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| http://www.takepart.com/foodinc/film |
Welcome, Food, Inc. Fans!
Find out more about factory farming & the state of the food industry.
We're committed to covering the landscape of food, from important policy news about factory farming and the food industry, to lifestyle content that will help you make better choices when it comes to sustainable and ethical eating practices.We've got plenty of ways you can make a difference, so check out our awesome partners or find ways to make a change when it comes to corporate farming. From small clicks to big causes, see how other people are saying goodbye to factory farms and inspiring those around them. Expect more from the current state of food processing and production. Eat well. Live better
Looking for easy ways to make better food choices when it comes to ethical eating? If you’re looking to cut down on meat consumption, check out our Meatless Monday gallery for great vegetarian recipes. Or, browse our collection of advice columns for answers to some of your most pressing cooking questions. On a budget? Don’t worry, we’ve got a selection of cheap, sustainable — and delicious — recipes for flavorful dishes that don’t cost a fortune. And if it’s the latest food news you’re after, TakePart always has the dish on what’s happening in the food world, with the food industry, and with food production
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Food, Inc. exposes America's industrialized food system and its effect on our environment, health, economy and workers' rights. See the incredible film, learn about these issues and take action.Easy Ways to Change the Food System
Find organic, local foods
Find locally grown produce, Community Supported Agriculture programs, and even great organic restaurants with the Eat Well Guide. Type in your zip code and find out what’s in season near you.Find out more at EatWellGuide.org.
Factory Farming
Nearly all of the approximately 10 billion animals raised and killed in the US annually suffer inhumane conditions at industrial farms. Not to mention the workers and surrounding communities that are affected by the unsafe conditions.Find out more at HumaneSociety.org.
Pesticides
Cancers, autism and neurological disorders have all been associated with the use of pesticides. Learn about what pesticides are in your food and their effects.Find out more at WhatsOnMyFood.org.
Environmental Impact
Did you know that the average food product travels about 1,500 miles to get to your grocery store? And that transporting food accounts for 30,800 tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year?Find out more at CoolFoodsCampaign.org.
For more actions you can take to fix our food system, click on the gallery below.
9 Ways to Fix the Food System
Hungry for change? Take these simple steps right now!
Frequently Asked Questions
SCREENINGS
If Food, Inc. is part of your class curriculum, the movie may be screened in the classroom for students enrolled in the class for credit. There is also downloadable curriculum that can be used with the film:
- Discussion guide in English
- Discussion guide in Spanish
- Food, Inc. postcard with 10 easy tips for healthy eating
To request a non-educational domestic screening of Food, Inc., please contact Swank to obtain the rights.
Any non-U.S. screening must be cleared by an agency that owns the regional rights of the film. Please contact us for requests for international screenings.
MORE INFORMATION
There is a companion guide to Food, Inc., Food, Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It. The guide contains essays that go further into depth on the subjects covered in the DVD. It is available for purchase on Amazon. Buy now.
For more information on local sources for organic, sustainable foods, please visit EatWellGuide.org.
BULK DVD ORDERS
Bulk DVD pricing may be available for orders of 100 or more. If you would like to order 100 or more DVDs at bulk pricing, please contact us.
Ground Turkey Recall Shows We Still Need Kevin's Law
Kevin Michael Kowalcyk was one of many tragic victims of food poisoning
Co-authored by Michael Kowalcyk
Ten years ago today, our 2½-year-old son Kevin died from complications due to an E. coli O157:H7 infection. We later learned that Kevin's strain of E. coli O157:H7 matched that of a meat recall issued 16 days after he died. Unfortunately, we were never able to conclusively prove that Kevin consumed the recalled meat, which was the requirement to show liability in the state where he died. As many of you know from Food, Inc., Kevin's death and the challenges we encountered following his death propelled our family to advocate for Kevin's Law and eventually establish a new non-profit, the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention. Kevin's Law was first introduced in Congress as the Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act of 2002 by Senators Tom Harkin, Dick Durbin and Hillary Clinton. It was later re-named Kevin's Law in honor of Kevin and our family's work to pass the legislation. Kevin's Law was a response to a court of appeals ruling that USDA did not have the authority to shut down plants that repeatedly produced meat and poultry products that were contaminated with Salmonella (the Supreme Beef case of December 2001). Kevin's Law required USDA to work with CDC to identify foodborne pathogens that impact human health, set limits for those pathogens in meat and poultry products, and then shut down plants that repeatedly fail to meet those limits. Despite being introduced in Congress three times, Kevin's Law never passed. Key elements of Kevin's Law were included in the recently enacted Food Safety Modernization Act, but that legislation applies only to FDA (with food safety oversight of dairy and produce), not USDA (with food safety oversight of meat and poultry). Last week, Cargill announced a 36 million pound recall of ground turkey for an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella that has caused 77 illnesses and one death. Every day, new light is being shed upon the details of this recall and the associated outbreak investigation. According to published reports, USDA testing found this strain of Salmonella four times over the past year but did not take action. In fact, five months passed from the first reported illness to the recall. During that time period, many families -- and particularly children -- were unnecessarily put at risk of serious foodborne illness and even death. That is completely unacceptable. Government authorities should have acted sooner. Unfortunately, the reality is that, due to the Supreme Beef ruling, USDA's hands are tied. Unless a pathogen is considered an adulterant, USDA cannot take action -- even if they find these pathogens during routine testing. Right now, E. coli O157:H7 is the only pathogen that is considered an adulterant. In January, USDA submitted a proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget to declare six other E. coli strains as adulterants, but OMB has not responded. There is growing concern among public health officials in the United States about antibiotic resistant strains of Salmonella, but these are not considered adulterants either. Yet, in Europe, initiatives have already been introduced to reduce risks from antibiotic-resistant Salmonella. Currently, USDA tests meat and poultry products for Salmonella and has limits in place for how much Salmonella can be in any particular testing sample of meat. The limits are woefully inadequate, and thanks to the Court of Appeals, they aren't enforceable anyway. USDA can't take action against a meat or poultry producer even if the limits are repeatedly exceeded. For example, take ground turkey. When USDA tests for Salmonella, they take individual 1-pound samples on 52 consecutive days of production. Sometimes it takes a year to complete a set -- and the establishment gets a heads up that a sample is going to be taken! In addition, if 26 or fewer are positive, the sample set passes. If more than 26 are positive, the sample set fails. Basically, these are like open book exams -- not pop quizzes -- where a 50% is still passing! And even when a sample set fails, USDA does another set of testing. And they keep doing testing until a set passes. Under Kevin's Law, USDA would have the authority to shut down a plant if it repeatedly exceeds acceptable limits. Right now, the testing continues until illnesses are actually linked to the product. As discussed in a previous blog, foodborne illness investigation is not easy and usually takes a lot of time, which is one of the reasons it took five months to issue this recall. Inter-agency communication problems also contributed to the delay in this situation. The reality is that, if Kevin's Law had been passed, this outbreak may have been avoided or, at the very least, USDA would have been able to take action sooner. USDA needs the authority to take action when contaminated products are causing human illness. They need to be able to set limits for foodborne pathogens. They need to reduce those limits over time to prevent fewer pathogens from entering the food supply. And, they need the authority to shut down producers that repeatedly fail to meet those standards. We find it a bit ironic that this issue would arise again on the 10th anniversary of Kevin's death. Our family has never given up on passing Kevin's Law. It is clear that USDA needs these authorities before more American families suffer. I urge Congress to consider re-introducing Kevin's Law, to pass Kevin's Law, and we ask that you join us in making this a reality. Kevin, we love you and miss you. You changed our lives forever, and we will continue to honor your life and your memory by working to make our food safer.
Kevin's Mom and Dad,
Barbara and Michael Kowalcyk
Barbara Kowalcyk is the CEO of the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention. Michael Kowalcyk is an economist. He has advocated extensively for the passage of Kevin's Law.
To sign the petition for Kevins Law click here http://www.petition2congress.com/3235/revive-kevins-law/
http://www.localharvest.org/
Click on the link above to find a Farmer's Market near you!
The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers'
markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area,
where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. Want to
support this great web site? Shop in our catalog for
things you can't find locally!
Popular
LocalHarvest Blogs:
- Spices and Herbs by Elaynn (Waynesville, North Carolina)
- Alternative Community
Farmer/WPB.FL (Lake
Worth , Florida)
- Pleasant Valley Farm (Tionesta, Pennsylvania)
- Mohawk Valley Trading Co. (Utica, New York)
- Miolea Organic Farm (Adamstown, Maryland)
- Spring Hill Farms (Newark, Ohio)
- Bountiful Blessings Farm Produce
(Hinckley, Illinois)
- Wild Things Farm (Crab Orchard, Tennessee)
- L'Ecuyer Gardens (Morrowville, Kansas)
- North Star Homestead Farms, LLC
(Hayward, Wisconsin)
How to Find Your Local Farmers Markets
These Five Tips Make It Easy to Locate a Farmers Market Near You
- Local Harvest -- A leading website for organic and local food, Local Harvest maintains a searchable, nationwide directory of farmers markets, small farms and other local food sources. Local Harvest also has an online store that helps small farms develop markets for some of their products outside their local areas.
- Google or Bing -- You don't necessarily need a special service to help you track down your local farmers markets. If you have access to a computer and the Internet, a simple search that combines the keyword "farmers markets" with the name of your city, town, region or neighborhood is almost certain to turn up a list of nearby farmers markets.
- Check the Library -- It may sound very old school, but your local public library is still one of the very best sources for information about your community. Call the main library reference desk or stop by your local branch to ask about farmers markets in your area.
- Word of Mouth -- Another good way to find your local farmers markets, and to get a head start on figuring out which ones are best and what each one provides, ask your friends, neighbors and coworkers. People who frequent farmers markets are usually happy to share their observations and experiences, and to offer recommendations for specific products or markets.
With more than 5,000 farmers markets operating in the United States, chances are there are some good ones close to where you live. Use these tips to find the farmers markets near you and start enjoying the good taste and better nutrition of farm-fresh, locally grown food today.
Ground Turkey Recall Shows We Still Need Kevin's Law
 |
| Kevin Michael Kowalcyk was one of many tragic victims of food poisoning |
Co-authored by Michael Kowalcyk
Ten years ago today, our 2½-year-old son Kevin died from complications due to an E. coli O157:H7 infection. We later learned that Kevin's strain of E. coli O157:H7 matched that of a meat recall issued 16 days after he died. Unfortunately, we were never able to conclusively prove that Kevin consumed the recalled meat, which was the requirement to show liability in the state where he died. As many of you know from Food, Inc., Kevin's death and the challenges we encountered following his death propelled our family to advocate for Kevin's Law and eventually establish a new non-profit, the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention. Kevin's Law was first introduced in Congress as the Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act of 2002 by Senators Tom Harkin, Dick Durbin and Hillary Clinton. It was later re-named Kevin's Law in honor of Kevin and our family's work to pass the legislation. Kevin's Law was a response to a court of appeals ruling that USDA did not have the authority to shut down plants that repeatedly produced meat and poultry products that were contaminated with Salmonella (the Supreme Beef case of December 2001). Kevin's Law required USDA to work with CDC to identify foodborne pathogens that impact human health, set limits for those pathogens in meat and poultry products, and then shut down plants that repeatedly fail to meet those limits. Despite being introduced in Congress three times, Kevin's Law never passed. Key elements of Kevin's Law were included in the recently enacted Food Safety Modernization Act, but that legislation applies only to FDA (with food safety oversight of dairy and produce), not USDA (with food safety oversight of meat and poultry). Last week, Cargill announced a 36 million pound recall of ground turkey for an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella that has caused 77 illnesses and one death. Every day, new light is being shed upon the details of this recall and the associated outbreak investigation. According to published reports, USDA testing found this strain of Salmonella four times over the past year but did not take action. In fact, five months passed from the first reported illness to the recall. During that time period, many families -- and particularly children -- were unnecessarily put at risk of serious foodborne illness and even death. That is completely unacceptable. Government authorities should have acted sooner. Unfortunately, the reality is that, due to the Supreme Beef ruling, USDA's hands are tied. Unless a pathogen is considered an adulterant, USDA cannot take action -- even if they find these pathogens during routine testing. Right now, E. coli O157:H7 is the only pathogen that is considered an adulterant. In January, USDA submitted a proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget to declare six other E. coli strains as adulterants, but OMB has not responded. There is growing concern among public health officials in the United States about antibiotic resistant strains of Salmonella, but these are not considered adulterants either. Yet, in Europe, initiatives have already been introduced to reduce risks from antibiotic-resistant Salmonella. Currently, USDA tests meat and poultry products for Salmonella and has limits in place for how much Salmonella can be in any particular testing sample of meat. The limits are woefully inadequate, and thanks to the Court of Appeals, they aren't enforceable anyway. USDA can't take action against a meat or poultry producer even if the limits are repeatedly exceeded. For example, take ground turkey. When USDA tests for Salmonella, they take individual 1-pound samples on 52 consecutive days of production. Sometimes it takes a year to complete a set -- and the establishment gets a heads up that a sample is going to be taken! In addition, if 26 or fewer are positive, the sample set passes. If more than 26 are positive, the sample set fails. Basically, these are like open book exams -- not pop quizzes -- where a 50% is still passing! And even when a sample set fails, USDA does another set of testing. And they keep doing testing until a set passes. Under Kevin's Law, USDA would have the authority to shut down a plant if it repeatedly exceeds acceptable limits. Right now, the testing continues until illnesses are actually linked to the product. As discussed in a previous blog, foodborne illness investigation is not easy and usually takes a lot of time, which is one of the reasons it took five months to issue this recall. Inter-agency communication problems also contributed to the delay in this situation. The reality is that, if Kevin's Law had been passed, this outbreak may have been avoided or, at the very least, USDA would have been able to take action sooner. USDA needs the authority to take action when contaminated products are causing human illness. They need to be able to set limits for foodborne pathogens. They need to reduce those limits over time to prevent fewer pathogens from entering the food supply. And, they need the authority to shut down producers that repeatedly fail to meet those standards. We find it a bit ironic that this issue would arise again on the 10th anniversary of Kevin's death. Our family has never given up on passing Kevin's Law. It is clear that USDA needs these authorities before more American families suffer. I urge Congress to consider re-introducing Kevin's Law, to pass Kevin's Law, and we ask that you join us in making this a reality. Kevin, we love you and miss you. You changed our lives forever, and we will continue to honor your life and your memory by working to make our food safer.
Kevin's Mom and Dad,
Barbara and Michael Kowalcyk
Barbara Kowalcyk is the CEO of the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention. Michael Kowalcyk is an economist. He has advocated extensively for the passage of Kevin's Law.
To sign the petition for Kevins Law click here http://www.petition2congress.com/3235/revive-kevins-law/
Ten years ago today, our 2½-year-old son Kevin died from complications due to an E. coli O157:H7 infection. We later learned that Kevin's strain of E. coli O157:H7 matched that of a meat recall issued 16 days after he died. Unfortunately, we were never able to conclusively prove that Kevin consumed the recalled meat, which was the requirement to show liability in the state where he died. As many of you know from Food, Inc., Kevin's death and the challenges we encountered following his death propelled our family to advocate for Kevin's Law and eventually establish a new non-profit, the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention. Kevin's Law was first introduced in Congress as the Meat and Poultry Pathogen Reduction and Enforcement Act of 2002 by Senators Tom Harkin, Dick Durbin and Hillary Clinton. It was later re-named Kevin's Law in honor of Kevin and our family's work to pass the legislation. Kevin's Law was a response to a court of appeals ruling that USDA did not have the authority to shut down plants that repeatedly produced meat and poultry products that were contaminated with Salmonella (the Supreme Beef case of December 2001). Kevin's Law required USDA to work with CDC to identify foodborne pathogens that impact human health, set limits for those pathogens in meat and poultry products, and then shut down plants that repeatedly fail to meet those limits. Despite being introduced in Congress three times, Kevin's Law never passed. Key elements of Kevin's Law were included in the recently enacted Food Safety Modernization Act, but that legislation applies only to FDA (with food safety oversight of dairy and produce), not USDA (with food safety oversight of meat and poultry). Last week, Cargill announced a 36 million pound recall of ground turkey for an antibiotic resistant strain of Salmonella that has caused 77 illnesses and one death. Every day, new light is being shed upon the details of this recall and the associated outbreak investigation. According to published reports, USDA testing found this strain of Salmonella four times over the past year but did not take action. In fact, five months passed from the first reported illness to the recall. During that time period, many families -- and particularly children -- were unnecessarily put at risk of serious foodborne illness and even death. That is completely unacceptable. Government authorities should have acted sooner. Unfortunately, the reality is that, due to the Supreme Beef ruling, USDA's hands are tied. Unless a pathogen is considered an adulterant, USDA cannot take action -- even if they find these pathogens during routine testing. Right now, E. coli O157:H7 is the only pathogen that is considered an adulterant. In January, USDA submitted a proposal to the White House Office of Management and Budget to declare six other E. coli strains as adulterants, but OMB has not responded. There is growing concern among public health officials in the United States about antibiotic resistant strains of Salmonella, but these are not considered adulterants either. Yet, in Europe, initiatives have already been introduced to reduce risks from antibiotic-resistant Salmonella. Currently, USDA tests meat and poultry products for Salmonella and has limits in place for how much Salmonella can be in any particular testing sample of meat. The limits are woefully inadequate, and thanks to the Court of Appeals, they aren't enforceable anyway. USDA can't take action against a meat or poultry producer even if the limits are repeatedly exceeded. For example, take ground turkey. When USDA tests for Salmonella, they take individual 1-pound samples on 52 consecutive days of production. Sometimes it takes a year to complete a set -- and the establishment gets a heads up that a sample is going to be taken! In addition, if 26 or fewer are positive, the sample set passes. If more than 26 are positive, the sample set fails. Basically, these are like open book exams -- not pop quizzes -- where a 50% is still passing! And even when a sample set fails, USDA does another set of testing. And they keep doing testing until a set passes. Under Kevin's Law, USDA would have the authority to shut down a plant if it repeatedly exceeds acceptable limits. Right now, the testing continues until illnesses are actually linked to the product. As discussed in a previous blog, foodborne illness investigation is not easy and usually takes a lot of time, which is one of the reasons it took five months to issue this recall. Inter-agency communication problems also contributed to the delay in this situation. The reality is that, if Kevin's Law had been passed, this outbreak may have been avoided or, at the very least, USDA would have been able to take action sooner. USDA needs the authority to take action when contaminated products are causing human illness. They need to be able to set limits for foodborne pathogens. They need to reduce those limits over time to prevent fewer pathogens from entering the food supply. And, they need the authority to shut down producers that repeatedly fail to meet those standards. We find it a bit ironic that this issue would arise again on the 10th anniversary of Kevin's death. Our family has never given up on passing Kevin's Law. It is clear that USDA needs these authorities before more American families suffer. I urge Congress to consider re-introducing Kevin's Law, to pass Kevin's Law, and we ask that you join us in making this a reality. Kevin, we love you and miss you. You changed our lives forever, and we will continue to honor your life and your memory by working to make our food safer.
Kevin's Mom and Dad,
Barbara and Michael Kowalcyk
Barbara Kowalcyk is the CEO of the Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention. Michael Kowalcyk is an economist. He has advocated extensively for the passage of Kevin's Law.
To sign the petition for Kevins Law click here http://www.petition2congress.com/3235/revive-kevins-law/
 |
| http://www.localharvest.org/ Click on the link above to find a Farmer's Market near you!
The best organic food is what's grown closest to you. Use our website to find farmers'
markets, family farms, and other sources of sustainably grown food in your area,
where you can buy produce, grass-fed meats, and many other goodies. Want to
support this great web site? Shop in our catalog for
things you can't find locally!
Popular
LocalHarvest Blogs:
|
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