Reflection on Food Inc. - Movie Review Example

?Food Inc. Reflection Technological progress develops so fast that food industry has become one of the most advanced and fruitful spheres of all economic sectors. Today you can find about forty seven thousands of products in a typical supermarket. Picking up another package of meat there is always an idea of variable choices that are suggested with different brands. But it is just an illusion of diversity, because in reality there are only few companies possess and rule the market. However, strolling between the aisles of the food store you get amazed by huge assortment and ability to buy any product that you want during whole year. Thus, purchasing cucumbers or tomatoes in winter consumers are just content with up-to-date service without any reflections about the quality or presence of the vitamins in vegetables. We do not know all the truth about today’s food production and the most grievous thing is that the biggest part of us does not even wish to find it out, eating those food items that damage the state of health. We have got used to be unaware and allow listless companies to hide crucial information that brings them big profits at the expense of our lives. But now, due to a documentary movie “Food Inc.” by Robert Kenner, it is the right time to see things clearly and make an attempt to change something. Everything is in our hands, because where there is a will, there is a way. After watching mentioned documentary film a lot of food items that have been quite acceptable for you earlier start to be prohibited by your conscience so abruptly. Represented pictures of scared hogs in slaughterhouse along with crippled and unable to walk cows in the farms bring a shock to your mind. Having another portion of fry potatoes for your dinner, you have never thought about how exactly fast-food restaurants get raw materials for their menus. You have never imagined the conditions of cultivation and treatment of animals while choosing meal. Making a bite of hamburger, you have never known the story of three-year-old Kevin, who died because of the E-coli infection and whose mother still tries to reach justice. A documentary movie manages to open your eyes on the things that have been hidden from you for so many years. With its help you begin to realize that all this time you have been just a marionette in a rough fight for profits of food companies that do not care for your life, making production “faster, fatter, bigger, cheaper” (Kenner, 2008). The main point of the movie is an idea of own health protection with a help of persnickety and conscious food choice. “Food Inc.” reveals the process of whole industrial system changes. Nowadays agriculture develops rapidly. However, despite high technological level, the quality of the agricultural products continues to decrease. Companies cheat on consumers, providing them with attractively packed products, meanwhile, farmers feed animals with corn to make them grow faster and bigger that afterwards allow to cut prices. Tyson grower, Vince Edwards, stated, “If you can grow a chicken in forty nine days then why would you want to grow it in three month? More money in your pocket” (Kenner, 2008). This proves the fact that food companies make everything to receive additional revenue, being indifferent to ethical policy. Realizing all the consequences of unhealthy meals with a help of “Food Inc.”, I start to care about where my food comes from more carefully, while formerly this information has been totally uninteresting for me. When you do not know obvious things, you sincerely believe that everything that tastes good is clean and healthy. In addition, fast food products cost much cheaper than vegetables and fruits. That manages to make them so popular and attractive, creating a problem of people’s inability to buy expensive, though healthy, food. Divulging the secrets of food industry, stated documentary film compels you to think about your own diet more thoroughly. Pictures of nasty and dusting chicken houses repulse and induce to reflect about hidden information that has not been revealed by the movie. It is hard to imagine what else companies try to keep in secret, understanding that if there is a leakage then purchasers will refuse their contaminated products and businessmen will definitely have losses. In this respect, it is profitable for companies to keep people unaware. The matter of food plays a significant role in city’s sustainability. First of all, food with low quality increases the illness rate and number of fatal outcomes. Despite that, companies do not stop to produce harmful products, giving birth to offence and tears of those people who suffer from damage. Food safety advocate, Barbara Kowalcyk, fights for justice already for seven years. A woman stated, “All I want the company to do is to say – we are sorry, we produced defective product that killed your child; and this is what we are going to do to make sure that will not happen again” (Kenner, 2008). Secondly, food industry has become a powerful arena for breaking labor conditions. Fast-food restaurants train one worker to do one simple operation for drastically low wage. In addition, for instance, such sphere as meatpacking is considered as the most dangerous job. Cheap labor force is recruited from Mexico against migration policy. Also farmers become treated as slaves to the companies that demand of up-graded for the new equipment. Thus, Perdue grower, Carole Morison stated, “The farmer has no choice: you have to do it or you are threatened with lost of the contract” (Kenner, 2008). Farmers must borrow money and increase debts, which worsen their living conditions. For improving situation with food items it is important to provide effective legislative regulations. Kevin’s law that allows to shut down production of contaminated food should be reviewed. It can be useful to increase number of inspections on plants that could affect the sanitary standards. Also companies should divulge information about presence of genetically modified organism in their products, because people have a right to know what they consume. The most crucial role in people’s awareness should be played with labels provided on each item. Also propaganda of organic food must be launched in mass media and supermarkets. One of the preventive measures can be purchasing foods that are grown locally. Due to statistics average meal travels about one thousand and five hundred miles from the farm. That does not give us confirmation about the right and normal conditions of food transportation. That is why to save yourself from any food poisoning it is imperative to be careful in choosing products from the distant territories. Always keeping in mind words of Joel Salatin telling “There is nothing honest about the food” (Kenner, 2008), each of us should stop thinking about own insignificant influence on food industry. Frequently only one consummation, one voice or one choice is able to make great changes in all system if people start to fight for own rights and health. References Kenner, R., & Pearlstein, E. (Producers), & Kenner R. (Director). (2008). Food Inc. [Motion picture]. United States: Magnolia Pictures. Read More