Food is my passion. In addition to loving to cook, I also love to learn all about food. I am interested in where it comes from, its
nutritional value, the best foods to eat, the worst foods to eat, how food is processed in your body, etc. I read books about food (not just cookbooks) and I watch movies about food. I have seen a few documentaries about food related topics and they have been very informative and interesting. Food Inc. is probably the most powerful movie about food that I have ever seen.
I must give a disclaimer – this movie is not for the faint of heart. You do see animals being slaughtered as a food source. It is very graphic. If you think this may be an issue for you please do not watch this movie.
That being said, if you can get through those scenes this movie provides an eye opening look at America’s food industry. It highlights the corporate controlled food chain that is blessed by the USDA and FDA, the very entities that are supposed to police our food supply. There are some great interviews with food experts and refreshing interviews with some forward thinking people of the industry. In addition to the interviews, you go behind the scenes of the American chicken, beef and pork industry. This is where things get ugly (literally). I admit to having a hard time eating meat after watching this movie. I have a friend who stopped eating meat all together after watching it.
Not only does the movie highlight the meat industry it also takes a look at the agriculture produced in the U.S of A and the lengths food producers go to in order to lengthen the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. Harmful E.coli and listeria bacterias are on the rise with tens of thousands of people getting sick or dying from these strains every year. There is also our environment to think about and the sustainability of our food sources. This movie draws attention to all of these topics in a very insightful manner.
I am by no means advocating becoming a vegetarian or buying only organic products. However, I do believe that it is important to know where your food comes from so that you can make informed decisions on the products you buy, such as buying select organic ingredients or free-range grass fed meats. This is the food we feed ourselves and give to our children. Knowledge is power and having the public further scrutinize our food industry cannot be a bad thing.
Test My Recipes 
I actually saw that movie a few years ago at the Bell House it was followed by a Q&A with director Robert Kenner. One of the Audience members asked if anything had change since the movie was made. He said when they started filming 4 companies owned 75% of the beef industry and after 3 companies owned 85% of the beef industry. It is so alarming, but SO important that we watch films like this to remind us that the food industry is big business. And the government is the food industry, they will let us eat rat poison if it saves them a penny. We must demand quality control or else!!! As you can see I feel strongly about this, It makes me embarrassed to be an American. In Europe they don’t have these kind of food practices. The USA & China are practically the only two countries only still using BTH (a cheap but cancer causing preservative) and actually increasing the amount they use every year. They compare the food industry to the tobacco industry but it is much worse. You don’t have to smoke to live, but you do have to eat. If there is anything you expect the US government to make safe for the people it is our drinking water and our food supply.
Thanks for bringing attention to such an important topic.
I could not have said it better myself! I think this is a really important film and I hope everyone sees it.
Pingback: To Be Organic, Or Not To Be | Test My Recipes