Some have argued we should trust pesticide companies to act in beekeepers interest because their employees are inherently good.

A recent article in the New York Times by Michael Mudd contradicts this notion. Mr. Mudd is a former executive vice president of global corporate affairs for Kraft Foods. His article

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/17/opinion/sunday/how-to-force-ethics-on-the-food-industry.html?pagewanted=all 


explains:

1. How good people sometimes do bad things:  

“In so many other ways, these are good people. But, little by little, they strayed from the honorable business of feeding people appropriately to the deplorable mission of “increasing shareholder value” by enticing people to consume more and more high-margin, low-nutrition branded products.”

2) How the food industry blames obesity on suburban life , escalators, video games, cancelled gym class and not enough home cooking (think mites, viruses, monocultured crops, mite treatments, trucking hives, cell towers etc) all the while knowing:

 “The industry is guilty because it knew what the consequences of its actions might be. Large food processors employed a flock of Ph.D. nutritionists and food scientists. The connection between calorie consumption and weight gain was always as plain as the number on the bathroom scale.”

3) How food industry pretends to be concerned about people’s health by sponsoring health programs (think Bee Care Tour in Corn Belt States) 


“Next time you hear of a big food or beverage company sponsoring an after-school physical activity program in your community, you can be sure they’ll say it’s to show “our company’s concern for our kids’ health.” But the real intent is to look angelic while making consumers feel good about the brand and drawing attention away from the unhealthful nature of the company’s products. “Posing for holy cards,” as one of my colleagues used to put it.”


One step in the scientific method is to “recall past experiences”. We can debate the safety of neoncis in our environment but I think we show wilful ignorance by assuming industries will automatically act in our interest. Past experience tells us otherwise. 

You can learn more about what the food industry has been up to in a new book titled:

"Salt, Sugar, Fat" by Micheal Moss.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/18/books/salt-sugar-fat-by-michael-moss.html?hpw

"By concentrating fat, salt and sugar in products formulated for maximum “bliss,” Big Food has spent almost a century distorting the American diet in favor of calorie-dense products whose consumption pattern has been mirrored by the calamitous rise in obesity rates."




Ted

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