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sam is ugly
{{For|the TV channel|Food Network}}
] of vegetables and cheese.]]
].]]
'''Food''' is any substance, usually comprised primarily of ]s, ]s, water and/or ]s, that can be ] or ] by animals (including humans) for nutrition and/or pleasure.<ref name=McGee792>{{cite book |last= McGee |first= Harold |authorlink=Harold McGee |title=On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA792&lpg=PA792&sig=TqeByUdGZxK0s99JFNZ-s0xHNK4 |date= ] ] |publisher= ]|id= ISBN 0-684-80001-2|pages=pp. 792-793}}</ref>

Most ]s have a recognizable ]: a specific set of ] traditions, preferences, and practices, the study of which is known as ].<ref name=Mead>] (] ]). . In Carole Counihan and Penny Van Esterik (Ed.), '''', pp. 11-19. Routledge (UK), ISBN 0-415-91710-7.</ref> The study of food is called ]. In ], the term ''food'' is often used ]ically or figuratively, as in ''food for thought''.

==Food sources==
Almost all foods are of ] or animal origin, although there are exceptions. Almost every form of life has been used as food, either for ] or ] purposes, by one or more human societies at some time in the past.{{cn}}

===Foods from plants===
]
Many ]s or plant parts are eaten as food. There are around two thousand plant species which are cultivated for food, and many have several distinct ]s.<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=iX05JaZXRz0C&vid=ISBN0684800012&pg=PA253&lpg=PA253&sig=lcasRT_dAcTctAePtBu5j_ybSIY&q=cultivated |pages=pp. 253}}</ref> Plant-based foods can be classified as follows:
]s, the ripened ]s of some plants, carry a plant ] inside them along with the nutrients necessary for the plant's initial growth. Because of this, seeds are often packed with energy, and are good sources of food for animals, including humans. In fact, the majority of all foods consumed by human beings are seeds. These include ]s (such as ], ], and ]), ]s (such as ]s, ]s, and ]s), and ]s. ]s are often pressed to produce rich oils, including ], ] (including ]), and ].<ref>'''', Chapter 9: Seeds: Grains, Legumes, and Nuts.</ref>

]s are the ripened ] of plants, including the seeds within. Fruits are made attractive to animals so that animals will eat the fruits and ] the seeds over long distances. Fruits, therefore, make up a significant part of the diets of most cultures. Some fruits, such as pumpkin and eggplant, are eaten as vegetables.<ref>'''', Chapter 7: A Survey of Common Fruits.</ref> (For more information, see ].)

]s are other plant matter which is eaten as food. These include ]s (such as ]es and ]s), ]s (such as ] and ]), ] (such as ] shoots and ]), and ] (such as ]s and ]). Many ]s and ]s are highly-flavorful vegetables.<ref>'''', Chapter 6: A Survey of Common Vegetables.</ref>

===Foods from animals===
]

] is eaten. Often other animal products are eaten as well. Mammals produce ], which in many cultures is drunk or processed into ]s such as ] or ].<ref>'''', Chapter 1: Milk and Dairy Products.</ref> Birds and other animals lay ], which are often eaten.<ref>'''', Chapter 2: Eggs.</ref> Many cultures eat ], produced by ]s, and some cultures eat animal ].

===Other foods===
Some foods do not come from animal or plant sources. These include various edible ], including mushrooms. Fungi and ambient ] are used in the preparation of ] and ] such as leavened ], ], ], ], ], and ].<ref>'''', Chapter 13: Wine, Beer, and Distilled Spirits.</ref> Many cultures eat ], which is a ], or ] such as ].<ref>'''', pp. 333-334.</ref> Additionally, ] is often eaten as a flavoring or preservative, and ] is used in food preparation. Both of these are ] substances, as is ], an important part of human diet.

==Legal definition==
]-speaking countries usually define four categories of substances as food
<ref>{{cite web
| title = Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
| publisher = ] ]
| date =
| url = http://www.fda.gov/opacom/laws/fdcact/fdcact1.htm
| accessdate = 2006-11-08 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
| title = Food Safety Act 1990 (c. 16)
| publisher = ] ]
| date = 1990
| url = http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1990/Ukpga_19900016_en_2.htm#mdiv1
| accessdate = 2006-11-08 }}</ref>
<ref>{{cite web
| title = Regulation (EC) No 178/2002
| publisher = ]
| date = ] ]
| url = http://europa.eu.int/smartapi/cgi/sga_doc?smartapi!celexapi!prod!CELEXnumdoc&lg=EN&numdoc=32002R0178&model=guichett
| accessdate = 2006-11-08 }}</ref>:
*any substance, intended to be, or reasonably expected to be, ingested by humans;
*] and other ]s;
*];
*substances used as ]s in the preparation of food.

==Food production==
{{main|Agriculture}}
Food is traditionally obtained through ], ], and ], with ], ] and other ] locally important. More recently, there has been a growing trend towards more ] practices. This approach - which is partly fuelled by ] ] - encourages ], local self-reliance and ] methods.<ref>{{cite book |last=Mason |first=John |title=Sustainable Agriculture |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0643068767&id=8dg2Fx1uPSoC |date=] ] |publisher=Landlinks Press |id= ISBN 0643068767}}</ref>

Major influences on food production are international policy, (e.g. the ] and ]), national government policy (or ]), and ].<ref name="Messer">{{cite book |last=Messer |first=Ellen |coauthors=Derose, Laurie Fields; and Millman, Sara |title=Who's Hungry? and How Do We Know?: Food Shortage, Poverty, and Deprivation |url=http://books.google.com/books?id=9w9sXosGUUIC&vid=ISBN9280809857&jtp=53 |date=] ] |publisher=United Nations University Press |id= ISBN 9280809857 |pages=Chapter 3: Food Shortage, pp. 53-91}}</ref>

Food for ] is ] and traditionally comprises ] or ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Jurgens |first=Marshall H. |title=Animal Feeding and Nutrition |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0787278394&id=7J-l3B2211wC |date=] ] |publisher=Kendall Hunt |id= ISBN 0787278394}}</ref>

==Food preparation==
]

While some food can be eaten without preparation, many foods undergo some form of preparation for reasons of safety, palatability, or ]. At the simplest level this may involve ], ], trimming or adding other foods or ingredients, such as ]s. It may also involve mixing, heating or cooling, ], ], or combination with other food.<ref name=McGee14>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA777&lpg=PA777&sig=r7M8QPLtMx-h_V8AOypMF89N2As |pages=Chapter 14: Cooking Methods and Utensil Materials}}</ref>

In a home, most food preparation takes place in a ]. Some preparation is done to enhance the taste or aesthetic appeal; other preparation may help to ] the food; and others may be involved in cultural identity. A ] is made up of food which is prepared to be eaten at a specific time and place.<ref name=Mead /><ref>{{cite book |last=Rabone |first=Pam, et al |title=Catering and Hospitality: Food Preparation and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0748725660&id=vRcidxIUWYMC |date= ] ] |publisher=Nelson Thornes |id= ISBN 0748725660 }}</ref>

The preparation of animal-based food will usually involve ], ], hanging, portioning and ].<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA142&lpg=PA142&sig=GrG1elmoVY0qKm11Xr4RWYtKR48
|pages=pp. 142-143}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Lawrie |first=Stephen |coauthors=R A Lawrie |title=Lawrie's Meat Science |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1855733951&id=C8WXZMZ2L2YC&pg=PA96&lpg=PA96&sig=LL9Luiag5uzdTBZUTSJipLCpFs8 |date=] ] |publisher=Woodhead Publishing |id= ISBN 1855733951 |pages=Chapter 5: The Conversion of Muscle to Meat}}</ref>

===Cooking===
{{main|Cooking}}
The term "cooking" encompasses a vast range of methods, tools and combinations of ]s to improve the ] or ]. It generally requires the selection, measurement and combining of ingredients in an ordered procedure in an effort to achieve the desired result. Constraints on success include the variability of ingredients, ambient conditions, ]s, and the skill of the individual cooking.<ref name=McGee14 />

The diversity of cooking worldwide is a reflection of the myriad nutritional, aesthetic, agricultural, economic, cultural and religious considerations that impact upon it.<ref name=Mead />

Cooking requires applying heat to a food which usually, though not always, ] transforms it, thus changing its flavor, texture, appearance, and nutritional properties.<ref>{{cite book |last= McGee |title=On Food and Cooking |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0684800012&id=iX05JaZXRz0C&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&sig=E3fEDVX1mAj12sxC9q_GX6jAj8Q
|pages=pp. 1-6 and throughout}}</ref> Cooking proper, as opposed to roasting, requires the boiling of ] in a receptable, and was practiced at least since the ] with the introduction of ].<ref>'''', pp. 784</ref> There is archaeological evidence of roasted foodstuffs at ] campsites dating from 420,000 years ago.<ref>{{cite book |last=Campbell |first=Bernard Grant |title=Human Evolution: An Introduction to Man's Adaptations |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0202020428&id=B8ooFVfNsLAC&pg=PA312&lpg=PA312&dq=Homo+erectus+roast+meat&sig=lMsn9KyAyLNrkbAcihgbcQ9sTNY |date=] ] |publisher=Aldine Transaction |id= ISBN 0202020428 |pages=pp. 312}}</ref><ref>Black, D. R.; De Chardin, T.; Young, C. C.; and Pei, W. C. (1933). ''Fossil Man in China: The Choukoutien Cave Deposits, with a Synopsis of Our Present Knowledge.'' Mem. Geol. Surv. China, Ser. A, No. 11.</ref>

===Food manufacture===

{{main|Food manufacture}}
Packaged foods are manufactured outside the home for purchase. This can be as simple as a ] preparing meat, or as complex as a modern international ].

Early food processing techniques were limited by available ], packaging and ]. This mainly involved ], ], curdling, ], ] and ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Aguilera |first=Jose Miguel |coauthors=Stanley, David W |title= Microstructural Principles of Food Processing and Engineering|url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0834212560&id=nIeJiL_dLeQC&pg=PA1&lpg=PA1&sig=bzmlLhTRqbOWxZQPBdcAtcW_4DY |date=] ] |publisher=Springer |id= ISBN 0834212560 |pages=pp. 1-3}}</ref>

During the ] in the 19th century, food manufacturing arose.<ref>'''', pp. 3</ref> This development took advantage of new ] and emerging new technology, such as ], preservation, ] and transportation. It brought the advantages of pre-prepared time saving food to the bulk of ordinary people who did not employ ]s.<ref name=Jango-Cohen>{{cite book |last=Jango-Cohen |first=Judith |title=The History Of Food |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0822524848&id=2terzJW5mb0C |date=] ] |publisher=Twenty-First Century Books |id= ISBN 0822524848 }}</ref>

At the start of the 21st century, a two-tier structure has arisen, with a few international food processing giants controlling a wide range of well known food ]s. There also exists a wide array of small local or national food processing companies.<ref name=oligopolywatch>{{cite web
| url = http://www.oligopolywatch.com/2005/10/06.html
| title = Oligopoly Watch: Top 20 world food companies
| accessdate = 2006-09-23
| last = Hannaford
| first = Steve
| date = ] ]
}}</ref> Advanced ] have also come to change food manufacture. ]-based ], sophisticated ] and ] methods, and ] and ] advances, can enhance product ], improve ], and reduce costs.<ref name=Jango-Cohen/>

==Food trade==
] foods]]
] foods]]

Food is now ]d on a global basis. The variety and availability of food is no longer restricted by the diversity of locally grown food or the limitations of the local growing ].<ref>{{cite web
| title = Global Food Markets
| work =
| publisher = The Economic Research Service of the ]
| date = September 13, 2006
| url = http://www.ers.usda.gov/briefing/globalfoodmarkets/
| accessdate = 2006-09-29 }}</ref> Between 1961 and 1999 there has been a 400% increase in worldwide food ]s.<ref>{{cite book
| last = Regmi
| first = Anita (editor)
| title = Changing Structure of Global Food Consumption and Trade
| publisher = Market and Trade Economics Division, Economic Research Service, ]
| date = May 30, 2001
| url = http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/wrs011/
| id = stock #ERSWRS01-1}}</ref> Some countries are now economically dependent on food exports, which in some cases account for over 80% of all exports.<ref>] (available )</ref>

In 1994 over 100 countries became signatories to the ] of the ] in a dramatic increase in ]. This included an agreement to reduce subsidies paid to farmers, underpinned by the ] enforcement of ], ], import ]s and settlement of trade disputes that cannot be bilaterally resolved.<ref>{{cite web
| title = The Uruguay Round
| work = History
| publisher = ]
| url = http://www.wto.org/trade_resources/history/wto/urug_round.htm
| accessdate = 2006-09-29 }}</ref> Where trade barriers are raised on the disputed grounds of public health and safety, the WTO refer the dispute to the ] Commission, which was founded in 1962 by the ] ] and the ]. This has greatly affected world food trade.<ref>{{cite book |last=Van den Bossche |first=Peter |title=The Law and Policy of the '''bosanac''' Trade Organization: Text, Cases and Materials |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521822904&id=OaNumuFsIhwC |date=July 28, 2005 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |id= ISBN 0-521-82290-4 }}</ref>

===Food retailing===

In the pre-modern era, the sale of surplus food took place once a week when farmers took their wares on market day, into the local ] ]. Here food was sold to ]s for sale in their local shops for purchase by local consumers.<ref name=Mead /><ref name=Jango-Cohen/>

With the onset of industrialisation, and the development of the food processing industry, a wider range of food could be sold and distributed in distant locations. Typically early grocery shops would be ]-based shops, in which purchasers told the shop-keeper what they wanted, so that the shop-keeper could get it for them.<ref name=Mead /><ref>{{cite book |last=Benson |first=Susan Porter |title=Counter Cultures: Saleswomen, Managers, and Customers in American Department Stores, 1890-1940 |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN025206013X&id=HX01Ls3-PAIC |date=July 11, 2005 |publisher=Twenty-First Century Books |id= ISBN 0-8225-2484-8}}</ref>

In the 20th century ]s were born. Supermarkets brought with them a ] approach to shopping using ]s, and were able to offer quality food at lower cost through ] and reduced staffing costs. In the latter part of the 20th century, this has been further revolutionised by the development of vast ]-sized out-of-town supermarkets, selling a wide range of food from around the world.<ref>{{cite book |last=Humphery |first=Kim |title=Shelf Life: Supermarkets and the Changing Cultures of Consumption |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0521626307&id=kGHPdeIdvbkC |date=July 27, 1998 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |id= ISBN 0-521-62630-7}}</ref>

Unlike food processors, food retailing is a two-tier market in which a small number of very large ] control a large proportion of supermarkets. The supermarket giants wield great purchasing power over farmers and processors, and strong influence over consumers.<ref name=oligopolywatch /> Nevertheless, less than ten percent of consumer spending on food goes to farmers, with larger percentages going to ], ], and intermediate corporations.<ref>{{cite book |editor=Magdoff, Fred; Foster, John Bellamy; and Buttel, Frederick H. |title=Hungry for Profit: The Agribusiness Threat to Farmers, Food, and the Environment |month=September |year=2000 |url=http://www.monthlyreview.org/hfpintro.htm |publisher= |id= ISBN 1-58367-016-5 |quote=he farmer's share of the food dollar (after paying for input costs) has steadily declined from about 40 percent in 1910 to less than 10 percent in 1990.}}</ref>

===Famine and hunger===
Food deprivation leads to ] and ultimately ]. This is often connected with ], which involves the absence of food in entire communities. This can have a devastating and widespread effect on human health and mortality. ] is sometimes used to distribute food in times of shortage, most notably during times of war.<ref name="Messer" />

Starvation is a significant international problem. Approximately 815 million people are undernourished, and over 16,000 children die per day from hunger-related causes.<ref>{{cite web
| title = The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2005
| publisher = Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
| url = http://www.fao.org/docrep/008/a0200e/a0200e00.htm
| accessdate = 2006-09-29 }}</ref> Besides starvation, insufficient food causes nearly a third of all babies born worldwide to die prematurely or have disabilities.<ref>{{cite web
| title = WHO Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition
| publisher = ]
| url = http://www.who.int/nutgrowthdb/en/
| accessdate =2006-09-29 }}</ref> Food deprivation is regarded as a deficit need in ] and is measured using ].<ref>, (PDF) Howe, P. and S. Devereux, ''Disasters'', 2004, 28 (4): 353-372</ref>

====Food aid====
] can benefit people suffering from a shortage of food. It can be used to improve peoples' lives in the short term, so that a society can increase its standard of living to the point that food aid is no longe required.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Breaking out of the Poverty Trap
| work = How We Use Food Aid
| publisher = World Food Programme
| url = http://www.wfp.org/food_aid/introduction/index.asp?section=12&sub_section=1
| accessdate =2006-09-29 }}</ref> Conversely, badly managed food aid can create problems by disrupting local markets, depressing crop prices, and discouraging food production. Sometimes a cycle of food aid dependence can develop.<ref>{{cite web
| last = Shah
| first = Anup
| title = Food Dumping (Aid) Maintains Poverty
| work = Causes of Poverty
| publisher = globalissues.org
| date = June 25, 2005
| url = http://www.globalissues.org/TradeRelated/Poverty/FoodDumping.asp
| accessdate = 2006-09-29 }}</ref> Its provision, or threatened withdrawal, is sometimes used as a political tool to influence the ] of the destination country. Sometimes, also, food aid provisions will require certain types of food be purchased from certain sellers, and food aid can be misused to enhance the markets of donor countries.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Crittenden
| first = Ann
| title = Food for Thought: Aid is Also Political
| publisher = ]
| date = August 2, 1981
| url = http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9500E6D9173BF931A3575BC0A967948260
| accessdate = 2006-09-29 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book
| last = Kripke
| first = Gawain
| title = Food aid or hidden dumping?
| publisher = Oxfam International
| month = March
| year = 2005
| url = http://www.oxfam.org/en/policy/briefingpapers/bp71_food_aid_240305
}}</ref> International efforts to distribute food to the neediest countries are often co-ordinated by the ].<ref>{{cite web
| title = United Nations World Food program
| url = http://www.wfp.org/english/
}}</ref>

===Food safety===
{{Main|Food safety}}
], commonly called "food poisoning," is caused by ], ]s, ]es, ]s, and ]s. Roughly 7 million people die of food poisoning each year, with about 10 times as many suffering from a non-fatal version.<ref name=MedlinePlus>{{cite encyclopedia
| title = Food poisoning
| encyclopedia =MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia
| volume =F
| url=http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001652.htm
| publisher = ]
| date = May 11, 2006
| accessdate = 2006-09-29 }}</ref>

The two most common factors leading to cases of bacterial foodborne illness are cross-contamination of ready-to-eat food from other uncooked foods and improper temperature control. Less commonly, acute adverse reactions can also occur if chemical contamination of food occurs, for example from improper storage, or use of non-food grade soaps and disinfectants. Food can also be adulterated by a very wide range of articles (known as 'foreign bodies') during farming, manufacture, cooking, packaging, distribution or sale. These foreign bodies can include pests or their droppings, hairs, cigarette butts, wood chips, and all manner of other contaminants. It is possible for certain types of food to become contaminated if stored or presented in an unsafe container, such as a ceramic pot with lead-based glaze.<ref name=MedlinePlus />

] has been recognised as a disease of man since as early as ].<ref>], .</ref> The sale of ], contaminated or adulterated food was commonplace until introduction of ], refrigeration, and ] controls in the 19th century. Discovery of techniques for killing ] using ] and other ] studies by scientists such as ] contributed to the modern sanitation standards that we enjoy today. This was further underpinned by the work of ] whose work led to the development of modern ] and ] methods.<ref>{{cite book |last=Magner |first=Lois N. |title=A History of the Life Sciences: Third Edition, Revised and Expanded |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0824708245&id=YKJ6gVYbrGwC |date=August 1, 2002 |publisher=Marcel Dekker |id= ISBN |pages=Chapter 7, pp. 243-498}}</ref> In more recent years, a greater understanding of the causes of food-borne illnesses has led to the development of more systematic approaches such as ], which can identify and eliminate many risks.<ref>{{cite web
| title = Key Facts: The Seven HACCP Principles
| publisher = Food Safety and Inspection Service, ]
| date = January 1998
| url = http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OA/background/keyhaccp.htm
| accessdate = 2006-09-29 }}</ref>

====Food allergies====
{{main|food allergy}}

Some people have ] or sensitivities to foods which are not problematic to most people. This occurs when a person's ] mistakes a certain food protein for a harmful foreign agent and attacks it. About 2% of adults and 8% of children have a food allergy.<ref name=allergy>{{cite book
| title = Food Allergy: An Overview
| publisher = ]
| date = July 2004
| format = ]
| url = http://www.niaid.nih.gov/publications/pdf/foodallergy.pdf
| id = }}</ref> The amount of the food substance required to provoke a reaction in a susceptible individual can be minute. For instance, tiny amounts of food in the air, too minute to be smelled, have been known to provoke lethal reactions in sufficiently sensitive individuals. Commonly food allergens are ], corn, shellfish (mollusks), ]s, and ]. Most patients present with ] after ingesting certain foodstuffs, skin symptoms (]es), bloating, ]ing and ]. The digestive complaints usually develop within half an hour of ingesting the ].<ref name=allergy />

Rarely, food allergy can lead to ]: ] (low blood pressure) and loss of consciousness. This is a ]. An allergen associated with this type of reaction is ], although ] products can induce similar reactions.<ref name=allergy /> Initial treatment is with ] (adrenaline), often carried by known patients in the form of an ].<ref>, Epipen.com</ref>

===Dietary habits===
{{main|Diet (nutrition)}}
Dietary habits are the habitual decisions an individual or culture makes when choosing what foods to eat. Although humans are ]s,or who eats all the time. each culture holds some food preferences and some food ]s.<ref>{{cite book | author=Allen, Stewart Lee | title=In the Devil's Garden: A Sinful History of Forbidden Food | id=ISBN 0-345-44015-3}}</ref> Dietary choices can also define cultures and play a role in ]. For example, only ] are permitted by ], and ] by ], in the diet of believers.<ref>{{cite book | author=Simoons, Frederick J. | title=Eat Not This Flesh: Food Avoidances from Prehistory to the Present | id=ISBN 0-299-14250-7}}</ref> In addition, the dietary choices of different countries or regions have different characteristics. This is highly related to a culture's ].

Dietary habits play a significant role in the ] and ] of all humans. Imbalances between the consumed fuels and expended energy results in either starvation or excessive reserves of ] tissue, known as body fat.<ref>{{cite book |last= Nicklas |first=Barbara J. |title=Endurance Exercise and Adipose Tissue |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0849304601&id=cLN21bT498QC |date=January 1, 2002 |publisher=CRC Press |id= ISBN 0-8493-0460-1}}</ref> Poor intake of various vitamins and minerals can lead to ] which can have far-reaching effects on health. For instance, 30% of the world's population either has, or is at risk for developing, ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Merson |first=Michael H. |coauthors=Black, Robert E.; Mills, Anne J. |title=International Public Health: Disease, Programs, Systems, and Policies |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0763728748&id=Yg9pC2-qE0EC&pg=PA245&lpg=PA245&sig=ha_CpQHJjTMmjC9DQJuVKsE5LLU |date=January 1, 2005 |publisher=Jones and Bartlett Publishers |id= ISBN |pages=pp. 245}}</ref> It is estimated that at least 3 million children are blind due to ] deficiency.<ref>'''', pp. 231.</ref> ] deficiency results in ].<ref>'''', pp. 464.</ref> ], ] and ] are inter-related; the consumption of each may affect the absorption of the others. ] and ] are childhood disorders caused by lack of dietary ].<ref>'''', pp. 224.</ref> ], a serious problem in the western world, leads to higher chances of developing ], ], and many other diseases.<ref>'''', pp. 266-268.</ref>

Many individuals choose to limit what foods the eat for reasons of health, morality, or other factors. For instance ]s choose to forgo food from animal sources to varying degrees. Others choose a healthier diet, avoiding sugars or animal fats and increasing consumption of ] and ]s.<ref>{{cite book |last=Carpenter |first=Ruth Ann |coauthors=Finley, Carrie E. |title=Healthy Eating Every Day |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0736051864&id=ecTPtGlLbvsC |date=January 1, 2005 |publisher=Human Kinetics |id= ISBN 0-7360-5186-4}}</ref>

More recently, dietary habits have been influenced by the concerns that some people have about possible impacts on health or the environment from ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Parekh |first=Sarad R. |title=The Gmo Handbook: Genetically Modified Animals, Microbes, and Plants in Biotechnology |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN1588293076&id=PG93saRF1qQC&pg=PA187&lpg=PA187&sig=oiAY8-a5RSxOk0NQ_H2fwaxmyj8 |date=January 1, 2004 |publisher=Humana Press |id= ISBN 1-58829-307-6|pages=pp. 187-206}}</ref> Further concerns about the impact of industrial farming on ], human health and the ] are also having an effect on contemporary human dietary habits. This has led to the emergence of a ] with a preference for ] and ].<ref>{{cite book |last=Schor |first=Juliet |coauthors=Taylor, Betsy (editors) |title=Sustainable Planet: Roadmaps for the Twenty-First Century |url=http://books.google.com/books?vid=ISBN0807004553&id=GLCO098zncIC |date=January 20, 2003 |publisher=Beacon Press |id= ISBN 0-8070-0455-3}}</ref>

=== Nutrients in food ===

<!-- <ref>{{cite book |last= |first= |title= |url= |date= |publisher= |id= ISBN |pages=pp. }}</ref> -->{{main|Nutrition}}

Between the extremes of optimal health and death from ] or ], there is an array of disease states that can be caused or alleviated by changes in diet. Deficiencies, excesses and imbalances in diet can produce negative impacts on health, which may lead to diseases such as ], ] or ], as well as psychological and behavioral problems. The science of nutrition attempts to understand how and why specific dietary aspects influence health.

Nutrients in food are grouped into several categories. Macronutrients means ], ], and ]s. Micronutrients are the ] and ]. Additionally food contains ] and ].

== References ==
{{reflist|2}}

== See also ==

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{{commons|food}}

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* - Safe Kids Child Health and Safety Website

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Revision as of 00:39, 30 November 2006

sam is ugly