Check out this article from Grist: http://www.grist.org/article/2009-09-08-big-foods-smart-choices-label-raises-eyebrows-at-the-fda/
highlights include:
1. A discussion of government dietary guidelines “that allow you to eat Froot Loops and M&Ms for breakfast, a cheeseburger for lunch and 3 slices of pepperoni pizza for dinner”
2. the cynicism-inducing news that the FDA’s food safety advisor, Mike Taylor, used to be an executive for Monsanto and is in favor of food irradtion (wtf??)
3. a link to the Twitter feed / website of Fair Food Fight, an organization committed to food justice and Mexican wrestling
Dr. Eileen Kennedy’s (of Tufts) analysis of consumer decision-making is also a must-read.
The US might be well-served by a solid consumer protection organization like the one in Australia that actually managed to remove sugary cereals from major supermarkets (I couldn’t find a box of Frosties to save my life while I was there). This AU government agency acts along those lines: http://www.accc.gov.au/content/index.phtml/itemId/142
In the meantime, we will continue to be reminded of how much our lives are controlled by big, profit-driven businesses, who may go to great lengths to feign interest in the well-being of everyday people, as long as they don’t actually have to care.
This article (also from Grist) about the ongoing battle between coal miners in West Virginia and the mining companies also helps to illustrate the issue:
http://www.grist.org/article/2009-09-07-labor-day-of-infamy/
It doesn’t matter that Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship was raised in a mining town, and should therefore be able to relate to the plight of the “blue collar” coal miners (a kind of demographic that so many politicians are claiming to represent) – he still allows his company to blast the tops off of mountains, strip mine, and bust unions.
I’m going to stop now before this turns into an extended rant about my issues with capitalism (which would include the obligatory internal conflict over how I’ve benefited from capitalism).
Please enjoy the Mexican wrestling flavor of FairFoodFight.org.
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There’s all sorts of stuff wrong with the FDA…