# What percentage of food supply is processed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 17, 2018, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984 "2018-02-17T07:10:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Luciano700](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Luciano700](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luciano700)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/41 "2018-02-19T05:52:25Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Still WHAT? You’re basically just saying “stop arguing with me”. Is organic food really organic? Just wondering. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/42 "2018-02-19T06:22:23Z")
Yes, most organic foods contain carbon compounds. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/43 "2018-02-19T07:26:58Z")
Wait until Luciano finds out how many foods contain life-threatening hydroxilic acid ! ---
**Author:** ![rat\_avatar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rat_avatar/32/255_2.png) [@rat\_avatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rat_avatar)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/44 "2018-02-19T08:19:43Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > Come on guys, I know I am being a bit stupid. But still. > > And yes I remember vaguely about the whole yoga mat thing… > What L-Cysteine in our bagels? Isn’t that a bit too much? L-Cysteine is found in most high-protein foods like meat, milk and eggs and from veggies like granola, broccoli or brussels sprouts; what is your concern? The Human hair story is a myth, but it does come from chicken feathers, or from modified E. coli. for more money for vegans. Why throw feathers in the trash when you can get important amino acids from them? ---
**Author:** ![Luciano700](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Luciano700](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luciano700)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/45 "2018-02-19T08:28:19Z")
> [@rat\_avatar](#): > > L-Cysteine is found in most high-protein foods like meat, milk and eggs and from veggies like granola, broccoli or brussels sprouts; what is your concern? > > The Human hair story is a myth, but it does come from chicken feathers, or from modified E. coli. for more money for vegans. Why throw feathers in the trash when you can get important amino acids from them? Hey man, as long as I can keep living then should worry me I guess. \*shrugs ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/46 "2018-02-19T08:31:00Z")
L-7 it is past your bed time. Hit the rack, Roscoe! ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 19, 2018, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/47 "2018-02-19T15:20:56Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > What L-Cysteine in our bagels? Isn’t that a bit too much? Since this is GQ, I’m sure that you can provide evidence for your claim that the use of L-Cysteine in any foods is harmful. ---
**Author:** ![Luciano700](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Luciano700](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luciano700)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/48 "2018-02-20T00:43:52Z")
> [@Exapno\_Mapcase](#): > > Since this is GQ, I’m sure that you can provide evidence for your claim that the use of L-Cysteine in any foods is harmful. It may not be harmful, is still gross. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/49 "2018-02-20T05:07:16Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > It may not be harmful, is still gross. Our veggies are made of dirt supplemented with cow shit. Gross is an extraordinarily stupid measure to use. ---
**Author:** ![Luciano700](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Luciano700](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luciano700)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/50 "2018-02-20T05:30:47Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Our veggies are made of dirt supplemented with cow shit. Gross is an extraordinarily stupid measure to use. Not all though Hell, even I know some bottled water is from pee too. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/51 "2018-02-20T05:34:26Z")
> [@Smeghead](#): > > Our veggies are made of dirt supplemented with cow shit. Gross is an extraordinarily stupid measure to use. And don’t even **think** about what body parts milk and eggs come out of! ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/52 "2018-02-20T05:41:56Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > Not all though > > Hell, even I know some bottled water is from pee too. Every post you make seems to be arguing a different point and a different stance. Pick an argument and see it through to the end. ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/53 "2018-02-20T05:46:27Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > Not all though > > Hell, even I know some bottled water is from pee too. You got that backwards, Luc-boy, my pee comes from bottled water. ---
**Author:** ![Luciano700](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@Luciano700](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Luciano700)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/54 "2018-02-20T06:49:05Z")
> [@Beckdawrek](#): > > You got that backwards, Luc-boy, my pee comes from bottled water. No I am serious, that’s the reason a lot of distilled water tastes so plastic-like. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Bravo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_bravo/32/493_2.png) [@Johnny\_Bravo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Bravo)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/55 "2018-02-20T11:41:53Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > No I am serious, that’s the reason a lot of distilled water tastes so plastic-like. Does pee often taste like plastic, in your experience? ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/56 "2018-02-20T12:56:51Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > No I am serious, that’s the reason a lot of distilled water tastes so plastic-like. Couldn’t have anything to do with being packaged, transported, and sold in plastic. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/57 "2018-02-20T13:50:21Z")
It’s misleading to say that “some bottled water comes from pee”. More accurate is “all water, everywhere, comes from pee”. Every water molecule on the planet has passed through the metabolism of many different organisms before you ever got a chance to drink it. ---
**Author:** ![PoppaSan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/poppasan/32/189_2.png) [@PoppaSan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoppaSan)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/58 "2018-02-20T16:20:12Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > No I am serious, that’s the reason a lot of distilled water tastes so plastic-like. You drink distilled water? To each his own, I guess. Filtered I could see, even if filtered by mega-water corp at their [del] plasticizing [/del] bottling plant. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/59 "2018-02-20T17:47:32Z")
What percentage of food is processed? I’m going to go out on a limb and say “all of it”. Cooking and farming are processes. Harvesting, milling and shelling are processes. Animal husbandry and selective breeding are processes. Fermentation is a process. About the only food you could eat that _isn’t_ processed is raw game, or whatever insects you might find crawling around. Eating processed food is an important part of what makes us human. Wild animals eat whatever plants or animals they find lying around. Humans actually spend time and effort to tailor our food to our needs and preferences. That’s a _good_ thing. ---
**Author:** ![Exapno\_Mapcase](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/exapno_mapcase/32/1051_2.png) [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2018, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984/60 "2018-02-20T17:52:46Z")
> [@Luciano700](#): > > Hell, even I know some bottled water is from pee too. And every breath you take is filled with atoms that have been through the lungs of everybody in history. That’s right. You right now are breathing some of Hitler’s air! That invalidates your entire argument! Or would if you had an argument beyond regurgitating nonsense memes. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-percentage-of-food-supply-is-processed/808984.md?page=4)