These are the notes from the first half of the movie Food Inc. Unintentional Consequences: 1.

Fast food restaurants: started the industrialization of food. The demand for fast and cheap food, and that the hamburgers should taste the same everywhere. This significantly changed the way our food is grown, and what types of food we eat. 2. People demanded white meat, and so the chicken was re-designed to have larger breasts. They need to be the same size, and need to reach maturity for slaughter quickly, so the chickens growth went from 70 days to full size to 45 days. The over-crowded conditions where the chickens are kept have increased the risk of disease and infection, which has necessitated the use of antibiotics in their feed in order to combat the bacteria. 3. Farmers who were financially destroyed after the collapse of the tobacco crops are now raising chickens for their main source of income. If they understand that they are contributing to an unhealthy system, they would likely explain that this is what people want, and it is how they are making a living. These farmers do not make much money, despite the enormous profit from the industries. They typically have frequent and expensive upgrades with the equipment in order to be able to continue working for these companies, and typically owe huge debts. 4. The farming industry is subsidized by the government to grow corn. They can produce it below the cost of production. Soy and wheat is also commoditized. 5. Corn is used to feed many of the livestock, and now even fish-even though these animals and fish were not meant to eat or digest this type of food. Corn is cheap, and makes them fat quickly. The unfortunate result is acid resistant E-Coli (0157-H7) which occurs due to a mutation in the cows digestive system. If this can happen to animals by feeding them something that they were not genetically created to digest, what might happen to us if we continue to eat so many of these foods (GMOs) that are foreign to our bodies and digestive systems-think of the number of diseases that we have right now, and obesity. Is there a connection? 6. CAFO concentrated animal feed operations breed E-coli due to the animals standing in their own manure, and being fed a diet of corn that has been shown to be bad for them. 7. E-Coli outbreaks have become more frequent. With all of our technological and scientific advances one would think that we would have fewer cases of food poisoning, but instead, there are more. This is because of the increase of the size of the factories, and a decrease in the number of safety inspections. 8. Self-Policing: The safety inspections are done by people who work and are closely involved with and profit from the food industry that they are supposed to be protecting and policing. These people are paid to look the other way. 9. USDA was not given the power to shut factories even thought they were shown to be producing contaminated food over and over again. Who are they protecting, and why? We put faith in our Government to protect us, yet, we are not being protected on the most basic of levels. 10. (Day 2) Biggest predictor of obesity is income level.

11. Foods are engineered to push our evolutionary buttons-salt, fat and sugar never used to be available in such abundance. By themselves and in small quantities, they are not so bad. However, these ingredients are in everything, available around the clock in many areas. 12. Type II Diabetes cases are increasing at an alarming rate, affecting even children, when it used to be a disease acquired after the age of 40. 13. People are making decisions regarding the way our food is grown and processed who do not need to live with the consequences. 14. The current methods of growing and processing our food is being deliberately kept from us because it is felt that if we were to find out, we would speak against it. 15. The USDA has tried to shut down farms that use the traditional style of slaughtering and processing chickens because it is outside, exposed to the air. The alternative is the factory, where the meat is processed by washing the meat with ammonia in order to try to rid it of bacteria created from that system. 16. The meat packing industry regularly mistreats and abuses the workers. They recruit employees from outside the borders of the US and then assume no responsibility for them when they are arrested and deported for being an illegal immigrant. These large meat companies such as Smithfield are never penalized for soliciting and hiring these illegal immigrants. They have an agreement with the authorities to only arrest them in a manner that will not affect their product line and profit. 17. It is possible to farm in a manner that focuses on integrity and health for everyone involved (the worker, consumer and animals). There are farmers that do this successfully; the challenge is to make this idea spread. 18. Some companies such as Stoneyfield have sold out by making large contract deals with companies such as Wal-Mart, who have been vilified for taking away small businesses all around the US. The owners of Stoneyfield justify the contracts with huge corporations by stating that they are simply happy that theyre reducing the number of crops that use pesticides and herbicides. 19. Farmers have revolutionized the farming system to the point where we are the most productive growers that have ever existed. 20. We can change this system; every time we purchase food, we are voting. Take a look at the action steps on the weebly page!