Food ethics involves ethical and moral issues within the
food industry. This documentary was
pretty compelling. It made me think of
the expression that you don't want to know what goes on in a sausage factory. The camera panned an entire grocery store
focusing for a moment on different departments to include dairy, produce, and
meat. Graphics popped up with
interesting factoids and in depth examination of different food items. Some
of it appeared beneficial; Tomatoes are offered year round and have no seasons
anymore, meat is mostly boneless, food and produce is rarely grown on
individual farms anymore, but rather in massive factories. It is quite an achievement that food can be
produced on a mass scale with relatively few workers. The economies of scale achieved is mind
boggling. Slaughterhouses that used to number in the thousands has been reduced
to just thirteen and production is higher.
Some fruits and vegetables are genetically modified so that they grow
bigger, are resistant to pests, and shorter ripening times for quicker
turnover.
However, like most "Frankensteinian" experiments
there is a dark side. Chickens and
livestock live their entire lives in small booths where they are pumped up with
antibiotics and hormones to hasten their maturation period. I was surprised to learn of quick chicks and
triple breasted poultry to yield greater white meat.
One aspect of the film that really resonated with me was the
tragic death of a little boy after eating an e coli tainted hamburger. A family vacation turned nightmare. Kevin's passing inspired his mom and
grandmother to appeal to the US Congress to regulate genetically modified beef.
Advances is food development and preparation is an important
field to meet the challenge of feeding a growing world population. However, it is important that food ethics
are adhered to and both government and industry cooperate and collaborate to develop
foods that are nutritious and safe to consume for all not just the affluent
that can afford to buy the best.