Food Inc: A Burning Desire for a Better FDA
Have you ever watched a film that not only sparked anger but genuinely called you to action? A film that sparked a flame, burning through your once dearly held beliefs and habits for the better? This, my friends, is what Food Inc. did for me. Not only did this movie change my eating habits and views on the FDA but it truly made me want to riot on alumni way, calling for massive changes in the way Witt students, and all Americans, obtain and consume their food.
Food Inc. opened my eyes to the food industry of our great nation, except the only thing I wanted to do during the entire movie was shut my eyelids and block out the horror. Around eighty years ago, slaughterhouses, producing cow and hog products, were abundant in America. There were thousands in the 1930's, while today there are only thirteen. The lack of slaughterhouses has caused an increase in salmonella and e-coli outbreaks, endangering adults and sometimes even killing small children. A very compelling part of this movie included a young child named Kevin, who lost his life due to one of these outbreaks. Kevin's story, told by his devastated mother, was absolutely heart-wrenching. The poor boy lost his life before he could experience all the good things this world has to offer, but instead he saw the end of his road at the young age of 2.
Outbreaks like the ones mentioned above can be prevented by simply feeding cows grass instead of corn; see, the meat industry does not care about these standards. The only thing they value is that corn makes the cows grow fatter quicker, maximizing their profits. Children like Kevin don't stand a chance against these meat-packing monopolies.
I would also like to discuss what I view as the most important part of Food Inc: the fact that lobbyists for Monsanto, a monopoly over soy beans, hold positions in the FDA and Supreme Court. How could one not see the bias being placed into such important agencies? How could you let lobbyists become a part of our food safety system, especially when it is easy to recognize that their legislation is only helping the companies from which they came? It's a shame, and most definitely pathetic, that the food industry and court systems allow for such biased individuals to control the sustenance of life for humans worldwide. Hopefully other Americans are just as alarmed as I am after watching Food Inc; if they are not, they are surely strong-minded, and more importantly, stronger-stomached than people like me.
Food Inc. opened my eyes to the food industry of our great nation, except the only thing I wanted to do during the entire movie was shut my eyelids and block out the horror. Around eighty years ago, slaughterhouses, producing cow and hog products, were abundant in America. There were thousands in the 1930's, while today there are only thirteen. The lack of slaughterhouses has caused an increase in salmonella and e-coli outbreaks, endangering adults and sometimes even killing small children. A very compelling part of this movie included a young child named Kevin, who lost his life due to one of these outbreaks. Kevin's story, told by his devastated mother, was absolutely heart-wrenching. The poor boy lost his life before he could experience all the good things this world has to offer, but instead he saw the end of his road at the young age of 2.
Outbreaks like the ones mentioned above can be prevented by simply feeding cows grass instead of corn; see, the meat industry does not care about these standards. The only thing they value is that corn makes the cows grow fatter quicker, maximizing their profits. Children like Kevin don't stand a chance against these meat-packing monopolies.
I would also like to discuss what I view as the most important part of Food Inc: the fact that lobbyists for Monsanto, a monopoly over soy beans, hold positions in the FDA and Supreme Court. How could one not see the bias being placed into such important agencies? How could you let lobbyists become a part of our food safety system, especially when it is easy to recognize that their legislation is only helping the companies from which they came? It's a shame, and most definitely pathetic, that the food industry and court systems allow for such biased individuals to control the sustenance of life for humans worldwide. Hopefully other Americans are just as alarmed as I am after watching Food Inc; if they are not, they are surely strong-minded, and more importantly, stronger-stomached than people like me.