how does the text "hears a food rapper you can eat" by Randy Rieland use rhtorical devices?

Question

Here's an exert from the passage.
Consider the cheese stick. It is not a beautiful food. It also isn't particularly healthy. Cheese sticks are about as commonplace as snack food gets. Yet in the packaged version that ends up in so many kids' lunch boxes, each cylinder of mozzarella or cheddar is individually wrapped, like a high-end truffle. And, every day, thousands of those little pieces of plastic wrap are thrown in the trash. But that may not be the case for long. Two researchers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) have developed a film made from a milk protein. The film can be eaten with the cheese. Which means that it may not be too long before we have a wrapper we can eat. It also could be healthy. Edible plastic exists, but it's largely made of starch, not protein. "The benefit," says Peggy Tomasula, one of the lead researchers, "is that it can be consumed with the food so it gets rid of one layer of packaging, like with individually wrapped cheese sticks. It also gives you the opportunity to add vitamins or minerals or ways to block light damage to the food. And, you can add flavors. If you wanted to add a strawberry flavor to something, you can embed that in the film." The key component in the innovative packaging is casein, a group of milk proteins with high nutritional value. Tomasula has been researching casein since 2000, and actually created a new version of the protein using carbon dioxide. She noticed that it wasn't very soluble in water, and that made her believe it might be used to make a film coating that could extend the shelf life of dairy foods. Tomasula kept exploring the potential of this research and when another scientist, Laetitia Bonnaillie, joined the USDA team, Tomasula asked her to see if dry milk could be used to produce the film. That would also allow them to make use of surplus milk powder during times when dairy farms are producing too much milk. Bonnaillie also focused on refining the product by making it less sensitive to moisture and improving the process by which the film was made so it could be more uniform and commercial.

Answer 1

In the excerpt from "Hears a Food Rapper You Can Eat" by Randy Rieland, several rhetorical devices enhance the author's argument and engage the reader. Here are some examples:

1. Imagery: The author uses vivid imagery when describing cheese sticks as "about as commonplace as snack food gets" and "individually wrapped, like a high-end truffle." This comparison elevates the mundane cheese stick by likening it to a luxury item, which helps the reader visualize the contrast between everyday snacks and gourmet delicacies.

2. Juxtaposition: The contrast between the unhealthy, ubiquitous cheese stick and the potential for an innovative, healthy edible wrapper serves to highlight the transformation that could take place. This positioning emphasizes the significance of the research being discussed.

3. Personification: By describing the edible film as having the ability to “add vitamins or minerals or ways to block light damage to the food,” the author personifies the film as an active participant in enhancing the nutritional quality of food, making it sound like a revolutionary solution to food packaging.

4. Direct Quotation: Incorporating a quote from Peggy Tomasula lends credibility to the piece. It allows the expert's voice to come through, making the information more authoritative. Phrases like "the benefit" and the specific examples she provides help clarify the practical implications of the research.

5. Tone: The overall tone of the passage shifts between casual and informative. The initial casual mention of cheese sticks creates relatability, while the subsequent explanations of the innovative film heighten the tone to one of excitement and progress.

6. Repetition: The phrase "it also" appears in different contexts, subtly reinforcing the idea that the edible film has numerous benefits. This repetition creates a rhythm and emphasizes the multiple advantages of the innovation.

7. Analogy: The author uses analogy implicitly by comparing the common cheese stick to high-end foods and contrasting the traditional inedible wrapper with the innovative edible alternative. This technique helps the reader understand the significance of the advancements in food packaging.

These rhetorical devices work together to make the argument compelling, highlight the significance of the research, and engage the reader in the potential future of food packaging.