The Fog of Food Knowledge

The Nestle reading was definitely the class reading that made me feel the least optimistic about our food situation in America (and globally).

The biggest takeaway I had is just how many layers of people, with both dubious motives (lobbying) and information (sponsorship) there are between food producers and the consumer. These layers of food knowledge, directly influenced by money, keep average people from really knowing about what they're eating.

Let's say that there were to be a completely new species of vegetable found. The average American, not having any knowledge about food science, will trust the FDA to make an informed opinion about the health of the new vegetable. They would turn to the experts, who are being sponsored (directly or indirectly) by food companies, who will provide an opinion that is at best incomplete and at worst compromised by money. The FDA, or more so the individuals that make up institutions like it, would then be beholden to the people providing them with money. Do the tomato lobbyists that paid for an exorbitant vacation (under the guise of a speaking opportunity) feel threatened? Does Big Cucumber, contributor to the PAC funding you, not want to share the market? The FDA then makes a claim that either this food is okay for consumption or not.

Then the marketing comes along. Vegetable X doesn't cause cancer! It most certainly will make you less hungry! We paid to have a heart-with-a-check-mark on the label! The general, uninformed public decides this vegetable is the newest, greatest, best thing ever, convinced by new articles in magazines and advertisements, all paid for. This fog of money and organizations is keeping the average person from any real truth about the foods they're eating.

This is becoming very rant-y, but it's frustrating to know just how much nonsense goes into judgement about food, and how little the average person knows about their food in general. This piece has really highlighted to me the importance of a quote from the last reading, "eat what your great-grandmother would recognize as food". It's really the only way to be sure that what we're eating isn't (at least somewhat) determined by someone who is more interested in profit than your health.

How do you ever get money out of politics/government? Should food safety/science be handled by organizations that can be ethically compromised? Is it the responsibility of the average person to learn more about their foods, and if so, where can they even go for information at this point?