The 16-Year-Old Documentary That Exposed the US Food Industry | Food Talk Vol. 33

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Which documentary once shaped the career choices of our colleagues at Foodthink, prompting us to dedicate ourselves to the food and agriculture sector?

Perhaps it was this one: *Food, Inc.* Released in 2009, the documentary pulls back the curtain on the inner workings of the US food industry, placing particular focus on the health and environmental issues embedded in food production. Upon its release, it quickly captured public attention and earned a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature.

In the blink of an eye, over a decade has passed. In the spring of 2024, the sequel *Food, Inc. 2* premiered in North America. Today, the very same issues persist: industrial-scale animal farming, nutritional homogenisation, and the monopolisation of seeds by corporate giants. Taking this opportunity, our team gathered to revisit the first film and discuss: do the realities we’ve witnessed firsthand truly match the grim picture painted on screen? Which of the problems within the American food system are playing out here in China as well?

We hope this film, which profoundly shaped our own perspectives, resonates with you too. As the documentary itself reminds us, as consumers, “you can vote to change our food system. Three times a day.”

H/O/S/T/S

Tian Le

Founding editor at Foodthink and coordinator for the Beijing Organic Farmers’ Market. After watching *Food, Inc.* in a US cinema back in the day, I was amazed that a documentary could actually secure a theatrical release. Little did I know that this film and the people featured in it would go on to so quietly yet profoundly shape the course of my life.

 

 

 

Wang Hao

Editor at Foodthink. The only host on this episode who crammed it in at the last minute.

 

 

 

 

 

Xiao Jing

Host on Food Talk. I didn’t realise it, but I actually watched *Food, Inc.* back in 2019. I even left a review on Douban saying, “The footage of chicken farming absolutely terrified me.”

 

 

 

 

Ze En

Editor at Foodthink.

 

 

 

 

The chicken sheds depicted in *Food Inc.* are permeated with a pungent odour, and the poor conditions pose a health threat to both the poultry and the farmers.
The food industry has completely transformed how chickens are raised: compared to 50 years ago, broiler chickens now require only 70 per cent of the time from hatching to slaughter, yet grow to twice their former size (1950 vs 2008). Today, the maturation period for broilers has been shortened to just 38 days. However, from a physiological standpoint, the excessively large and rapidly growing breast meat has become too great a burden for their hearts to supply with adequate blood.
Although the selection of food in supermarkets appears remarkably diverse, the vast majority contain corn and soybeans. Through chemical processing, corn can be converted into food ingredients such as syrup, xanthan gum, diglycerides, and vitamin C. Behind this superficial ‘variety’ lies the hidden risk of nutritional imbalance.
In 2008, when *Food Inc.* was released, 90 per cent of soybean seeds in the US contained Monsanto’s genes. Because these seeds are protected by patents, farmers are prohibited from saving them for future planting. Supply chain monopolies and gene flow make it nearly impossible for even those who save their own seeds to remain unscathed. Over the ensuing years, driven by Monsanto’s legal team filing relentless infringement lawsuits, most farmers have shifted from outrage to quiet resignation.

Tim/e/stamps

01:04 The second instalment of *Food, Inc.* is out. Let’s first recap what the original film covered.

05:54 Is it true that meat and dairy are so cheap in the US?

08:28 Chickens raised in 49 days are a thing of the past; 38 days is now deemed ‘efficient’.

12:53 Though the food on our shelves seems endlessly varied, whether it’s meat, cereals or soft drinks, over 70% of the supply is controlled by a handful of mega-corporations. These powerful entities are like the Voldemort of the food industry—’the name that must not be spoken’.

19:35 How can naturally grown seeds be patented? Let’s discuss another corporate giant: Monsanto, the seed empire.

25:12 Fast food is incredibly cheap, but what is the true cost of our food?

33:19 Can free-range chicken carry salmonella? Large-scale meat production has also seen its fair share of major pathogen outbreaks. Perhaps it’s time to update your assumptions about food hygiene.

38:19 In the 15 years since this film’s release, has the situation in the US improved or worsened? What about China?

41:40 Too tired to cook at home, so you order delivery. Little did you know, the restaurant probably ‘doesn’t want to cook’ either…

47:13 ‘You can vote to change the food system. You get to do it three times a day.’

Re/lat/ed: Books and Documentaries

Posters for *Food, Inc.* and *Food, Inc. 2*.
Michael Pollan’s works *The Omnivore’s Dilemma* and *Food Rules*.
*Empire of Seeds*, a new work chronicling the history of Monsanto, the American multinational agribusiness corporation.
*Fast Food Nation*, another documentary written by Eric Schlosser, who also featured in *Food, Inc.*.
*Foreign Plate: Miami Youth and Shanghai Xiaolongbao*.

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Production Team for This Episode

Production: Xiaojing

Music: Banong

Editor: Wang Hao

Contact: xiaojing@foodthink.cn

 

Published by Foodthink