Food Inc. Notes

The way we eat has changed more in the last fifty years than in the last 1000.
The image of the family farm is still present even though the family farm has nearly disappeared.
Food is full of gmos and the supermarket no longer has seasons.
4 companies control 80% of the market.
The meat industry no longer produces chicken. They produce meat. "Raising" has turned into "Growing"
The chicken farmer in the movie is allergic to all antibiotics because she has been over exposed to the drug.
Grower has no choice in the way they raise their chickens because many have taken out loans from the company and they have signed contracts.
So much of our food is corn based!
30% of the land base is corn.
Farm bill codifies rules of farmers.
Corn is subsidized by government.
90% food contains corn or soybean ingredient.
Corn is main ingredient in feed for animals.
Corn allows ecoli to grow faster in cows.
1972 FDA conducted 50000 inspections
2006 FDA conducted only 9164
There used to be 1000s of slaughterhouses now there are only 13.
Kevin's law would give FDA permission to shut down plants that produce contaminated meat-still has not passed.
Engineered foods are subsidized by the government while healthy foods are not.
Type 2 diabetes used to only effect adults. Now it is increasingly seen in children.
1 in 3 children will contract diabetes. Among minorities it will be 1 in 2.
Employees on hog farms get infections from the environment.
Meat packing is one of the most dangerous jobs.
Smithfield hog farms hires illegal immigrants and turns them into immigration before pay day.
New Alchemy institute
Stoneyfield sold out to Walmart. Good or Bad? Promoting big business. But, at least they don't use pesticides.
Mansanto developed Round-up.
1996 2% Round up ready seed.
2008 90% soybeans are Round up ready.
Farmers can be sued for saving their seeds under infringement of patent.
Even seeds that are not Mansanto are easily cross contaminated by the GMO Mansanto seeds.
FDA does not have to label products with GMOs.
It is illegal to publish a photo of a feedlot.
It is illegal in some states to publicly say anything bad about the meat industry.
RBST, chemical they can cause brain cancer, is illegal in every country except U.S.
The average meal travels 1500 miles from farm to supermarket.
takepart.com/foodinc


Right now I feel like I need to narrow my topic. Watching this movie made me realize that there are so many facets to the food industry. Should I focus on the crops or the animals or the chemicals or the farmers? Really I'd like to do it all. I just don't know if it's possible. We shall see.