Event Blog 1: “Hot Cling, Shear Magic, and the Mouthfeel of Capitalism: Images From the History of Ultra Processed Foods”

The exhibit at the CNSI ArtSci Gallery was an informative and truly interesting exhibit that changed the way I thought about processed food. The exhibit offered an eclectic selection of food industry advertisements that were meant for food industry producers. The event helped me understand the lasting impact of the industrial age on art, science and technology. 

The image below, part of the exhibit, describes the rise of ultra processed cheese. The second bullet point describes part of the popularity of processed cheese, is due to its convenience for the fast-paced life, even though the public has concern about the nutritional quality.  This can be related to Walter Benjamin’s concern over mechanical reproduction – where the quality of the art piece is reduced when it is replicated (Benjamin 1). Processed cheese was designed for mass production and consumption, and there is a similar argument of quality vs reproducibility.

 

Following Benjamin's ideas, I would say that as food is produced for the purposes of mass production, it loses its “aura” as a food. For example, comparing quality raw cheddar cheese, to the taste of kraft American cheese. As technology becomes better, the replica becomes more widespread, and starts to replace the original. 

 

The article cited talks about the historical invention of food processing, stating “ The second and third transitions were associated with the Industrial Revolution and with market liberalization, global trade and automation, respectively” (Huebbe & Rimbach, 1). This history of processing, as well as the infographic above, highlight that industrialization, innovation, and fascination with technology were key drivers of processed foods– without much concern for health from the producers' side. Consider the ad below, where the products' many innovate uses are highlighted, with no mention of nutritional value or safety. 

Davis states, “The fictions of "master " and "copy " are now so entwined with each other that it is impossible to say where one begins and the other ends. (Davis, 1). This quote relates to the advertisement below, which emphasizes that foods should be uniform in appearance, and suggests they have a product that can address inconsistencies. The goal of these emulsifying agents is to further reduce the distinctions between “master” and “copy,” between natural foods vs chemically altered food products– to the point where the public can’t distinguish between a natural food and a chemically altered food. 

Overall, I enjoyed that this exhibition used advertisements, an accessible medium, to showcase what's going on behind the scenes in our food manufacturing industry. There is something unsettling and unnatural about knowing a single chemical can be used in so many different ways, and in so many of the foods we eat everyday. It also relays the message that these chemicals can be in any of our foods without altering the outward appearance.

As someone interested in nutrition, this event definitely helped me with thinking about my midterm project, by outlining the intersection between art, science, and food. I would recommend this event to anyone interested in the implications for ultra processed food on human health. In her talk, Dr. Landecker acknowledges that while there is a lot that we don’t know about the long term effects of processed foods, the little we do know is concerning. 

Works Cited

Benjamin, Walter. The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction, 1936.

Davis, Douglas. “The Work of Art in the Age of Digital Reproduction (An Evolving Thesis: 1991-1995).” Leonardo, vol. 28, no. 5, 1995, pp. 381-386, http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0024-094X%281995%2928%3A5%3C381%3ATWOAIT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-M.

Huebbe, Patricia, and Gerald Rimbach. “Historical Reflection of Food Processing and the Role of Legumes as Part of a Healthy Balanced Diet.” Foods, vol. 9, no. 8, 2020, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7466326/.