Preservatives

I began my research on organic foods by trying to find a simple definition of what organic farming is. I found a pretty good article that describes it (as seen on the right), but I then started researching more about preservatives. Almost all the food we eat, unless you grow all your food in your backyard, has to be preserved in some way. For example, in order to prevent the growth of mold in products such as fruit juice, bread, and cheese, antimycotics are added. Personally, I appreciate that kind of preservative, but I also researched food colorings, which don't seem so necessary.
Another interesting topic of discussion is genetically modified foods. While there is some fear of crops that will turn into super-weeds that can't be killed, new strains of foods can also be beneficial. For example, some new plants don't require pesticides because they are genetically modified to resist insects. Considering there is much concern surrounding pesticides, these genetically modified foods might be very beneficial!
And then I got to thinking about sodas. Personally, I try to drink as little soda as possible, but most people aren't like me, so I decided to research it. The first website I looked at (I am not sure how reliable it is) stated a very large correlation between drinking soda and being overweight or obese. I then looked at some information that the FDA posted about sugar substitutes (which was very extensive and interesting) which was very informative, but not all of it was very clear. Basically, there have been a lot of studies that prove that sugar substitutes don't cause cancer and aren't harmful. So don't be concerned if you drink soda, odds are you aren't going to drop dead from it. But I didn't really get a clear answer, is it really healthy? Does diet soda make you a thinner person, or does it rot you bones (like one of my friends says). In my opinion, water is never a bad choice, and if you are really concerned about your bones rotting away then drink more milk or take some calcium supplements.
So far, my research hasn't unearthed any deathly effects from eating processed foods. So don't be concerned. But at the same time, there are much healthier alternatives to fast food and sodas, so don't be ignorant about what you are eating. Remember, you are what you eat!