Table Of ContentFOOD
FOR
LIFE.
FOOD
FOR
LIFE.
f E. DEATHERAGE
Department of Biochemistry
Ohio State University
PLENUM PRESS, NEW YORK AND LONDON
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Deatherage, Fred E 1913-
Food for life.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Food. 2. Food supply. I. Title.
TX353.D38 1975 641.3 75-15502
ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-0750-1 e-ISBN-13: 978-1-4684-0748-8
DOl: 10.1007/978-1-4684-0748-8
© 1975 Plenum Press, New York
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1975
A Division of Plenum Publishing Corporation
227 West 17th Street, New York, N.Y. 10011
United Kingdom edition published by Plenum Press, London
A Division of Plenum Publishing Company, Ltd.
Davis House (4th Floor), 8 Scrubs Lane, Harlesden, London, NWIO 6SE, England
All rights reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted,
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfllming,
recording, or otherwise without written permission'from the Publisher
To my wife NELLIE LOU
PREFACE
This book is addressed to the university student who is not a science major
and to the general reader. An attempt is made to present an integrated view
of some of the basic concepts of physical, biological, and social sciences
relevant to the problem of providing people with food. The application of
these disciplines has led to our present technologies of medicine, agriculture,
and food science on which modern civilization rests. Technical information
concerning foods has increased enormously in the less than a century that the
basic concepts of the science of nutrition have been recognized. Scientific
agriculture to provide food for an ever-growing population is scarcely a
century and a half old. Feeding oneself is a very personal matter, and at the
same time feeding large groups is the concern of society as a whole. Therefore,
it is understandable that, in one way or another, the problems offood produc
tion and distribution underlie the actions of politicians, bureaucrats, the
leaders of government, and business managers. These situations of our modern
life make rational and sound solutions to food problems difficult and often
contribute to alarmism founded on partial scientific "truth" taken out of
context.
The trend toward more "consumerism" is unmistakable. But to serve
the individual best, such movements must be based on sound judgments and
reasoned scientific principles rather than on the often emotional compromises
of opportunistic politicians, lawyers, and businessmen. That man requires
wholesome, nutritious food is indisputable. A popular tactic of the scare
monger is to recite the chemicals used in the growth, processing, and distribu
tion of food. But all foods are chemical, as are all material things-living and
dead. The" good" and" bad" dichotomy applies to chemicals as well as to
anything else-there are required chemicals and there are dangerous chemicals.
There can also be too much of any good and necessary thing in life or not
enough. Similarly, some "bad" things may be good or even necessary at
times and insignificant at other times. Under such circumstances, I can only
vii
viii PREFACE
attempt in this book to relate some of the key concepts that are important in
providing people with food. I hope th:~t the reader will in some measure
become more confident in his own ability to properly evaluate the constant
barrage of piecemeal information that has been the result of the communica
tions explosion.
Many college students are required to enroll in science courses even
though they are not interested in scientific careers. These beginning courses
are discipline oriented and are often taught as though every student were
going to be a professional in the discipline. Many students are repelled by the
depth of detail necessary in such courses, with the result that for these students
the relevance of science to our culture is lost. Some even become antiscience
in their attitudes to problem solving. Since everyone must eat and everyone
has personal knowledge of food, we have developed a science course con
ceptually centered around the fundamental problem of survival-feeding
ourselves.
The ability of individuals and nations to feed themselves adequately rests
on the interacting principles of the biological, physical, and social sciences.
No single discipline can show the way to feed the ever-increasing population
of the world. As the course has developed, we have limited ourselves to the
concepts that can be found in beginning college texts of the various disciplines
and have related them to food problems. Although the course was originally
intended for the general or non science students, surprisingly a significant
number of science majors have enrolled, indicating that they wish to under
stand better how their specialties fit into the total food picture. Our experience
in this teaching venture has indicated that students need a text and a ready
reference book, and so this book was written. Some of my colleagues would
have suggested that this book be useful as an introductory text for students in
food science and technology. In addition to the university student, this book
is intended for the general reader who is interested in food problems at what
ever level-personal, national, or global.
More detailed treatments of the ideas expressed here may be found in
textbooks and scientific journals, which will not be referred to in detail. Quite
naturally, the text reflects the experiences of the author. At times, my scientific
colleagues may condemn my oversimplification. Nonscientific readers may
equally cringe at my simplistic view of other areas. I accept this as the harvest
one reaps in attempting a conceptualization of such a basic and complex
subject as food. But I do not write to make my readers agree with me but
rather to inspire critical inquisitiveness from those who care to reflect on the
nature of the food problems confronting both the people of highly developed
countries and those of the less developed areas.
I want to thank many students, friends, and colleagues who have con
tributed in diverse ways to this work. Many authors and publishers have
PREFACE ix
kindly granted permission to use some of their materials, and they are
gratefully acknowledged as noted. I am particularly grateful to those who
have critically read parts of the manuscript and made many pertinent sug
gestions for improvement. Among these are George Banwart, Jack Cline,
Robert Feeney, Masao Fujmaki, Wilbur Gould, Euripedes Malavolta, Harold
Olcott, Ivan Rutledge, Bernard S. Schweigert, John Sitterley, Junius Snell,
John R. Whitaker, Eugen Wierbicki and Eva Wilson. I hope that readers of
these pages will share their comments, criticisms, and suggestions with me,
for it is only in this way that improvements can be made.
F. E. Deatherage
Columbus, Ohio
CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 3
2 SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF BIOLOGICAL ORGANISMS 5
Dynamic Nature of Organisms 5
3 CELLS, THE FUNDAMENTAL BIOLOGICAL UNITS /I
Organelles of Plant Cells 23 . Organelles of Animal
Cells 28 • Conclusions 29
4 ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS FOR LIFE 31
Water 33 . Temperature 34 • Hydrogen Ion Concentration,
Acidity, pH 40 . Osmotic Pressure, Water Activity 52 .
Nutrients 59 Summary 63
5 NUTRITION 67
Our Nutrients 73 • Energy 77 • Proteins 82 .
Fats 94 . Salt and Other Minerals 96 .
The Vitamins 99 . Benefits to Man from the Science of
Nutrition 106
6 WHAT IS OUR FOOD MADE OF? III
The Carbohydrates 118 . Lipids 127 • Proteins 141 .
Nucleic Acids 148 • Other Substances 156 •
Conclusion 161
7 THE SEPARATION AND UTILIZATION OF NUTRIENTS FROM THE
MULTIPLICITY OF SUBSTANCES NATURALLY PRESENT IN
FOODS 163
Principles 164 . Digestions and Absorption 167
xi
xii CONTENTS
Separation of Nutrients from Unneeded Substances in Digested
Food 174 • Maintenance of the Cellular Environment in the
Body 182 • Conclusion 185
8 THE BIOLOGY OF SOME FOOD ORGANISMS 187
Characteristics of Ecosystems 189 . Some Properties of
Ecosystems Directly Relating to Food Organisms 194 •
Plants 211 • Animals 228
9 FOOD SPOILAGE AND THE REQUIREMENTS FOR PRESERVATION
AND DISTRIBUTION 245
Preservation of Food from Attack by Biological Organisms 250
Principles of Food Preservation and Processing to Control
Microorganisms 257 • Chemical Deterioration of Foods and
Its Control 272 • Conclusion 281
10 E.CONOMIC AND SOCIAL CONDITIONS CONTROLLING THE
SUPPLY AND UTILIZATION OF FOOD 283
Factors Contributing to the Cost of Food to the Consumer 284 •
Food Costs, Economic Development, and Social Change 288
Some Characteristics of Economically Developed and
Underdeveloped Countries in Relation to Food Supplies 295
Relief of Hunger and Malnutrition 302 . The Relation of
Cultural Attitudes and Economic Resources to Food
Habits 308 • Conclusion 315
II GOVERNMENT REGULATION OF FOOD 317
Consumer Protection 318 • National Regulatory
Agencies 336 • Role of Governments in the Control of
International Commerce 347
12 WORLD POPULATION GROWTH AND FUTURE FOOD
SUPPLIES 351
Population 351 • Increased Production of Traditional Food
Organisms 356 • Potential But Unused Food Organisms 361
Population Growth and Changing National and Regional Food
Supplies 369
APPENDIX 375
Composition of Foods 375
INDEX 395
FOOD
FOR
LIFE.
