The Omnivores Dilemma

Chapter #5- Reading Guide

1: Pg. 86- Explain how a kernel of orn will !e !roken down into it"# $ariou# part#.
It begins with the subdivision of the kernel itself: Its yellow skin will be processed into various
vitamins and nutritional supplements; the tiny germ will be crushed for its oil; the endosperm will be
plundered for its rich cache of complex carbohydrates.
%: Pg. 86- &hat are #o'e of the na'e# of o'pound# that are in produt# that are 'ade fro'
orn(
Citric and lactic acid; glucose, fructose, and maltodextrin; thanol, sorbitol, mannitol, and xanthan gum;
modifed and unmodifed starches; as well as dextrins and cyclodextrins and M!.
): Pg. 88- *it take# a!out ""#""" gallon# to proe## a !u#hel of orn+ and prodigiou# a'ount# of
energ,. &et 'illing i# an energ,-inten#i$e wa, to 'ake food- for e$er, alorie of proe##ed food
it produe#+ another ""$%"" alorie# of fo##il fuel energ, are !urned. *
.: Pg. 8/- &hat did the di#o$er, of gluo#e i#o'era#e do for the indu#tr,(
&he product of high fructose corn syrup came to be which is the most valuable food product refined
from corn, accounting for #'% million bushels every year.
5: Pg. /0- &hat doe# it 'ean when we #a, that we are *li!erating food fro' nature(1
&hat humans have always tried to process food to keep nature from taking it back. (e are always trying
to )improve* it or modify it in some way instead of leaving it at its natural state.
6: Pg. /1- Corn i# the ke, on#tituent of what four proe##ed food#( 2# thi# #urpri#ing(
Margarine, tang, Chee+ (hi+, whipped cream and cool whip. ,onestly I-m not surprised to hear this
because every product that one buys now a days contains some type of corn based mixture in it. (hich
is .uite sad in my opinion. It-s sad and unhealthy.
3: Pg. /)- 4ow 'uh doe# it take to 'ake a !ox of ereal( 4ow 'uh i# it #old for(
It costs four cents- worth of commodity corn which is later transformed into four dollars- worth of
processed food.
8: Pg. /.- &hat i# the a$erage growth rate of 5'erian#( &hat doe# it 'ean !, *fixed #to'ah1
and how doe# thi# relate to profit#(
$/ a year is the average growth of 0mericans. &he meaning of fixed stomach is our stomaches have
become accustomed to taking in these processed unhealthy foods, instead of the natural good for the
soul foods. (hat this has to do with profits is creating processed foods is cheaper than maintaining
natural foods.
/: Pg. /.- 4ow 'an, pound# of food doe# the a$erage 5'erian eat per ,ear(
$#,%%% pounds of food per year
10: Pg. /.- *6here"# 'one, to !e 'ade in food+ unle## ,ou"re tr,ing to grow it1- explain thi#
#tate'ent.
Money will be made when growing food, but depending on which way you go 1natural or processed2
will depend on how much money you make.
11: Pg. /3- Explain what the author 'ean# !,+ *getting 'ore fruit# and $egeta!le# into food.1
&he author believed that fruits and vegetables were already food, but apparently to the 3ood
&echnology company, where food will be processed to become infinitely better.
1%: Pg. /8- 7oe# *natural ra#p!err, fla$or1 'ean that the fla$oring i# atuall, ra#p!err, or e$en
natural( Explain.
4o, it 5ust means that it didn-t derive from something synthetic, but could-ve still be made out of corn
and most likely is.
1): Pg. /8- &hat i# re#i#tant #tarh and how doe# it get around the !iologial li'it on how 'uh
,ou eat in a ,ear(
6esistant starch is an ingredient that does not account for any calories of glucose. ince the body can-t
break down resistant starch, it slips through the digestive tract without ever turning into calories of
glucose, therefore whole meals can be eaten as often or as much as one likes.