LAUSR

Individuals today classify foods conditioned by the way the food industry manufactures products and their ignorance about that process. This lack of knowledge about how foods are produced increases negative perceptions about the industrial process and the chemical substances that are used. We want to find out how pregnant and breastfeeding women classify these substances based on these perceptions. In the discussion section, we compare their classifications to those of scientific experts. The data analyzed come from 4 ethnographies carried out in the Spanish regions of Catalonia and Andalusia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted; women filled in a food diary, and eating practices were observed. The qualitative data were transcribed and analyzed with the Atlas.ti program. This analysis allowed us to classify chemical substances based on 5 categories: A) the organoleptic characteristics they contribute to food; B) their level of impact on health C) the handling of products in the food production chain and in the domestic sphere; D) the interaction of these substances with the body, and E) perceptions about the “nastiness” of these substances. The conclusion is that women who are already mothers are more sensitive to chemical substances added to food. There is also concern about the massive use of sugar in foods, and in general, the informants consider all chemical additives to be harmful. They have doubts about the ways that biological agents are eliminated, but they know about the transmission of these substances to the fetus or breastfeeding baby.