Food Incorporated

[icyfroth]

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? 

[*mrswormwood*]

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

[*mrswormwood*]

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.

[auction_assassin]

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!!

[*mrswormwood*]

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?  😮

[polksaladallie]

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.  😮

[icyfroth]

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

[icyfroth]

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.

[lakeland27]

who 'milks' the beavers ?

[icyfroth]

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.