Lol, this isn't to do with insecurities - more to do with science.
I get that to many, science is a boogeyman - but come on, we're meant to be better than that on HN, since you know, so many of do actually have science backgrounds?
My parents owned a sheep property growing up, and I went to an agricultural school - the whole point of modern agriculture, and husbandy pratcises is that we do intentional thinks to manipulate animals/plants, to be safer for us.
Oh, and my wife is a veterinarian - and occasionally she gets crazies in, who think they can roadkill or dead wildlife - she's like, yeah, genius, great way to give yourself worms.
And preserved foods is...well, just that - to preserve food.
You know, like pasteurised milk?
Humans have been preserving food for millennia - it's just that our techniques have evolved a bit more than "add salt, let it dry in the sun".
I think many people might be equating junk food (i.e. sweets, chips etc.) with all modern foods - that's a logical fallacy. Food companies optimised for things consumers want - whether that's long shelf-life, for taste, for convenience etc.
We are so incredibly lucky these days - that we have massive range of foodstuff - just make sure you read the food labels, and pick the foods you want.
If convenience, or high-sweetness isn't what you want - then don't buy those products. Buy other products!
Ultimately, corporates aren't some evil faceless entity - nor do I believe there's some mysterious conspiracy going on.
They simply create what they think people will buy - and hence, make them money.
But I agree with parent - the whole "eat stuff that humans haven't touched" is a bit of a stupid argument - it's like romanticising pre-historic men.
In reality - they probably had hard, short lives, and were subject to parasites and infection constantly - a lot of it via the food they ate.