topic Re: Food Incorporated in Community Spirit

Food Incorporated

icyfroth — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 01:48:53 GMT

I watched this documentary last night Food Inc. on SBS1. On food production in the US, how it is dominated by 4 major corporations and how they have systematically changed traditional farming methods. The effect it's had on the environment and employment, the influence they have over governments and consumers:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1286537/

“Food Inc provides a devastating expose of the dysfunctional nature of the modern food system. It is a film that highlights the hypocrisy behind government attempts to encourage individuals to eat a healthy diet, while at the same time pursuing policies and partnerships with large food companies that create unhealthy food environments."

Why this is relevant to the Australian consumer:

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2010/06/16/food-inc-why-its-so-relevant-for-australian-audiences/

"When we consider Australian circumstances such as the huge proportion of chicken meat sourced from intensive chicken factories, the duopoly controlling approximately 75% of the food retail sector and the pervasive influence of food industry interests in state and commonwealth food regulation committees, the answer is ‘very relevant’."

Did anyone else happen to watch it?

Re: Food Incorporated

*mrswormwood* — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:13:26 GMT

Incredibly scary......one of the top dogs of Monsanto is now a top dog at the FDA

Re: Food Incorporated

*mrswormwood* — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:19:06 GMT

Here's a link to the Occupy Monsanto cause on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/occupymonsanto

I think it's time for me to start collecting as many seeds and planting as many fruit trees as possible

If they keep genetically modifying all forms of plant foods that end up being unsafe for consumption, what will we end up eating?

Soylent Green may not be science fiction after all.

Re: Food Incorporated

auction_assassin — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:29:23 GMT

Na, didn't see it, will watch it on the internet later.

Next time you in America, i would stay away from Rasberry and Vanilla flavoured food.

Google: Castoreum

:^O

With Natural Flavours!!

Re: Food Incorporated

*mrswormwood* — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 02:39:37 GMT

EEEEEEKKKKK! Beaver juice!!!

That's ruined raspberry ice cream for me

I wonder what Wendy's would say if I asked if the ice cream contained by products of beavers? 😮

Re: Food Incorporated

polksaladallie — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:47:56 GMT

EEEEEEKKKKK! Beaver juice!!!

That's ruined raspberry ice cream for me

I wonder what Wendy's would say if I asked if the ice cream contained by products of beavers? 😮

There are 2 types of beavers in the US. 😮

Re: Food Incorporated

icyfroth — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 03:54:47 GMT

Here's a link to the Occupy Monsanto cause on facebook

https://www.facebook.com/occupymonsanto

I think it's time for me to start collecting as many seeds and planting as many fruit trees as possible

If they keep genetically modifying all forms of plant foods that end up being unsafe for consumption, what will we end up eating?

Soylent Green may not be science fiction after all.

Some really interesting reading on that site you posted the link for, mrsww

Re: Food Incorporated

icyfroth — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:00:26 GMT

Aaaaack!

"a secretion from the anal glands of beavers" :^O.

I wonder if that's used in Boysenberry as well. We often have Boysenberry Drumsticks.

Re: Food Incorporated

lakeland27 — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 04:33:01 GMT

who 'milks' the beavers ?

Re: Food Incorporated

icyfroth — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:23:33 GMT

What I found particularly interesting was that the US government subsidises the farmers to grow CORN. Thousands and thousands of acres of it.

It is so versatile. You can feed animals with it that would normally eat grass. You can use it as as a flavouring and extender in products as diverse as soft drink, syrup, crisps, cereal, even packaging.

You can also create a surplus and flood the markets of other countries with it, forcing local growers out of business and create around 1.5 mil unemployed, as was shown in Mexico, for instance.

These umemployed were then recruited by US meat producing co's to work in their abbatoirs as illegal immigrants.

What got me was that the US government then went after the illegal workers, not the companies that brought them into the country.

It's so corrupt, and I wouldn't be surprised if similar deals were afoot here in the Land of Aus.

Re: Food Incorporated

catsnknots — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:41:34 GMT

I think this is the third time I have watched it...

A reason I go for grass fed beef, try to go all organic and free range chicken and eggs...

I buy food from smaller companies... I like the more unique brands.

I know how to grow my own food...

when I watched it this time I felt more sick than last time.

Re: Food Incorporated

catsnknots — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 09:44:04 GMT

OH.. corn syrup is dangerous. I listened to a talk on the radio about how our bodies use sugar and the corn syrup is dangerous to our bodies and is linked to diabetes.

Then you combine it with this docco

if you look at our food ingredients we do not use corn syrup. Most of the food that has it in this country is actually from the States.

I can't believe that all their soft drinks are made with it...

Re: Food Incorporated

azureline** — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:02:17 GMT

Most of our foods are made with glucose syrup derived from wheat, a huge inconvenience for those on gluten free diets.

Re: Food Incorporated

i-need-a-martini — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 11:14:58 GMT

Yes I saw it when it came out at the cinema a few years back. Scary stuff. The whole corn thing is crazy but not as crazy as the soy industry.

Re: Food Incorporated

*mrswormwood* — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:15:27 GMT

who 'milks' the beavers ?

I was just thinking........

if the right glad is raspberry and the left gland is vanilla, if you shook the beaver up and down would you get raspberry ripple?

Re: Food Incorporated

green.fields — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 23:45:58 GMT

I didn't watch that, I missed seeing it in the guide, my son did watch it and was telling me about it, did not sound good at all, don't know if I do want to watch it but will try to.

I did see a doco a few months ago which had some of the corn farming in it, the scale was mind blowing.

Re: Food Incorporated

icyfroth — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 00:24:40 GMT

With regard to the animal handling, it wasn't too bad, roserobin, they didn't go into horrifying detail, thank goodness. As it was, it was quite disturbing. It really needs to be brought to the public's attention though.

They did show how the cattle in the feed lots at times stood up to their knees in their own manure, which often resulted in the transfer of ecoli bacteria from the hides into the meat during slaughter.

One little boy died from ecoli ingested in this way, and the mother took the meat producers to court. Of course legal battles like this can be tied up for years and she ended up settling out of court, whatever that entails.

She is now lobbying for changes in beef production, if I understood correctly. I really wouldn't mind seeing the show again.

When the reporter asked her if her experiences had made her change her eating habits, she couldn't comment due to a gag put on her by the corporation as a condition of settlement, otherwise they'd sue her.

Re: Food Incorporated

catsnknots — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:00:41 GMT

From what I understand about our feed lots they are not as bad as the ones in America. Our cattle do not stand in their own faeces up to their knees.

Did you see that pile that was next to the cow and it looked like it was as high as the poor animal if not higher??

That was so sad...

Re: Food Incorporated

catsnknots — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:06:07 GMT

http://documentaryaddict.com/Food+Inc-2174-documentary.html

here is one site that you can watch it on... there are many other sites , just google "Food Incorporated documentary watch free" or something similar.

You know the worst fact about all of this???? We can thank McDonalds for starting the trend of bulk fast food supply that has led to this type of demand... I am happy that as a family we have decided a long time ago to never eat their food.

Re: Food Incorporated

icyfroth — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 01:59:26 GMT

Yes they're just the tiniest tip of the iceberg now, aren't they?

For the public to make any kind of an impact on the industry would mean a total lifestyle upheaval for most families.

Not only should fast-food be boycotted but most if not all food we get from the supermarkets. Which have a stranglehold on the food industry.

The family featured in the documentary was a case in point. They bought their meals from a fast food drive through. It's quick, cheap, easy and filling.

"We get home late and don't have time to cook."

While shopping - "it's cheaper to buy the processed food than to buy the healthy fruit and vegetables".

Yet they spent over a hundred dollars - can't remember if it was a week or a month - to keep the husband on his diabetes medication so he could keep up the job!