Safe Food: The Politics of Food SafetyFood safety is a matter of intense public concern, and for good reason. Millions of annual cases of food "poisonings" raise alarm not only about the food served in restaurants and fast-food outlets but also about foods bought in supermarkets. The introduction of genetically modified foods—immediately dubbed "Frankenfoods"—only adds to the general sense of unease. Finally, the events of September 11, 2001, heightened fears by exposing the vulnerability of food and water supplies to attacks by bioterrorists. How concerned should we be about such problems? Who is responsible for preventing them? Who benefits from ignoring them? Who decides? Marion Nestle, author of the critically acclaimed Food Politics, argues that ensuring safe food involves more than washing hands or cooking food to higher temperatures. It involves politics. When it comes to food safety, billions of dollars are at stake, and industry, government, and consumers collide over issues of values, economics, and political power—and not always in the public interest. Although the debates may appear to be about science, Nestle maintains that they really are about control: Who decides when a food is safe? She demonstrates how powerful food industries oppose safety regulations, deny accountability, and blame consumers when something goes wrong, and how century-old laws for ensuring food safety no longer protect our food supply. Accessible, informed, and even-handed, Safe Food is for anyone who cares how food is produced and wants to know more about the real issues underlying today's headlines. |
Contents
Section 1 | 15 |
Section 2 | 27 |
Section 3 | 93 |
Section 4 | 135 |
Section 5 | 137 |
Section 6 | 139 |
Section 7 | 154 |
Section 8 | 161 |
Section 11 | 210 |
Section 12 | 242 |
Section 13 | 243 |
Section 14 | 263 |
Section 15 | 277 |
Section 16 | 300 |
Section 17 | 302 |
Section 18 | 305 |
Common terms and phrases
action agencies agricultural American animals antibiotics appeared approach approval bacteria beef benefits called cause chapter coli companies concerns Congress consumers contaminated continue cooking corn countries cows critical crops decisions Department developing discussed disease drug effects example explained farm federal Figure food biotechnology food safety food supply foodborne genes genetically engineered genetically modified foods groups HACCP human important increase industry infections inspection inspectors Institute interest irradiation issues labeling matter means meat microbial milk million Monsanto Nutrition officials Online organic outbreak pathogens plants political poultry Press prevent problems proposed protect protein public health questions raised rBGH reason recall reduce regulations regulatory require resistance responsibility rice risk rules safe Salmonella scientific scientists standards StarLink Table testing tion tomatoes trade transgenic United USDA