Food Inc is a compelling documentary about American food, and especially the meatpacking industry. It shows how food is prepared, from the food given to cows, to the slaughter, to the packaging and transport processes. The director, Robert Kenner, gives a voice to farmers, advocates, and everyday people.
Food and Government
American food conglomerates continue to grow in size and profits. This results in immense power over consumers and politicians. A number of people in government actually come from the meat and food industries. The Secretary of Agriculture for the USDA is Tom Vilsack, who has previously held the position of chairman of the Governor's Biotechnology Partnership and has promoted the use of large farms and genetically engineered food.
Corporations exist for profit, and claim to not be responsible for consequences arising from their drive to make money. Everything that results from that drive can be considered collateral to that goal to feed the earth, and profit from it. Naturally, none of the conglomerate representatives wanted to be interviewed for the film.
In some ways, the film makes you feel a little guilty for being part of the fuel on the demand side of things. With demand comes the opportunity to supply, and make money, and corporate social responsibility is still something relatively new as a buzzword that has plenty of room to be translated into action.
Fast, and Junk, Food
The film goes back to the Fifties to showcase the rise of fast food. The film explains that only a handful of companies control not only most of the beef, pork, chicken, and corn produced in the US but most other food products as well. McDonald's is the largest purchaser of beef in America, and KFC is the largest purchaser of chicken.
Food, Inc shows how many of our products are made of corn. Not only is corn the major feed given to animals, but a surprising amount of the tens of thousands of products sold at today's supermarket are also derived from corn. Some examples? Orange juice. Ketchup. Maple syrup. Coke. Carrots. Cheez-its. Jam. Hamburger patties. Calcium supplements. Velveeta.
Because of government support, hamburgers are now cheaper than fresh vegetables. It makes more economical sense to eat "junk" food. Kenner interviews a poor Hispanic family and many Wal-Mart customers, who cannot afford to buy the healthier alternatives.
Spokespeople for Change
Two of the most important interviewees in the film are Joel Salatin and Barbara Kowalcyk. Salatin is an organic farmer. His cattle are grass-fed and they roam free. Salatin claims his cattle lead healthier lives because of these habits. 'Cattle weren't meant to live on corn,' he says. 'And doing so has led to infection.' And the way cattle are packed into slaughterhouses, the infection easily moves from one cow to hundreds. And because there are only thirteen major slaughterhouses in America, these infections can spread from one cow to millions of pounds of beef.
One of the most dangerous of these infections is a strain known as E. coli 0157:H7. Barbara Kowalcyk's 2 1/2-year-old son, Kevin, died in 12 days from E. coli after eating a hamburger on vacation. Barbara and her mother now work in Washington, DC, lobbying for changing laws.
Food, Inc is not all about complaining or presenting a doomsday scenario. It includes information on what viewers can do, and engages the audience to be catalyst for change. It's not all serious here, as Kenner does inject enough well-placed humor into the documentary so that it doesn't come off as too heavy-handed.
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