2/18/26 - The Truth About Processed Foods: Myths vs. Facts

Feb 19, 2026

A lively defense of processed foods, tracing how canning, pasteurization, and freezing solved hunger and disease during urbanization. Discussion of nutrition debates, ultra-processed palatability, and when industrial foods can aid diets. A salute to the military and law enforcement. A look back at school choice litigation and its impact on educational options for inner-city students.

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INSIGHT

Processed Foods Solved Early Urban Food Crisis

Mark Levin argues processed foods rescued urban populations from spoilage, disease, and starvation in the early 20th century.
Modern processing enabled pasteurization, canning, refrigeration, and safer large-scale food distribution.

ANECDOTE

The Libby's Pumpkin Example

Levin reads an excerpt describing Libby's canned pumpkin made from assorted squashes and its shelf life of 900 days.
He uses this to show canned goods can match fresh produce nutritionally and improve availability.

INSIGHT

Food Safety Triumphs Of Industrial Processing

Levin highlights pasteurization and canning as lifesaving innovations reducing foodborne illness and infant mortality.
He contrasts synthetic preservatives with historical adulterants like swill milk and rotten eggs.

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On Wednesday’s Mark Levin Show, processed foods should be defended against their common portrayal as dietary villains. About 100 years ago, mass urbanization, poverty, and lack of refrigeration made fresh food scarce, expensive, and prone to spoilage or contamination in cities, leading to widespread issues like foodborne illnesses, malnutrition, and short life expectancy. Processed foods, including canning, pasteurization, and preservatives, emerged as a critical solution to feed growing populations safely and affordably, preventing starvation and reducing risks from rancid items. While some synthetic additives may have downsides, they are far safer than historical alternatives like rotten eggs or swill milk. Also, our military personnel deserve our respect and our gratitude. They stand ready to act on orders from President Trump to protect current and future generations from Iran. Ordinary Americans strongly support the military, unlike Marxists, Islamists, woke individuals, neo-Nazis, and isolationists. Isolationism against evils like Islamism, Communism, and fascism is suicidal. Later, decades ago Landmark Legal Foundation and other patriot lawyers litigated school choice, starting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. They represented a black liberal state representative, Polly Williams, and her constituents in the city's poorest areas, advancing an idea originated by the late Dr. Milton Friedman. The program aimed to let money follow inner-city students—primarily minority and black children—out of failing, crime-ridden, union-controlled, government-run schools to better options, including participating private schools. Despite fierce opposition from Democrats, the NEA, AFT, NAACP, and others, the effort succeeded through multiple victories at the Wisconsin Supreme Court and twice at the U.S. Supreme Court over years. These wins, achieved alongside key colleagues and heroes, established school choice as one of the greatest civil rights victories in modern times, without which it would not exist.

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