Aren't we getting a bit carried away?

Our human hunger for knowledge never ends. Science does not stand still. Research into the harmful effects of plant toxins, fungi and micro-organisms has led to thick volumes of legislation in recent decades. There are countless standards and regulations that we check every day. New toxins are still being discovered thanks to advancing insight and better analysis methods. 

You can hear it all around you: aren't we going too far? When will it stop?
Aren't we going a bit overboard with all these rules?

A few years ago, before the corona pandemic swept across the world, I was often in India for my work. The top five causes of death were mainly infectious diseases, often caused by a lack of hygiene during food production and preparation. In the Netherlands, infectious diseases do not even feature in the top 10; our hygiene is quite good. Here, cancer, cardiovascular disease and obesity top the gloomy list. In India, food is often not safe. Many people die as a result of contaminated food, such as the well-known 'Dehli Belly'.

In the Netherlands, food is usually microbiologically very safe. It is continuously checked and monitored. However, it is often too salty, too fatty, too sweet and too much. And so these products threaten our health. The scientific evidence between cause and effect is piling up. This is usually followed by policy, legislation with standards. And yet more rules. 

I keep hearing the question in the discussions: Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves? Is this government interference really necessary? Are we not getting carried away with new toxins and new threats?

Let's go back to what's behind this question, to the underlying motive for making - and keeping - rules and regulations, such as, I'll name just a few: don't drive through a red light, get into a car without alcohol, produce hygienically. This is because we all don't want to die (prematurely).   

So if someone asks me: 'Aren't we getting a bit carried away with these regulations and mandatory analyses, even stricter standards and attention to food policy?' then my answer is: 

I don't think so; we all want to live.

Pieter Vos
Directeur Nutrilab