The Daily Meal released their somewhat controversial list of the 50 most powerful people in food this week and for the most part, we can agree with their picks. We weren't surprised to see Michael Pollan and Alice Waters on the list, for example, nor did people like Tim and Nina Zagat and Michelle Obama raise our eyebrows. But there were a few surprises and omissions.

Read on for more information and leave your views in the comments.

It's important to note that the word they are using is 'powerful' and not 'influential' or 'popular.' Colman Andrews explains the selection process in his post:

"Any catalogue of powerful people — and certainly any ranking of them in order of clout — is bound to be highly subjective, of course. That doesn't mean that it has to be arbitrary. The Daily Meal editors collaborated to assemble our initial list, then added and subtracted, fine-tuned and developed. We did extensive research and had endless discussions and occasionally strenuous debates. One thing that was clear from the beginning was that the most influential figures in the field weren't always the best-known, and that CEOs could wield more might than celebrities."

As people in the comments noted, we felt there were some glaring omissions like Marion Nestle, Jamie Oliver (although perhaps his influence is stronger in the UK) and, as Regina Charboneau noted, the world wide web. Mark Bittman, too, seems like he should have made the cut.

We were surprised to see Martha Stewart so low on the list (#47) and Wolfgang Puck seemed way too high at #13. And while its true that Apple's products have had their influence in the kitchen, we're not so sure Steve Jobs deserves #5.

One things for certain, we wholeheartedly agree with their number one choice.

• Take a look at The Daily Meal's list of America's 50 Most Powerful People in Food and let us know your opinion. Who would you like to see on or off the island?

Related: Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution: Was it a Success?

(Image: The Daily Meal)