed to harmful products. With the changes in the agricultural sector, most countries are producing organic products that have low toxicity. Notably, from the above tables, Canada does not grow most products; however, it processes them into finished goods. However, some of the processed goods that are not produced in Canada have to adhere to the set standards before hitting the market.