Film Analysis: Food, Inc.

In watching “Food, Inc.” I paid attention to how and if the film “[lifts] the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing how the US food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health.” After witnessing an hour and a half of slaughterhouse filled with overcrowded animals living in their on feces and body parts so overgrown that they cannot walk I was furious and horrified especially since I eat animal products every day. These disgusting and inhuman conditions are how these companies are able to mass produce the food I eat and buy so I am definitely a part of the problem. I’ve always tried to reduce the amount of animal products I eat but nothing is more motivating to stop eating them all together than learn about how they are produced. I think sometimes that is all one can do

about something so established in this country, just educate others about what it takes to make their big macs and maybe they’ll think twice about ordering one. What I found the most disturbing is the fact that cows are fed corn which they cannot digest and this leads to their stomachs breeding E.coli bacteria.

It would only take five days of being grass-fed to kill all the bacteria in the cow’s stomach and yet, no one allows it. Everyone is aware of this simple fix but instead of this, beef is washed in chlorine to kill the bacteria, then sold to stores and customers. When the producers of “Food, Inc.” asked to interview these big companies, guilty of these practices, they refused. My sense of trust in the American food industry has most definitely been shaken. While it is understandable that companies are competing to cut as many costs as possible to sell their product at the best prices, it should really be recognized that their products are living beings and deserve to be treated humanely. I would much rather pay more for animals products if I knew the animals being used and killed were treated well and safely. The risk of an animal having a disease than their meat being chemically treated in order to make my lunch is way too high and it's not worth being able to sell meat at such low

prices. As someone who is always trying to improve my personal eating habits, this film fuels my motivation to continue to cut down on all animal products as there really are so many vegan alternatives that don't run the risk of giving anyone, human or animal, a disease. I’ve often wondered about things that are legal but just plain horrible. Yes there are no legal consequences but that doesn't make these actions any less evil. Especially when it comes to animals, as they are essentially helpless against humans and the machines we build to kill them. This industry is treated too much like a competitive business instead of recognizing that living beings lives and wellbeing are at stake when they search for ways to cut costs.