Food inc….

The food industry has evolved more in the past 50 years than in the last millennium indeed… Extended life Orange juice, Frozen vegetables and shelled frozen beans , dry soup packages, bases and frozen stock and sauces, freezer stable desserts, beer and beverages in pop top cans , prepackaged cut lettuce, processed chicken beef and seafood, vacuum sealing and modified atmosphere packaging … In the process of moving forward we have embraced the convenience of the grocery store sometimes ignoring the risks of what this new age of processing might have on food ….

Food Inc makes us realize the level of naivety while casually strolling down the isles of the grocery store, the misconception of who controls our food , who produces it and how it gets there… It reveals how little we know about how our food is grown , handled, processed and how it reaches our table… Despite the shell shock effect this movie might have to some , Food INC is not another loom prediction and it doesn’t wish to employ scare tactics to scare people into food “hysteria”… It is more a testimonial about the inconsistencies of a terribly flawed system that surrounds food and its production and distribution grid ,that has sacrificed common sense in some cases for convenience…

It is clear that without the packaging industry , we had fewer options in the past when it came down to handling and distribution of food… But in this new era of conscious consumerism people are concerned about their food supply as much as any other social agenda … In that mindset the movie becomes a grim reminder of mistakes and food politics of the past and present , a voice of reason about how we consume, what we consume ,and how our choices affect the environment in this “fragile” moment in human history …

Not all is critical… This documentary offers another perspective, the other side of the story, the voice of farms and farmers and their effort for more sustainable food sources and the dynamics of a new food “culture”… One of them , one of the local heroes from Polyface Farms right here in the State of Virginia…

The documentary also reveals the concerns and problems of GMOs and dives in the genetic engineered and the politics surrounding them, a sensitive subject for United States agriculture policy makers… GMOs are banned in Europe and despite efforts of Mosanto and other lobbies its rather unlikely that the laws of European community will “bend” in favor of GMO products anytime soon… There are a few good reasons and this is a good opportunity to ask why…

We are what we eat … The message of the movie is that we can make a difference and we have choices , choices that can change this system for a better tomorrow… Take this opportunity and watch this documentary and draw your own conclusions out of it …It will raise your awareness in the most definite ways ….

For more reading try these:
Food inc. the book
The Omnivores Dilemma
In defense of food:An eaters manifesto
Harvest for hope: A guide to mindful eating

FOOD FOR THOUGHT…..