In 1 Cor 8, Paul talks about how know-it-somes (people who know a little bit) can become puffed up. These people will be stuck in their old ways. He gives an example of food sacrificed to idols. Idols are man made constructs and, thus, food offered to it is no different than food not offered to it. This would be like accepting food from McDonalds but refusing it from Burger King, purely because of where it came from. He is careful to warn, however, that we should not distract others by acting out our faith. Yes, we may eat and are stronger in faith by our belief that it is fine to eat; however, others may see that and lose faith or our influence toward Christ over them may be lessened, as they’ll see it as unrepentant sin.
Note, food here is food. He would not have considered unclean food to be food at all, just as we wouldn’t consider a roach to be food. His statement here is about food which is for for eating. Why say that if it was obvious to both he and the audience?
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