Nutriwhat?
- Philippe Cartau
- Mar 21
- 5 min read
Time to put Gastronomy in the school curriculum.
Although Nutriscore is already 8 years old, it is with a new algorithm that it is arriving on food shelves in France. Indeed, it was necessary to correct a few imperfections(1), put some oil in the works for olive oil, chase away the blues of Roquefort and stop bullying Brie.
For our international readers, the Nutriscore is a rating from A to E displayed on food packaging to enable rapide identification of what you should eat and what you should keep a safe distance with. This system is starting to emerge in many countries around the world, except maybe the USA where the last thing on their plate is to organise a federal "Digestible" label.
The result until now, in France? It certainly makes it easier to identify the virtuous stuff highlighted with a big green “A”. But the studies conducted to evaluate its impact do not conclude to a resounding success, even though obesity has stabilized at 17% in recent years, around the same time as the introduction of this innovative rating system. Consequence, coincidence?
The fact remains that we are far from the objectives of the PNNS, which hopes to reduce obesity, which currently stands at 18%, by 15%. But how can we not be surprised by this pill strategy? Because that is what it is all about. A little something easy to take, which avoids making too much effort and which contributes to throwing in some snake oil to impress the gallery. It is the marker of our era.
This contemporary disease, which consists in believing that a magic pill here, a tablet to counter fatigue there, a dose of ease to swallow the whole and solve all problems, is very contagious. Everything has to be “easy”. The proof is in the craze in the USA and elsewhere for these new drugs that reduce obesity. But in the end, it will be like energy-saving light bulbs that we no longer turn off because they're efficient: we will eat more.
The fact is that this micro-initiative is not enough. The polite and benevolent nudge that avoids being abrupt will not be sufficient to stop what could become one of the worst health crises of the century, not to mention a potential societal divide without name.
While these initiatives are commendable, they will remain marginal until we accept the obvious, namely that healthy eating can only come from a healthy philosophy. It is not a Nutriscore that we need, but a system of thought!
Indeed, it is not a pill that will resist the forces of junk food, but rather the spirit that underlies the way we eat, as well as the knowledge that allows us to understand the principles of good nutrition. The proof? With two hours a day spent at the table, compared to only one hour for our Anglo-Saxon friends, the French remain in enviable shape despite their E-labeled cheese and saucissons.
Then, what greater philosophy of the plate can there be than Gastronomy? This art of regulating the stomach carries values, practices, techniques and a history that give meaning to food.
Because it is precisely meaning that today is becoming essential. @eugéniebastié emphasized it in a recent article (2) talking about Rod Dreher that the quest for meaning remains fundamental, and it is coming back strongly through religion now that the proletarian myth has collapsed. This is also the observation of Anthelme Grimoire who, in the Agapes de Bosange, decides to create his own religion around Gastronomy in order to counter the forces that assail him.
Without going that far, at Biztronomy we propose to nourish the senses through the mind, knowledge and the art of living. This must be done through education. Hence, we propose to replace, notably in France, philosophy classes in high school with Gastronomy classes. Nothing less.
Indeed, what better way to reconcile the advocates of materialism with those of the intellect? The philosophy of a dish always orbits at the distance of a fork. To eat or not to eat, the question is quickly resolved. And to cook a food badly is to add to the unhappiness of the world.
What's more, it would allow a revision of history lessons: understand the emergence of the French language with Taillevent and the Sion manuscript; become aware of the bourgeois socio-economic developments of the 14th century with the “Mesnagier de Paris”; or discover this fabulous decade that began in 1530, which saw not only the publication of The Prince, but also the main works of our favorite gastrolâtre, François Rabelais, as well as Erasmus' Civilité Puérile, which for the first time posed, on a large scale, the question of not wiping one's fingers on the tablecloth. The highlight of the course would be an exam with the theme “Would gastronomy have emerged without the French Revolution?”
Science is not left out. The fundamentals can be reviewed with the chemistry of a soufflé or the virtues of the great Maillard. Biology would find its apogee through the science of chrono-nutrition, which would explain to us that fat is like ideas, it is life, and that it is digested differently depending on the time of day.
Even (old-fashioned) sociology would have its place with the importance of rituals and ceremonies, such as the French meal classified by UNESCO with its 7 different stages. Aesthetics would also find its place with something to debunk the bourgeois myth and cheer up Derrida. It could even extend to geopolitics, raising awareness of the multi-polar world that is bubbling up around our borders and does not submit to the same agreements of taste.
It is even possible to consider practical workshops with butchery and comparative anatomy workshops, just to remind our cherubs of our transitory nature.
The values of gastronomy would be the guiding thread of this program, which is rich in discoveries: high standards, quality, sharing, innovation. All of this would help to instill in our youth a philosophy of food that goes far beyond a meager algorithm.
However, the plate is political and for the moment, it is taking a community slant when it could be the shining mirror of universalism; because its rules and conventions apply to everyone according to a will and not an assignment and even less a biological characteristic.
And if the teaching profession and the Ministry of Education prove too reluctant to take such an initiative, we will then be obliged to launch a new scale, the Gastroscore, which will measure the contribution of cheerfulness, the spirit of sharing, the flavors of quality and time spent at the table, remaking the world, philosophizing on the dialectic of the mouth and the small details of existence.
Philippe Cartau
Picture by Grok
Text Translated with DeepL, corrected by author.
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