Friday, November 13, 2020

THE MADNESS OF THE FOOD INDUSTRY!

 FOOD...FAT...NATION'S MADNESS!!



I  WAS  DRIVING  HOME  LATE  LAST  EVENING  [THIS IS NOW SOME YEARS AGO] AND  TURNED  ON  THE  CBC RADIO.  THEY  WERE  INTERVIEWING SOMEONE  I  HAD  NEVER  HEARD  ABOUT...MICHAEL  POLLAN.


HE  HAS  WRITTEN  3  BOOKS  AT  LEAST  ON  "FOOD"  AND  JUST  PLAIN "COOKING"  AND  "EATING."


THE  TRUE  STORY  SOON  CAME  UP,  AND  HIS  EXPLAINING  IT  JUST  BLEW ME  AWAY;  KINDA  FUNNY  IF  NOT  SO  SERIOUS  A  PROBLEM  IT  CAUSED.


THIS  STORY  IS  JUST  ONE  SMALL  PART  OF  THE  PUZZLE  AS TO OUR EATING AND THE PROBLEMS FROM “EDUCATED” PEOPLE.


THE  STORY  IS:


IN  THE  1960s  NORTH  AMERICA [THE  USA  BEING  THE  MAIN  CULPRIT] GOT  ON  THIS  FAD  THAT  WE  SHOULD  PRODUCE  MILK  THAT  WAS  NOT FATTENING.  SO  YOU  KNOW  THE  2 PERCENT  AND  1  PERCENT  FAT  MILK, THE  SKIM  MILK,  AND  GET  PEOPLE  AWAY  FROM  THE  3  AND  1/2  PERCENT  FAT  MILK.


NOW  COWS  DON'T  PRODUCE  SKIM  MILK  OR  1  PERCENT  FAT  MILK. HENCE  BY THE  1960s   WE  HAD  MACHINES  THAT  COULD  PRODUCE  THE LOWER  FAT  MILK.


THEN  THE  GOVERNMENT[S]   SAID,  "WELL  WE  SHOULD  NOT  THROW AWAY  ALL  THIS  NICE  NATURAL [BEFORE  COWS  WERE  SHOT  FULL  OF THIS  AND THAT  DRUG]  GOOD  FAT  THAT  WE  HAVE  EXTRACTED  FROM THE  MILK;  SO  LET'S  MAKE  CHEESE  OUT  OF  IT,  AND  WE'LL  PUT  ADS OUT  TO  GET  PEOPLE  EATING  MORE  CHEESE."


AND  SO  THE  ADS  CAME  AND  SURE  ENOUGH  PEOPLE  STARTED  TO BUY AND  EAT  MORE  CHEESE.


BUT  YOU  CAN  ONLY  EAT  SO  MUCH  CHEESE;  THE  MARKET  BECAME SATURATED;  THEY  STILL  HAD  THOUSANDS  OF  POUNDS  OF  CHEESE LEFT.  SO  WHAT  DID  THEY  DO?  THE  GOVERNMENT  SAID,  WELL  IT'S PERFECTLY  GOOD  CHEESE,  SO  WE'LL  STORE  IT  IN  CAVES  IN  ..... [HE GAVE  THE  STATE  BUT  I'VE  FORGOTTEN  WHICH  ONE].  THOUSANDS UPON  THOUSANDS  OF  POUNDS  OF  CHEESE  WERE  STORED  IN  THESE CAVES.  OVER  TIME  THE  CHEESE  WAS  BEGINNING  TO  GO  BAD.  THE REAGAN  GOVERNMENT  WAS  IN  THE  WHITE  HOUSE.


WHAT  SHALL  WE  DO,  WAS  THE  QUESTION,  DON'T  WANT  TO  SEE  ALL THIS  GOOD  CHEESE  JUST  ROT  AWAY.


AH,  THEY  SAID,  WE  WILL  USE  THIS  CHEESE  TO  PUT  ON  THE  TOP  OF 4 OR  5  MORE  PIZZA  THAN  BEFORE,  TO  SELL  IN  THE  STORES;  MORE OVER  THEY  ADDED  THIS  CHEESE  IN  THE  MIDDLE  OF  THE  PIZZA CRUSTS;  INTO  THINGS  YOU  CANNOT  SEE,  HIDDEN  IN  THERE  THAT  YOU DON'T  EVEN  KNOW  IT'S  THERE.


BRILLIANT  IDEA  THEY  THOUGHT,  NO  THROWING  OUT  THIS  CHEESE STORED  AWAY  IN  THE  CAVES.


WHAT  WAS  THE  END  RESULT?


PEOPLE  BEGAN  TO  GET  FATTER  THAN  IF  THEY  HAD  STAYED  WITH DOING  NOTHING  ABOUT  3  AND  1/2  FAT  MILK,  AND  HAD  LET  THE PEOPLE  JUST  CONTINUING  TO  DRINK  WHOLE  COW'S  MILK.


END  OF  STORY.


NOW  YOU  TALK  ABOUT  SILLY,  CRAZY,  STUPID .....  ONE  SMALL  AREA OF SO CALLED “EDUCATED” PEOPLE IN GOVERNMENT.


YES  THIS  IS  A  TRUE  STORY  AND  FACT.  READ  IT  AGAIN.  HARD  TO BELIEVE  SOME  SO-CALLED  "EDUCATED" [SOME  WITH  PhD  OR WHATEVER CERTIFICATE  FROM  HIGH  EDUCATION  UNIVERSITIES  HANGING  ON  THE   WALL]   PEOPLE  DEVISED  THIS  WONDERFUL  PLAN  TO  SAVE  THE  CAVE CHEESE,  WHILE  HELPING [MANY  OTHER  THINGS  ALSO  OF  COURSE]  TO MAKE  US  FAT  AND  EVEN  OBESE.


IN  THIS  INTERVIEW  MICHAEL  POLLAN  HAD  MUCH  MORE  TO  SAY,  BUT THIS  STORY  ABOUT  THE  MILK  AND  THE  CHEESE.....JUST  CHEESED  ME OFF [PUN  INTENDED];  I  WANTED  TO  LAUGH,  BUT  IT  WAS  DISGUSTINGLY SERIOUS;  I  JUST  SHOOK  MY  HEAD,  SHOOK  MY  HEAD,  AND  REALIZED ONE  VERY  GOOD  EXAMPLE  OF  “EDUCATED” PEOPLE  HAVING  SO  CALLED  BRILLIANT  IDEAS.


I  JUST  CAME  FROM  BUYING  MICHAEL  POLLAN'S  BOOK  "OMNIVORE'S DILEMMA"  ABOUT  THE  FOOD  INDUSTRY [THIS WAS BACK SOME YEARS].



POLLAN  DID  TALK  ALSO  ABOUT  THE  LESS  AND  LESS  TIME  THAT  IS SPENT  IN  THE  HOMES  OF  FAMILIES,  IN  THE  KITCHEN,  MAKING  HOME-MADE  MEALS.  IN  THE  1960s  HE  SAYS  IN  A  FAMILY  HOME  THERE  WAS ON  AVERAGE  TWO  HOURS  PER  DAY  SPENT  IN  THE  KITCHEN.  TODAY THAT  HAS  DROPPED  TO  27  MINUTES  A  DAY.  AS  HE   SAID,  HOME  MADE MEALS  ARE  JUST  KNOWN,  OR  WAS  KNOWN,  TO  BE  WAY  MORE HEALTHY THAN  OUTSIDE  MEALS.


WHAT  TOOK  PLACE?  HE  EXPLAINED  THAT  AS  MORE  AND  MORE FAMILIES  BECAME  A  HUSBAND/FATHER  AND  WIFE/MOTHER  WORKING OUTSIDE  THE  HOME,  PEOPLE/FAMILIES  SPENT  LESS  TIME  IN  THE KITCHEN.  THEN  IT  WAS  ALSO  THE  TIME  OF  "WOMEN'S  LIB"  MOVEMENT; NOW  THE  ARGUMENT  BETWEEN  THE  SEXES  WAS  WHO  SHOULD  DO WHAT  IN  THE  HOME. 


POLLAN  WENT  ON  TO  EXPLAIN  THAT  THE  FOOD  INDUSTRY  STEPPED  IN AND  SAID,  "OH  STOP  THE  ARGUMENT;  WE'LL  FIX  IT;  WE'LL  MAKE 'READY  TO  GO  MEALS.'"  THE  MICROWAVE  WAS  NOW  AFFORDABLE   BY JUST  ABOUT  EVERY  HOME,  SO  IN  STEPPED  THE  FAST  FOOD MICROWAVE  MEAL.


POLLAN  POINTED  OUT  THAT  TODAY  50  PERCENT  OF  FAST  FOOD EATING  IS  FAST  FOOD  AT  HOME.


IT  ALL  ADDS  UP  TO  AN  UN-HEALTHIER  DIET  IN  THE  HOMES  OF  THE AVERAGE  CITIZEN;  SO  ALL  THAT  MAKES  UP  PART  OF  THE  OVERWEIGHT  AND OBESE  WESTERN  WORLD  LIVING.


A  FEW  OF  THE  ENDORSEMENT  STATEMENTS  FOR  MICHAEL  POLLAN'S BOOK  "OMNIVORE'S  DILEMA" :---


"AN  EATER'S  MANIFESTO ... POLLAN'S  CAUSE  IS  JUST,  HIS THINKING  IS  CLEAR,  AND  HIS  WRITING  IS  COMPELLING.  BE  CAREFUL  OF  YOUR  DINNER"  [THE  WASHINGTON  POST]   


"OUTSTANDING ... A  WIDE-RANGING  INVITATION  TO  THINK  THROUGH  THE  MORAL  RAMIFICATIONS  OF  OUR  EATING  HABITS"  [THE  NEW  YORKER]


 "THE  BRILLIANT,  EYE-OPENING  ACCOUNT  OF  HOW  WE  PRODUCE,  MARKET,  AND  AGONIZE  OVER  WHAT  WE  EAT.  IF  YOU  EVER THOUGHT  'WHAT'S  FOR  DINNER'  WAS  A  SIMPLE  QUESTION,  YOU'LL  CHANGE  YOUR  MIND  AFTER  READING  POLLAN'S  SEARING  INDICTMENT  OF  TODAY'S  FOOD  INDUSTRY"  [THE  SEATTLE  TIMES].


AH  MAYBE  WITH  THE  COVID19  VIRUS  KEEPING  US  AT  HOME  MORE,  MAYBE,  JUST  MAYBE,  WE  CAN  GET  BACK  TO  HOME  COOKING  LIKE  IT  USED  TO  BE!


THERE  YOU  GO—— SOMETHING  TO  OCCUPY  YOUR  MORE  TIME  AT  HOME!


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