Movie Review: Food, Inc. February 23, 2010

 

 

A few weeks ago I was watching Oprah.  (Yes, Oprah…so?!)  Her guest was Michael Pollan.  Michael Pollan is an author of many books about eating well.  Not dieting and not nutrition, but eating food.

“Now that I know how supermarket meat is made, I regard eating it as a somewhat risky proposition. I know how those animals live and what’s on their hides when they go to slaughter, so I don’t buy industrial meat.”  -  Michael Pollan

I have 3 of his books and love reading about where our food comes from, how it’s grown/raised, how it’s processed/manufactured/slaughtered, etc.  It’s a very interesting topic, and should be to everyone who…..well, EATS!  Michael Pollan was also featured in the incredible documentary:  Food, Inc.

“In Food, Inc. filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that’s been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, insecticide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of e coli–the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually.  We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults.”  -  Food, Inc. synopsis

 

I LOVED this movie!!  I can’t tell you how much I have learned from it.  When will I ever get to visit a chicken farm for a big named chicken company personally?  Never, that’s when.  So to be able to see inside the chicken coop or slaughter-house is fascinating. 

 I’ve got to tell you, too, after seeing this movie I look at the grocery store shelves very different and I also look in YOUR cart.  Then I silently judge you.  For being fat, for your kids being fat, and then seeing all of the nacho flavored chips, 2 liters of pop, buckets of ice cream, powdered flavor packets with pasta, sugary cereals, etc.  I do judge.  Maybe I’m horrible, but that’s how open my eyes are now and I’m grateful for it.  Don’t get me wrong, I love chocolate ice cream.  But now it’s a special treat for birthdays and I get the little tubs that cost more but only have like 5 ingredients on the label or organic.  Rather than the giant drum of ice cream for only $3 with the laundry list of shit in it that I can’t even pronounce.  It’s just so obvious.  The movie makers do NOT make a point of judging over weight people, please don’t get me wrong.  

My point is, we can’t keep eating all of this CRAP that isn’t really food.  Yes, it’s edible, but it’s not food.  All while wondering why diabetes, obesity, and heart disease are out of control in this country.

 I hope you do invest the 90 minutes (or however long it was) into this movie.  It is MORE than worth it.