Food Inc Corruption

Everyday, millions of Americans visit the grocery store. Whether they purchase a loaf of bread or pounds of meat, they each participate in the global food industry. Consumers have the benefit of the easy process of selecting exactly what they want to buy, and purchase that item in a timely fashion. But the question remains, how does it all get there? What is in those products? What if that customer knew that before purchasing their chicken breast that “When the chickens turn seven weeks old, they are transported to the slaughter house and are hung by their feet and on conveyor belts and they go past a blade that is supposed to slit the chickens throat while conscious which is incredibly painful but sometimes it misses so the chicken is thrown

The film Food Inc. highlights this topic. Many of the former heads of food companies now work for the government in positions that dictate how food production in in America is handled. Monsanto is the main company to have an inside in the government. All workers want to invoke change but according to the Human Rights Watch, “Many workers who try to form trade unions and bargain collectively are spied on, harrassed, pressured, threatened, suspended, fired, deported or otherwise victimized for their exercise of the right to freedom of association.” Many members of the food industry have tried to challenge the corruption of food companies but are silenced for doing

Companies and Government officials can initiate the first phase. They can make food more affordable for the average middle class individual. Prices for everyday necessities, such as milk and eggs,used to be lower. This also includes making healthy food more affordable instead of pushing sugary and caloric foods at a lower price. People with more means to spend money have the ability to purchase healthy items and maintain a fruitful lifestyle. Food Inc. displayed a family with minimum paying jobs and they were always in a hurry. They constantly consume and purchase fast food which in turn increases the family’s diabetic lifestyle for parents and their children. This is just one of the many examples of american families that suffer through long work hours and inability to go the the grocery store.

The second change to be made on behalf of the government and companies is the necessity for them to value the consumer’s wellbeing, their value as a person and their preference of food. The greed of food companies to make a profit should not corrupt the moral obligation to protect the consumer. This also means there is a necessity for food factory inspections to ensure that the wellbeing of workers and animals remain the number one priority. Some may argue this type of reform will cost too much monetarily but is it worth it to cost a