About a month ago, while I did my usual peruse through Netflix to find my next show to watch, I stumbled upon a food documentary that caught my eye. The documentary was titled Food, Inc (2008). The film’s goal was to inform Americans about how their food goes from the farm to the dinner table. However, as researchers discussed in the documentary, large food corporations have placed a veil over the food industry, thus blurring the reality of food production. Therefore, these corporations are misleading Americans into believing that these poorly produced foods are healthy and nourishes for our bodies, when in reality they are not. While our nation grows more and more unhealthy, people are starting to raise the red flag and beginning to demand
…show more content…
Food companies now rely on technology to speed up manufacturing and cut costs. One thing that has become the hallmark of fast food is the concept of consistency. With the use of special techniques, fast food chains have mastered the process of making the same menu item taste the same at a different location. For example, almost everything a person orders from any fast food restaurant is precooked and frozen (Wilson). This enables the restaurant to hire cheap, unskilled workers who only have to reheat the frozen foods the restaurant has received from a factory rather than cooking it from scratch. In addition, these food production factories add artificial and natural flavors to the food to insure the same taste at different restaurant locations (Wilson). Because of the style of mass production, many chains have created a Dollar Menu. At first glance, this new menu is a perfect way to quickly feed our appetite with little money. However, when one looks closer into the hidden truth, we discover the food on this menu is higher in fat, sugar, salt, and calories and lower in fiber compared to eating a meal at home (Wilson). Our generation’s spike in unhealthy eating is because the food served by fast food restaurants is not always fresh and natural. As consumers, we are uneducated and losing touch of where our food comes from. Therefore, people wonder if their food is …show more content…
Surprisingly grocery stores have little to no say as to what they want to supply on their shelves. This is because big businesses and government pay grocery stores to stock the items that they produce (Food, Inc). In addition, the food being stocked is also some of the worst for our health. Thus, the unhealthy foods are cheaper and more accessible because big businesses and government subsidize them (Food, Inc). Not only do these big businesses and government agencies control the majority of the market, they are also protected from public criticism by way of Veggie Libel Laws and Cheeseburger Bills. These laws and bills vary significantly from state to state, but food libel laws typically allow a food manufacturer or processor to sue a person or group who makes disparaging comments about their food products (Veggie). Therefore, Americans cannot speak out against the unhealthy products supplied by grocery stores and the cruel treatment of animals without the backlash of a lawsuit from the large food supply companies. Many people have raised the question of why these food libel laws infringe upon and punish Americans for their First Amendment right to freely express their thoughts (Veggie). If people demand to know what is in their food and how it is produced, they should have that right. The marketing techniques used in today’s world hides the truth from the consumer about the origin of food products.
Food companies now rely on technology to speed up manufacturing and cut costs. One thing that has become the hallmark of fast food is the concept of consistency. With the use of special techniques, fast food chains have mastered the process of making the same menu item taste the same at a different location. For example, almost everything a person orders from any fast food restaurant is precooked and frozen (Wilson). This enables the restaurant to hire cheap, unskilled workers who only have to reheat the frozen foods the restaurant has received from a factory rather than cooking it from scratch. In addition, these food production factories add artificial and natural flavors to the food to insure the same taste at different restaurant locations (Wilson). Because of the style of mass production, many chains have created a Dollar Menu. At first glance, this new menu is a perfect way to quickly feed our appetite with little money. However, when one looks closer into the hidden truth, we discover the food on this menu is higher in fat, sugar, salt, and calories and lower in fiber compared to eating a meal at home (Wilson). Our generation’s spike in unhealthy eating is because the food served by fast food restaurants is not always fresh and natural. As consumers, we are uneducated and losing touch of where our food comes from. Therefore, people wonder if their food is …show more content…
Surprisingly grocery stores have little to no say as to what they want to supply on their shelves. This is because big businesses and government pay grocery stores to stock the items that they produce (Food, Inc). In addition, the food being stocked is also some of the worst for our health. Thus, the unhealthy foods are cheaper and more accessible because big businesses and government subsidize them (Food, Inc). Not only do these big businesses and government agencies control the majority of the market, they are also protected from public criticism by way of Veggie Libel Laws and Cheeseburger Bills. These laws and bills vary significantly from state to state, but food libel laws typically allow a food manufacturer or processor to sue a person or group who makes disparaging comments about their food products (Veggie). Therefore, Americans cannot speak out against the unhealthy products supplied by grocery stores and the cruel treatment of animals without the backlash of a lawsuit from the large food supply companies. Many people have raised the question of why these food libel laws infringe upon and punish Americans for their First Amendment right to freely express their thoughts (Veggie). If people demand to know what is in their food and how it is produced, they should have that right. The marketing techniques used in today’s world hides the truth from the consumer about the origin of food products.