Fast Food Nation

 I mentioned before that I'm reading Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser.  I'm only halfway through it, but at this point it's safe for me to say, I REALLY recommend this book!  It's not quite the expose I thought it was going to be.  There ARE lots of shocking facts and HORRIFIC data on the safety of food at fast food restaurants, but I was also fascinated by the background of the industry and how it's shaped not only our country, but also our world.  Here's a YouTube clip I found that summarizes the book pretty well. (Actually it just hits some highlights, but it's still a pretty good synopsis.)


While I was looking for a clip I found the movie, Fast Food Nation, which I guess is also written by Eric Schlosser, but I think the movie is more of a work of fiction, pulling from some of the events described in the book. 

For those of you who have read any of Michael Pollan's books, this isn't really the same thing.  It's not quite as scientific and is much easier to read.  (Don't get me wrong I LOVE LOVE LOVE Michael Pollan's books!!)  I'm just trying to sell this as a little more entertaining than just a book of startling facts about the food Americans eat.  I can't believe a lot of what he talks about in the book actually goes on.  The slaughterhouse section is particularlly upsetting, as is the politics of the meatpacking industry.  I just think. "If people only knew the TRUTH this would stop."  But the thing is, lots of people DO know the truth and just look the other way.  The 25 or so kids a year that DIE from E. Coli poisoning, the prevalence of microbes in ground beef (which are there because, as Schlosser so eloquently put it, "There's shit in the meat.") the chemicals that are put in the food to make it taste like it used to taste, before it was so chemically processed.  It's all out there, people just choose not to think about it.  It won't happen to me.  I've been eating it for years and I'm fine.  It just freaks me out!  There's a chance that feeding meat from a feedlot to my children would kill them. I don't care how big the chance, why would ANYONE take that risk?  Eat it yourself, gamble with your own life, but your KIDS? 

I love reading books like this because it's becoming less and less shocking to me.  I read similar stories in Michael Pollan's Omnivore's Dilemma.  He found many of the same things that Schlosser did.  Each time I read them, it strengthens my convictions.  It makes me remember why I don't eat meat. Why I try to keep my kids away from it. How important it is to KEEP reading to educate myself, and by proxy, you. 

As I was reading about the feedlot slaughterhouses and giant meatpackers, it make me wonder, "Are organics different?"  Are there people working on a line, pulling the guts out of organic cows, that are doing their best to not let any of the stomach contents slip out.  Are the organic cows stripped of their skin in the same way as the feedlot cows, allowing for the manure which is caked on their fur to get mixed into the meat?  In a word, yes.  I found this article from PETA, which doesn't make me feel a whole lot better about feeding my family organic meat.  I DID however order a Free Vegetarian Starter kit from PETA with some recipes.  I'm excited to get it and I'll blog about it when it comes--in 6-8 weeks. 

Anyway,  I guess if my family wants to keep eating meat, and I know they do, EVAN, I'll have to look into more locally raised meats.  Which will be more expensive.  Which will mean meat less often.  Sorry Evan.  Read the book and you'll understand. 

 As promised yesterday, your Safer Home Facts For The Day:

"Look for alternatives to plastic--glass, lead-free ceramic and stainless steel dishes.  Most plastics have been shown to leach chemicals into the food, and heat promotes it.  For that reason, never heat plastics in the microwave."

"Purchase toys made from natural materials, like solid woods with non-toxic finishes and natural textiles like organic cotton or wool.  The familiar "new smell"that plastic toys often emit can be a sign that toxic softeners were used in the product."