In addition to shining a light on the horrors of big companies and how their factory farming ways are slowly leading to the demise of Americans and our planet, this movie also points out some things that you probably know but hadn't realized or noticed. For example, the movie makes reference to the fact that foods really know no seasons anymore. Think about it. It's January and I am almost positive the last time I was in the store, I saw strawberries on display. Apparently, grocery distributors will pick out of season produce (in another country or somewhere that they can grow) and ripen them with chemicals. I may not be telling this completely as it is, but the bottom line is, we don't even think about eating seasonal foods or think it is weird to see foods we know are not in season. I'd wager to say that someone purchasing strawberries or tomatoes or whatever in the dead of winter likely thinks he or she is making a smart and healthy purchase choice, but where did these fruits and vegetables come from? And how were they transported and ripened? Do you know what you are eating? This movie made it pretty clear to me that I don't.
The movie also made it frighteningly clear just how much "food" has changed with the introduction of scientific "advances." For example, corn or corn products (high fructose corn syrup, xantham gum, and MANY more) are in just about every single thing we consume. It's no wonder, with all this processed food and all of the additives, not to mention the pesticides we consume, that people are becoming more and more ill. Think about the number of people you know that struggle with obesity, the number of obese children in America, the number of people who suffer from diabetes, and food allergies! I mean, I don't know, but I am relatively sure that these severe food allergies were not near the problem they are now. It only makes sense that the changes in the food we eat have led to these adverse consequences in the majority of our population.
Food, Inc. also features a mother who lost her son to a strain of E.Coli after eating a contaminated hamburger. A totally healthy two year old child DIED because of tainted beef, and, allegedly, the company knew there was a problem and did not say anything until several days after the child's death and several other reports of E.Coli poisoning. An estimated 76 million people are made ill from some food borne illness EACH YEAR!! How disgusting is that? And to remedy some of the problem, some meat producers have resorted to "washing" your meat with ammonia. WTF? That is disgusting. It cannot be healthy. It just can't. The child's mother has since been an activist for food safety modernization. You can learn more about her efforts here: http://www.foodborneillness.org.
Although I feel a little bit overwhelmed and a little helpless after watching the movie, I would totally recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about what is happening to our food. It's not okay. It is really scary, actually. It makes me want to plant a big ole garden in my backyard and grow all of our food and hand make Carter's baby food. I know that is not feasible, but I just might start small and plant a little garden and see how it goes.
There is SO much more that I didn't even mention about the movie, but I am not going to get the details right, so just watch it and decide for yourself what to think.
Sidenote: I promise I will not turn this into a crazy, preachy blog. I just find this all really interesting right now.
Caveat: it is entirely possible that I have misrepresented what this movie said, but I assure you, it was entirely unintentional, and I do not claim to be an expert on any of these matters. I am just putting this out there because I want other people to start educating themselves like I am trying to do.
ReplyDeleteI found it more frightening that the mother of that child who died from the food borne illness STILL ATE AT THE FAST FOOD CHAIN! To me that is just asking for trouble. I also find it appalling that the FDA/meat industry does NOT have to report a bacteria infestation/contamination of their meat unless it makes x number of people sick or something crazy like that. Scary.
ReplyDeleteDid you watch Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution?
I haven't watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution, but I watched part of something, I think from Food Revolution, that came on television. He was visiting schools in West Virginia or something and then invited people to come to his restaurant or storefront and had a goal of how many people he wanted to teach to cook healthy foods.
ReplyDeleteIsn't his passion for changing school foods? I vaguely remember something about school-aged children not recognizing ordinary vegetables.
HIs passion is to change the way we eat, just like you are doing, but his thoughts were to change the school food because most kids eat 2 meals a day there. Jamie is really passionate about his work, so it was touching to see him be emotional when he saw the lifestyles of those with terrible habits.
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