TOW #29: Food Inc. by Robert Kenner - Claim assessment

Food, Inc. deals primarily with exposing the food industry, and therefore many of the claims put forth the film are subjective and are only relevant to this specific subject.  Nevertheless, the assertion that consumers are disconnected from the production side of food is valid, and can be supported through my own experiences.

Immediately after watching this movie, I developed an increased attention and concern over the information on food labels.  This movie had really made me think about all of the victims of this unfair system, and I wanted to try to change my ways in order to further the cause. Unfortunately, this fervor wore off in a day or two as I started to accept the reality of processed food. Instead of being reminded of the abused and genetically modified chickens at the sight of a rotisserie from the grocery store, I went along as I had before viewing the film, eating it without care of its origin. Even though I possessed knowledge of the disgusting conditions of the food industry, I chose to ignore them and move on. Through this experience I can gather that when issues or causes are not presented in a constant and engaging manner, an organization’s pleas will not resonate with people for a long enough time to facilitate real change.

In addition to the general ignorance people have towards the slaughterhouses and farms that produce the nation’s food, the companies involved do their best to limit the information available about their businesses. In the film, a number of large food companies, including Tyson and Perdue, were highlighted as declining to comment on the claims raised by Kenner. Moreover, one of the chicken farmers for Tyson explained that the footage she was allowing Kenner to film could, and did, result in violation of her contract with the corporation. In another section of the movie, the inside of a slaughterhouse was filmed through hidden cameras on workers. All of these examples illustrate the intentionally difficult process of extracting the truth from the food industry, and ultimately sustains the distance between consumers and businesses.