Convenience foods destroy the charm of time-consuming cooking. An argument can be made for processed foods, and the great benefits of freezing, freeze-drying and canning, but Western food technology is still a threat to national cuisines. Finally, the changing role of women influences national styles of cooking. The changes which have already taken place have had a profound effect on the family, and will continue. Women have been the prime food preparers for thousands of years. If they have less time and less inclination to spend long hours in food preparation and cooking, this will influence the kind of dishes which a family eats. Now women can explore further than their own immediate locality and experience, and gather ideas and recipes from other parts of the world, and incorporate these into their cooking.