Food Inc Essay

1010 Words3 Pages

Food—it is that precious substance our bodies need to survive. Whether it brings feelings of nostalgia and comfort, or unites families together, we can all agree that food is a vital source of nourishment. However, our definition of food has changed drastically with the advent of modern technology, which has given rise countless food trends. The desire for the cheap mass-production of food has induced an unspoken transition from slow cooked chicken and steamed veggies to frozen tv-dinners disguised to look like actual food worthy of consumption. Hence, food trends and technology effects the way we produce, purchase, and consume food in the United States. The peaceful farm of decades ago, with green grass, a red barn, and frolicking chickens, has been completely erased. In its place, another form of food production has taken root: the factory farm/assembly line. Though this system utilizes machines to produce food on a mass scale, it pays a heavy toll on the health of the animals as well as the workers in this industry. On these “farms” chickens are raised in dark, crowded, chicken houses and are injected with growth hormones/antibiotics as soon as they hatch. They grow so big that their bones cannot hold up the extra-weight and end up breaking. These crowded conditions also result in a wide spread of diseases such as Salmonella, which have adverse effects on the workers, who become resistant to antibiotics after being exposed to so much disease. Another problem we face with the advent of various food trends is the illusion of diversity present in the nation’s supermarkets. Though it looks like the stores have 47,000 different products, this “variety” is actually comprised of th... ... middle of paper ... ...f freedom and the pursuit of happiness, we must exercise our right to choose. We can choose to stand up to the food industry by purchasing food from companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect. When going to the supermarket we can choose to read labels carefully and purchase seasonal produce. The only strength the food industry has is what we give it by decided to buy its products. Case in point, rather than entertain a hunger for unhealthy food look-alikes, lets us be hungry for change. A hunger for change, if satiated, will lead to an improvement in our way of life, and make the world a safer place to live and eat. As the saying goes, “you are what you eat”. So, if society continues to eat fatty, cheap, food, then it too will become an obese, disease-ridden race with little standards left for the nation’s health and nutrition.

More about Food Inc Essay

Open Document