Heres a new book that explores both charted and uncharted territory relating to the food industry. Its particularly compelling for parents as a large part of the book focuses on issues of marketing to children, choice and the nutriwashing of processed foods.
Since kids eat so many meals outside of the home, even the most conscientious cooks cant hope to control every food their kids are exposed to. This books talks about building a more democratic, sustainable, healthy food system from the ground up.
First time author, public health attorney and founder of the Center for Informed Food Choices, Michele Simon (check out her blog on the site!) starts by laying out how a few large companies control most of the food Americans eat and exposes the PR spin behind the Food Industrys front groups. Nothing new here as this has been done by others like Marion Nestle in Food Politics and Eric Schlossler in Fast Food Nation.
Thanks for the heads up on this book. The Brits seem to be addressing the problem "outloud" on the BBC etc. Maybe because we're bigger, the powers that be have more control. And after all we have nothing like the BBC. Only the Center for Interest is outspoken on the food industry in this country. A sad situation.
After scanning Fast Food Nation, I have contacted Lasater Grasslands Beef to order my first batch of meat. My nearest Whole Foods doesn't sell Chuck Roast and I would like to have a hamburger.
Those Brits were feeding dead cats and dogs to their cows. They have no excuse for what they did. And goddamn Phil Gramm and his Asian wife (ooh yeah, they're not evil cuz they're a rainbow family!) took the MOST beef bizness money of any politician and had is wife on the board of one of those companies so it's no freaking wonder that the Republicans stalled improvement of the meat inspection system. Babies' brains liquified from e.coli because Republicans are greedy whores.
And stay away from Omaha Steaks.