Food Inc.

Food Inc left a really strong impression on me about how twisted and corrupt our food industry system is and how little the consumers are actually informed. I was so disgusted that all these multimillion dollar industries see a dollar sign over the condition of their food or even the conditions of their own workers. As consumers, we are put in the dark about the products we are eating and buying which honestly makes me lose faith in humanity. Especially the fact that we put our faith and trust in the government to protect and regulate the simplicities of our life, this was truly horrifying.

In Food Inc, there were several subcategories of different ways the food industry is not at all what it seems. The first category mentioned was how multimillion dollar companies have power and control over everything that they do. You would assume that it's the farmers who have control of how they raise their chickens or grow their corn but that is certainly not the case. The companies that are buying all the meat have complete control over the small farmers and these companies definitely have their ways of keeping the farmers under their thumb. Farmers now raise genetically modified chickens that make them grow rapidly causing serval health issues. The chickens are growing so rapidly and unnaturally that their inner organs struggle to keep up with the growth spurt leading to them not being able to walk more than a few steps before collapsing to the ground. Another way the farmers are kept under control is that they are forced to constantly update to new farming equipment. An average farmer borrows $500,000 to build two chicken houses and only make around $18,000 a year. With most farmers in debt, they have to follow the demands of the companies or else they would risk a termination in their contract leading them to go out of business.

Another fact that stood out to me was the importance and mass production of corn. Nowadays farmers grow so much corn there's mountains of it being transported daily. Thanks to the cheap price of corn and the new technologies of different ways to use corn it is one of the most demanded crops. Corn is found in most of our foods and products due to the fact that it can last for a long time. One of the most common uses of corn is high fructose corn syrup which is in most products today. Corn is also used to feed cows in replace of grass because it's cheaper and it helps how gain weight a lot faster than grass. However one thing that's hidden from the consumers are the dangers of this change. When the cows are fed corn, a chemical called E. coli is formed, causing a mutation in the cow and cattle. When the cows are standing in their poop all day, they are sent to the slaughterhouses with the feces on it, it gets all over the processed meat that we buy at the stores. There was also a case where a little boy died because of the unsanitary meat he ate that was contaminated with E. coli. The most ridiculous part is that if cows went back to being grass fed, 80% of the E. coli would shed out of their system, but instead of the simple way out, they decided to use ammonia to get rid of the E. coli. With the budget cuts set in the FDA when will change ever come ? Many of the board members of these multimillion franchisees play a role in politics, which makes it a lot tricker to have change. When we are dependent on our government to keep us safe, and all they're looking out for is their amount of profit, how can we ever trust what we put into our mouths ?

My food motto is to eat what you want as long as you are informed . At the end of the day, nobody has the right to tell you what you should be eating or what you shouldn't be eating. You should be able to eat anything you like as long as you are aware of what you are putting into your body. Whether you chose to put organic vegetables into your body or to put fast food and highly processed food into your body, the decision is yours. As long as you are informed of what you are eating, you can eat whatever you want. If you become too concerned with eating healthy where you can't even enjoy a treat every once  in a while, that can lead to even more negative effects such as eating disorders. The body is yours, the health is yours, therefore the decision is yours.

What We Eat

In ''What We Eat'', Eric Schlosser talks about the exponential growth of fast food industries and how its impacted the United States throughout the years. He argues that fast food industries impact more than just what we eat but a lot more. It impacts our economy, our jobs, and our health. Whether we would like to agree or not, fast food has inevitably become a part of our life and surrounds us. Schlosser states ''The fast food industry has helped to transform not only the American diet, but also our landscape, economy, workforce, and popular culture''. Contrary to what many may think, fast food industries run more than just food companies, but they actually have a strong influence in everything else in our daily lives. Schlosser supports his argument with description and comparison.

Schlosser expresses description in his essay when he talks about uniformity. He explains how fast food chain restaurants are spreading vastly within the food courts of malls. He states ''Franchises and chain stores strive to offer exactly the same product or service at numerous locations. Customers are drawn to familiar brands by an instinct to avoid the unknown. A brand offers a feeling of reassurance when its products are always and everywhere the same''(670). He explains customers are drawn to familiar brands, making them more popular. When constantly seeing a familiar brand, you feel more reassurance in what you're getting. 

Another way Schlosser argues the impact of fast food chain restaurants is by using comparison. He gives the example of how Mcdonald's is more popular than Coca-Cola now. He states ''Mcdonald's spends more money on advertising and marketing than any other brand. As a result it has replaced Coca-Cola as the world's most famous brand'' (669). There was also a ''survey of American school children found that 96 percent could identify Ronald Mcdonald. The only fictional character with a higher degree of recognition was Santa Claus'' (669). Schlosser compares Mcdonald's to famous brands such as Coca-Cola and characters Ronald Mcdonald to Santa Claus to see how much Mcdonald's has impacted American cultures. At one point, he even states ''The golden arches are now more widely recognized than the Christian crosses'' (669). I personally feel that comparison was his strongest argument because he compared such basic American cultures to fast food chains such as Mcdonalds. He explains how seeing a Mcdonald's is such an average norm that has inter weaved with American society. 

Extra Credit

In ''Two Ways to Belong in America'' by Bharati Mukherjee compares and contrasts the two different ways you can belong in America, and how immigrants have different experiences in a new environment. I personally liked this essay and how she showed the two differing experiences her and her sister had. She starts off her essay describing her and her sister's similarities and all the things they had in common but introduces a turning point by how they changed since in America stating ''In one family, from two sisters alike as peas in a pod, there would not be a wider divergence of immigrant experience. She retained them all. Which of us is the freak?'' (274). I generally liked the idea of introducing herself as a ''freak'' because it shows how each perspective could be viewed at so differently. She also doesn't just state that she's right and that her sister is a freak, but instead she shows her own confusion, of who could be right. She focuses on the black and white of new immigrants in America, but merely touches upon the grey area in between. I think it would've been a stronger essay if she explained how neither of them are correct, but that there is an in between where some people adapt yet stay rooted. You don't have to stay 100% dedicated to either your own culture or American traditions but you can learn to balance both. It would be great to still have a sense of your own cultures, but also adapt to American customs since it is your new home as well.

Shelia Jasonoff responds to Bharati Mukherjee's essay with a personal defense. She shares her own personal narrative; being a new American immigrant from South Asia and explains how there definitely is a gray area. You don't necessarily have to drop all your cultures and just adapt to American cultures nor do you have to reject all American habits and stay soley rooted to your own traditions. Instead, Jasonoff argues that you can surely balance both and be just as happy. There is no right or wrong answer in this situation, and no one is necessarily a ''freak''. We're all freaks, we need to embrace it.