One Thing to do about food

The reading done for class today is a compilation of many peoples opinion about food/ food advertising. The title of the forum is “One thing to do about food” and has some of the big names known in healthy and responsible food marketing. Such names as Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollin. The majority of this forum focuses on two major issues surrounding the advertising and production of many quintisential American staples. Staples such as hotdogs and chicken. Eric Schlosser argues that it is imparitive that Americans understand exatly what they are eating, as well as what it takes to get that product to you. In his post Schlosser sites a bill that was trying to get passed by lobyists that would limit the amount of information required to be on packages. This would mean that companies would no longer have to abide by state laws and instead only comply with federal standards which tend to be more laxed. In other words, companies would no longer be required to put warnings on their lables if a food may have negative effects on pregnant woman or children.

The Second major issue that is discussed in this post really focuses on the use of advertising to make children and parents choose the unhealthy over something more nutricious. Marion Nestle argues that it is imparative that we make laws to insure that product not be marked directly to kids by way of television, internet, and video games. Nestle further implies that the United States is behind the eight ball when it comes to regualtion when compared to countries like Europe.

Personally I believe that this issue is not as cut and dry as the authors attempt to make it seem. Although there is indisputable evidence that small children are impressionable ( in fact they are unable to tell the difference between advertising and television shows until around six) and that big companies use this to gain both imidiate revenue (the nag factor) as well as long time costumers, I believe that this shouldn’t be totally eliminated. It is still a free country and it is up to the parents to some extent to teach their children what is good and bad. All the majority of the companies are doing is trying to get people to purchase their product over another, not to start in the first place.

Enough Food To Go Around

The article that we have to read for class is titled the Scarcity Fallacy and covers a couple of major misconceptions that people have about hunger. Also this article discusses both the reasons behind as well as the class, racial, and gender dividing lines that have been shown to play a large role in whether a person may go hungry or not. First, the article discusses a belief shared by many free market capitalists and UN executives which is that food itself is too scarce in some regions, therefore to fix the problem all one must do is streamline production, distribution, and shipping. However this is not the case at all. According to the article there is actually more food available per person than there has been ever in history. What has changed is that the richer countries are dominating the food supply leaving little food for the developing countries. Ironically some of the countries that have the largest problems with malnutrition and starvation are still exporting millions of pounds of food each year because they are able to get a better price. Second, the article points out that even though there are health organizations that have programs in place to spread food around to people in need, they find that their elements on the ground are corrupt and that the food a large portion of the time never gets to there intended recipients.

Personally I believe that countries which have a certain percentage of residence that are under a poverty line should be required to feed them first before they can export their products elsewhere. It is absolutely ridiculous to be exporting millions of dollars of food when your countrymen are starving, Furthermore it is imperative originations like the WHO and the EU to take a more active role in overseeing the distribution of aid so that corruption cant occur. It has been proven that there is enough food to go around, all that is needed are honest people to get out and do it.

Last Class

During yesterdays class, I felt that the class really hit on the major issue of whether a person who gets laid off from a well paying job. Deciding to use emergency food services rather than selling assets or using savings is an ethical acceptable. I still believe that because that person has been paying (in taxes) for years should not be required to sell off all of their assets just to get aid. I think that if a person has some assets left, they will be better able to find full time employment and get off the emergency food system.

Who Eats Emergency Food

The article Who Eats Emergency Food not only discusses what kind of people are taking advantage of emergency food programs, but also what forced them to need assistance, and whether or not the aid available is enough. One of the most misunderstood thing about the homeless is that majority actually have some kind of employment. However for most of the people, jobs don’t pay enough or the hours are not sufficient. When a person is working part time at a minimum wage job, it is almost impossible to fulfill the basic living needs. Unfortunately people find cutting food costs one of the easiest things to do when money gets short. Furthermore, because people have this opinion of food, they turn to food banks and the overtaxed government aid programs for support.

Although people have access to government aid in the form of food stamps and subsidized food programs, the aid is not enough and it doesn’t come in time. Government officials fail to realize that people have needs that extend past just food. If a person believes that cigarettes or their child’s new pair of shoes is more important than food than they will use food stamps for that instead. Unfortunately this is one of the major reasons that the food stamp system is in my opinion such a failure.

New York City

When I was sitting in a Johnny Rockets in New York City over the weekend I noticed that the things that I originally miss took for prices were actually the calorie count on the items. What was even worse about the whole thing was the fact that there was nothing on the whole menu of any substance under 1000 calories. Now for those who don't know, the recommended caloric consumption for the average adult male is between 2000 and 3000(Young active adult) calories. This means that to eat a cheeseburger and a Sunday would basically be all the calories that I would need for the whole day.

I am aware now aware of the attempts by New York to make its residence more conscious of what they eat, and I completely support that effort. However, even though i would not consider myself weight conscious I found the entire dining experience less enjoyable almost dare i say it depressing. I believe that the Government needs to alert people to the nature of what they consume but not destroy a meal. In the case of New York, this requirement of calories on the menu along with past legislature on the use of trans fats have gone way to far.

Having worked in a number of upscale restaurants, the idea of limiting ingredients in a dish to those that are classified as healthy is preposterous. The best example I can give is the use of duck fat in frying potatoes. Although they may have been" poison" they were delicious in moderation.

Americans are once again trying to push the blame of overweightness on the industries that cater to them rather than taking responsibility for their own short comings.

The McDonaldsization of Society.

The McDonaldsization of society reading focuses on the unfortunate habit of Americans to always want thing to be very quick, predictable and standardized. One might go so far to say that to the average American, equates quick boarding food with quality and value. Now days when the majority of elder members work long hours, the time for long home cooked meals was first replaced by TV dinners, and now by fast food restaurants.

The reading make a few key points that truly shows human behavior in its most basic form. First, the desire for complete standardization has become so pronounced in society that it is very likely that machines will be preparing our food in the very near future. The major reason for this is because people want to be able to walk into a restaurant or supermarket and know what they are getting every time. Second, humans are artistic creatures that need to have something to spark their attention. However now, because restaurants like McDonalds and Burger King have taken away all need for thinking in the preparation of their food, most patrons feel that the employees may as well be machines. Finally, efficiency has become such a concern to the average producer and consumer that everything must be strictly regimented. To a producer like for mentioned McDonalds, an extra piece of lettuce on a hamburger changes the appearance as well as their profit margin. To the consumer, if they can eat on the run without ever getting out of the car, well better for them.

Personally I believe that people need to slow down a little and move back towards sit down meals. It has been proven that children that eat home cooked meals at the table have both a better relationship with their parents, as well as better devolved social abilities. Furthermore I feel that a strict regimented life tends to lead to regret in later years. Although I may be an oddball but a major reason I don’t enjoy school more is because I find it both regimented and repetitive. If things where more spontaneous in the world I believe that everybody may be just a little happier.

Omnivores Dilemma

Chapter 5 in the Omnivores Dilemma is all about how modern corn is broken down into different aspects in order to satisfy a multitude of needs of Americans. According to the chapter Americans eat very little corn in its basic form. In fact in an average year, Americans will consume only about a bushel of corn in its basic form. This may still seem like a lot but compared to the amount of corn products that are consumed in the form of sweetener in beverages or secondarily through live stock consumption the amount is very little. The chapter in this book also raised a very interesting argument which states that humans have finally found a way to in laymen’s terms, cheat Mother Nature. Conventionally humans had been restricted to diets of seasonal local foods. However with the creation of methods of storage and altering of food, humans are for the most part no longer fully enslaved by nature.

I believe that generally the belief above is valid. Personally being a chef, I have never found it difficult to find fresh produce like apples that haven’t been in season for several months. Because humans are no longer fully restricted by nature we have been able to broaden our culinary horizons, which in my opinion is always a beneficial thing.

American Identity

If you were to ask a person off the street what the cuisine of the United States consists of, you would probably hear things like hamburgers, apple pie, and barbecue. However when you sit down and think about it, the national cuisine of the United States may not even exist. When compared to the cultures like italian and french who set food in the center of their lives, the Mc Donald's just doesn't seem to be on the same level. This question plays to the main argument of the articles that we read for class today.

In my personal opinion however, although our nation may not have a set of foods that we build a diet around, I believe that the compilation of all different cuisines from different areas around the world create a unique culture apart. By mixing and matching influences we have been able to create a diet that is somehow completely different from anything else in the world. For example tex mex and "soul food" are mixes of many culture but at the same time a completely new cuisine.

American Identity

My Recent Trip

On my recent trip back home to Washington DC i went to a relatively well know seafood chain called M&S. This restaurant sells a wide variety of seafood from around the world. In the same place that you are getting fresh crab from Maryland, your dinner companion could be enjoying seater roasted Alaskan salmon. Now normally people would see the idea of eating foods from different parts of the world to be standard for any well to do American, however when you take a second and think what it actually takes to get that food on the table it astounding. The fact that we have access to all of this food that a hundred years ago would have been impossible, I believe has widened our culinary pallet and is better overall for the American People.

The Other White Meat

The article “The Other White Meat” discusses the question of cloning and its ethics and safety. Cloning is a technology that has been in existence since the mid 1990s when scientists successfully cloned a farm animal. Since that time, genetic engineers have been experimenting with the idea of cloning prize animals with superior traits in order to create a “supper breed”. The benefits of a super breed animal that had the most meat or milk production would of course be a huge asset for farmers with narrow profit margins.

Unfortunately however there are two major barriers that have stopped the mass use of these relatively new cloning technologies. First, technology scares the average consumer so much that they have all but destroyed the possibility of clones in the food system. The consumer feels that animals that have not been conceived in the conventional way are unnatural and are therefore unfit for consumption. Although there is no evidence that this is the case the FDA under strong pressure from consumers has discouraged the sale and distribution of any GM animals. Second, at this time the cost of cloning an animal is still prohibitively expensive. According to the article if a farmer were today to go out and get a conventional animal cloned it could cost in excess of twenty thousand dollars which compared to conventional methods is multiple times the price.

Discussion Questions:

1. What makes the average consumer so wary about the consumption of meat from cloned animals?

2. Do you believe it is ethical to clone an animal? If not, why not?

Note: all facts and statistics are taken from the article “The Other White Meat” in Best Food Writing/

The Swine Flu Crisis lays bare the meat industry's monstrous power

The article written by Mike Davis in 2009 discusses how such diseases viruses like the swine flu and SARS are created, and spread. As Davis says, the majority of the illnesses like the swine flu are created by forcing farm animals to live in very close quarters with already compromised immune systems. When this happens, viruses jump back and forth combining and eventually becoming immune to the antibiotics. Furthermore given enough time, all of the viruses are able to jump from pig to human, thereby creating a virus that is immune to most major antibiotics and have the ability to spread to humans.

In a time when industrial feed lots and mass production are the way things are done Davis brings up the questions of screening, prevention and cooperation between governments. Davis believes that more money needs to be spent on prevention of naturally occurring diseases like the swine flu rather that the billions that are being spent now on fears of bioterrorism. In the same vain, because there was little cooperation between the US and Mexico, it took about a week to identify the swine flu, and another week for the US to be informed by Mexico of the potential pandemic.

Discussion Questions:

1. Would the use of early surveillance have been able to pick up on the imminent swine flu outbreak?

2. Should the Feed lots use strong antibiotics in their feed? If not how do you recommend they keep their animals alive and their company economically viable?

The Salami Maker Who fought the law

The reading in Best Food Writing discusses a situation that occurs relatively often in a time where the guarantee of food safety is a number one priority. With the outbreaks of e-coli and other food born pathogens, the USDA has made sweeping changes to standards of production, especially in the meats and produce sector. According to Sarah Digregorio, these regulations are written with the intention of regulating large companies like Hormel or Kraft who are already held to a very high standard because of the volume and potential fallout from a mistake. Unfortunately for the corner butcher who has been curing his meats for years, these regulations force him to show proof of safety that naturally he can’t.

Many major government regulating departments are seem to not understand the scope of their actions when the institute new regulations. They become aware of a specific incident like an outbreak of e-coli and instead of investigating thoroughly how this situation occurred they pass blanket laws that kill the little guys. In fact the only way that Marc Buzzio was able to continue to sell his salami and other aged products was to spend almost 100 thousand dollars and get a lab to individually test it. What happens to the other butchers who can’t afford that? They stop selling their products and possible go out of business.

Discussion Questions:

How can the Government act quickly and deliberately against any food born pathogens but at the same time with enough control that they don’t leave “destruction” in their wake?

Why Vegetarians are Eating Meat

Traditionally vegetarians have decided to abstain from meat for three major reasons. First, in the industry today there are some questions raised about the ethical treatment of livestock. In laymen’s terms the question is “How are animals that are being raised for human consumption being treated during life as well as death?” The second major reasons that people abstain from meat consumption are health reasons. Health concerns can be associated with the amount of fat that most meat has, or it can also be related to questionable use of antibiotics and genetically modified crop to insure the health and weight of the product. Finally there are some people who just don’t believe that meat should be eaten because it means killing a living animal.

This essay discusses two of the three major reasons that people become vegetarians as well as how purchasing local and organic meat may be an answer to these concerns. As stated in the article, unlike conventional farming animals are allowed to roam free as well as are fed a diet more in line with their natural diet. Furthermore because organic farming does not allow the antibiotics and growth hormone, the product is considered to be lower in fat and all around better for you. For these reasons the author argues that people should consider giving organic meat a chance. They may be delightfully surprised.

Discussion Questions

With the recent move towards healthy green living where does organic meat fit into the spectrum?

Omnivores Dilemma

In chapter 11 of the Omnivores Dilemma, Michael Pollan recounts the time he spent on an organic farm with a farmer by the name of Joel. Joel is a man who believes that when given the right circumstances a farmer has no need for any chemically enriched or antibiotic feed for his animals. Instead Joel feels that if you allow your animals to continue on with the natural cycle you will not only save the environment but also a great deal of money on the costs of feed.

On his farm, Joel has set out a system where he will allow his cattle to graze on a piece of land for a couple of days, let it sit, and then allow his chicken. The cycle above allows the land to not be overtaxed by any animal, but at the same time get the much needed nitrogen to re grow. The use of free range allows the animals that Joel raises to not be coupe up like so many animals in the industry.

Not only does this chapter talk about the practices on organic farms but it also contrasts them to that of conventional pig farms. Pollan does a very good job of dissuading his readers from purchasing pork when he discusses the terrible life that they lead. Unlike many books like The Jungle whose power came from many Americans upset stomachs, Pollan is making his readers feel sorry for the swine.

The Omnivores Dilemma

In Chapter 8 of the Omnivores Dilemma Michael Pollan investigates both the social and physical implications fo farming in America today. This chapter is all about opposition in farming techniques. The vast majority of farming done in the US is done on an industrial scale. This industrialization creates a situation where the delicate balance of nature is interrupted. Pollan recounts a story of the time that he went and worked on what he now considers a true organic farm ( that which allows animals to interact with their natural environment in a way that doesn't destroy the ecosystem). The farm that was owned and operated by George Naylor was completely green. Because of his farming practices Naylor had no need for dangerous pesticides or chemical growth hormones.

Even though Mr Naylor was running an operation that was organic he refused to apply for a permit to be considered to be organic. He felt that by allowing new specialty stores to import all of the organic product went against one of the most important aspects of both green and organic living. Instead of buying or selling any of the products need or produced by his farm Mr Naylor has decided to stay local.

Discussion Questions:

Are the ideas of sustainability and organic living truly linked or have they been linked by society today?

Does it matter if a product is grown organic in another country and then brought to the US/ does that go against the foundation of organic living?

Tenderloins A Steal But At What Moral Price?

The chapter that I read in Best Food Writing is talking two major issues that plagues the American People more and more each day. The first issue is the desire for good quality food at a price that the average American can afford. This article does a good job illustrating both sides of the argument. Many people would prefer to buy organic because it is not only better for me but allows me to support more humane practices in industries that conventionally have been the opposite. However the reality of the situation today is that most people can’t afford a 500 percent mark up on groceries to buy organic, so the end up buying the same low quality that they are used too. The second major issue that this article touches on it the tendency for Americans to always want more product at a lower price. This consumer tendency has forced smaller farmers to either become bigger in order to operate in economies of scale or else go out of business. However the animal that ends up suffering is the cow or the chicken. Because there has been a push to such an industrial livestock farming method animals are being treated very poorly and in many cases abused. For example, in the article Kessler speaks about how chickens are de beaked at birth and cows are forced to live in vast industrial farms. The American people need to decide if they are willing to pay more for their food if it means a better life for an animal as well as a better product on their table.

Discussion Questions:

1. Why are government officials not subsidizing organic more than non organic producers?

2. Are their low cost alternatives to big chain meat retailers?