You’re walking through the grocery store with your shopping list in your hand. Aisle by aisle you grab what you need, crossing it off the list as you go. You finally reach the meat section; on your list you have chicken, ground beef and steaks. You look at all the selections and you think to yourself, where does this come from? Is this meat safe to consume? All these questions are running through your head and you have no answers. Every night you serve your family of four this meat, but you have no idea where it comes from. What laws are out there protecting you and your family from disease? As the consumer are we really being protected from the food industry?
In the United States the food industry is regulated by the Food and Drug administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FDA is a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services that was established to regulate the release of new foods. The USDA is also a federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers. Both of these federal agencies help with the regulation of food production. How do these programs assure that the consumers are being protected?
To begin the FDA, compiled what is known as the Food Code. The purpose of the food code is to safeguard public health and provide consumers with food that is safe, unadulterated and honestly presented. Being that this code is in place, how does the government ensure that all farms and food processing plants are keeping with this code? The USDA has a Food Safely and Inspection service, also known as the FSIS. The FSIS is responsible for inspecting the meat, poultry, and processed egg products for safety, wholesomeness and proper labeling. Within this service inspectors are present in the slaughter plants for the majority of the day.
Along with the inspectors being present in the plants, there is a Meat Inspection System. Within this system there are three important acts: The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906, The 1967 Federal Meat Inspection Act and lastly the 1968 Wholesome Poultry Products Act. The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 requires the USDA to inspect all cattle, sheep, swine, goats and horses brought to a plant to be slaughtered. The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1967 and the Wholesome Poultry Products Act established a state-federal cooperative inspection program which requires state inspections programs to be “at least equal to” the federal programs. Twenty eight out of the fifty US States have their own meat and poultry inspection services. “State and local government food safety programs conduct more than 80% of food establishment inspections. There has never been a documented food illness from state inspected meat and poultry products.”
If all these laws and acts are in place, as the consumer how can we be sure these laws are in place? In the article Consumer and Food Safety: A Food Industry Perspective by S. Gardner, he makes very valid points. His points include, what the views of food industry are, how the standards are set, and how the consumer can be involved. Gardner states that the food industry takes a broad view of the term food control, with the factors being safety, nutrition, quality and value. When it comes to safety, nutrition, quality and value, the governments role is to provide uniform standards so that, “ consumers receive equal levels of protection, all food producers are treated equally through the process of the same levels of safety, and lastly the consumers are informed about the protections that are applied.” The way the consumers can be informed is by communication. Communication comes in several ways, such as labels, advertising, marketing, promotions and media. As the consumer you have to pay attention to all the communication. Be aware, and read: only you the consumer can protect yourself.
Inspecting and testing food factories are crucial processes in order to ensure the safety of our food. The objectives for inspections are to provide information for management to apply certain actions and to ensure that the decline of stored foods is kept to a minimum. Inspections include a detailed examination of all of the consignment of produced foods, stored commodities, handling and transport methods, the storage building, and the standards of storekeeping and pest control. This examination sometimes includes the taking of samples for analysis.
These examinations take place in these areas:
•Warehouse site
•Warehouse structure – external
•Warehouse structure – internal
•Standard of warehouse keeping and hygiene handling
•Stacking
•Commodities
•Pest control
•Safety and hygiene
•Food processing factories
Within these places of inspection they also check the hygiene of production, security and working conditions of the workers, and the hygiene of personnel. Not only do they do inspections in food factories, they do testing as well. These tests are done on our foods to check for insect and physical damage, moisture content, chemical changes, and the wetting of dried products. All of these tests have their own standards to meet.
The wetting of dried products leads to contamination, which may cause an insect infestation as the metabolism of insects raise the moisture content of the commodity. As you can tell these tests are extremely important to society’s health and wellness.
The food manufacturing industry has one of the highest incidences of injury and illness among all industries. Food manufacturing workers are highly affected by repetitive strain injuries in their hands, wrists, and elbows. They stand for long periods of time and may be required to lift heavy objects or use a dangerous machine. In 2007, rates of work-related injuries or illnesses for full-time food manufacturing employees were higher than the rates of all other manufacturers. In an attempt to reduce hazards, some plants have redesigned machines, increased job rotation, allowed longer or more frequent breaks, and designed training programs in safe work practices. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations ensure that there is a safer working environment. Some workers now wear protective hats, gloves, aprons, and boots. In many companies, uniforms and protective clothing are changed daily for sanitary reasons.
In 2008, the food manufacturing industry provided 1.5 million jobs. About 34% of all workers are employed in the animal slaughtering and processing, 19% work in bakeries and tortilla manufacturing, and 3% work on seafood preparation and packaging. There are many different jobs within the food industry. Such as:
•Slaughterers and meatpackers
•Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
•Bakers
•Hand food decorators
•Candy molders and marzipan shapers
•Food batch makers
•Bottle packers and bottle fillers
•Mechanics (machinery, refrigerator, heat/air conditioning, farm equipment)
•Maintenance repairers
•Supervisors
•Graders and sorters
•Production inspectors
•Drivers/sales workers
•Freight, stock, and material movers
This list does not include all of the machine operators and employees that work within an office. For example, accounting, advertising, public relations, etc.
Most of these jobs listed require little formal education. A high school diploma is preferred, but not always required. Workers learn what to do and not do from other workers. It may not take long to learn how to use equipment, but it may take a few years to get it to run smoothly, efficiently, and safely. Some workers do participate in specialized training when it is provided for there job. Inspectors and quality control workers need specialized training and education. They are trained in food safety and usually need a certificate to be employed in the food industry.
Production workers in the food industry average $14.00 an hour compared to $18.08 an hour for all workers in a private industry in 2008. Weekly earnings were lower than average, at $567 compared to $608 for private industry. Weekly earnings ranged from $501 in animal slaughtering and processing plants to $813 in grain and oilseed milling plants. In 2008, 17% of workers belonged to a union. Food manufacturers play a vital role in our food processing system, but we must consider the farms where the origin of the food comes from.
First to know whether or not the consumers are being protected from the food industry begins with how we handle our agriculture system as a whole. With the population increase and need for more food supply, our nation has led to more industrialized farming where there are only a few major farms contributing to its production. However, their main goal is to maximize profit, and they are not necessarily concerned with the health of the people or if it threatens the animals or workers. Factory farming is where they raise as many animals as they can in a small space, which is more cost effective for mass production then to let the animals roam free. Then it’s the animals that suffer and live a cruel life if any since they are looked at as machines instead of living creatures. Most of them do not have any access to sunlight or fresh air, and many are unable to move due to the amount of space they are given in the cages.
A documentary, Food Inc., shows America how inhumanely the animals are being treated and the effects that puts into our food leading to many dangerous outcomes and becoming more prone to harmful bacteria. Within the film they provide Americans with insightful information about how much we really know about the food we buy in our supermarkets, and how we are changing the food industry. The food we are buying determines what they are going to sell and how much, and since we are purchasing these products it is almost like giving them the okay. However, many Americans are unaware of what happens to these animals and the conditions in which they live before they make it to the supermarket.
In November 2010, an undercover study of one of the largest egg producers in the United States ended up with a recall of over two hundred thousand eggs due to salmonella and many other problems that were found to be responsible for some previous recalls. Many of the animals were covered in blood and feces while there were others dead trapped underneath the cages with the other chickens that were unable to reach food or water. According to Sustainable table, “ a single hog excretes up to 17.5 pounds of manure and urine each day. Put 1,000 hogs together, and that’s six million pounds of waste each year. On a factory farm containing 35,000 hogs, over four million pounds of waste our produced each week, and over 200 million pounds each year.” From that they are exposed to high levels of toxins, and because of the unsanitary conditions they need to be injected with antibiotics.
They have the ability to produce large quantities of food for little money, but at what cost. The humane society’s Julie Falconer says, “Taxpayers shell out billions to prop up a inhumane, inefficient, and environmentally destructive industry.” In a healthier farm system the agriculture should work in harmony with the natural environment, and that is what Sustainable Table is all about. They created a great resource to help consumers buy good healthy sustainable food. It involves using the local farms, and eating the foods harvested close to your area, which avoids shipping and chemicals used for them to last longer. They do not harm the environment and treat animals as they should be treated.
As the consumer, we have to take the time to look at all the labels, and listen to the advertisements and media to ensure that the food that we are consuming is healthy. The laws are in place to ensure our safety, we should know what farms each manufacturer uses to ensure that those farms are treating the animals in a humane way and not having them live in piles of manure. Consumers have to entrust the employees of the food processing system that they follow all regulations, sanitary procedures and processes. If you do not feel that you are getting the quality of food that you want, you have to go more in depth and take action.
In the United States the food industry is regulated by the Food and Drug administration (FDA) and the Department of Agriculture (USDA). The FDA is a federal agency in the Department of Health and Human Services that was established to regulate the release of new foods. The USDA is also a federal department that administers programs that provide services to farmers. Both of these federal agencies help with the regulation of food production. How do these programs assure that the consumers are being protected?
To begin the FDA, compiled what is known as the Food Code. The purpose of the food code is to safeguard public health and provide consumers with food that is safe, unadulterated and honestly presented. Being that this code is in place, how does the government ensure that all farms and food processing plants are keeping with this code? The USDA has a Food Safely and Inspection service, also known as the FSIS. The FSIS is responsible for inspecting the meat, poultry, and processed egg products for safety, wholesomeness and proper labeling. Within this service inspectors are present in the slaughter plants for the majority of the day.
Along with the inspectors being present in the plants, there is a Meat Inspection System. Within this system there are three important acts: The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906, The 1967 Federal Meat Inspection Act and lastly the 1968 Wholesome Poultry Products Act. The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906 requires the USDA to inspect all cattle, sheep, swine, goats and horses brought to a plant to be slaughtered. The Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1967 and the Wholesome Poultry Products Act established a state-federal cooperative inspection program which requires state inspections programs to be “at least equal to” the federal programs. Twenty eight out of the fifty US States have their own meat and poultry inspection services. “State and local government food safety programs conduct more than 80% of food establishment inspections. There has never been a documented food illness from state inspected meat and poultry products.”
If all these laws and acts are in place, as the consumer how can we be sure these laws are in place? In the article Consumer and Food Safety: A Food Industry Perspective by S. Gardner, he makes very valid points. His points include, what the views of food industry are, how the standards are set, and how the consumer can be involved. Gardner states that the food industry takes a broad view of the term food control, with the factors being safety, nutrition, quality and value. When it comes to safety, nutrition, quality and value, the governments role is to provide uniform standards so that, “ consumers receive equal levels of protection, all food producers are treated equally through the process of the same levels of safety, and lastly the consumers are informed about the protections that are applied.” The way the consumers can be informed is by communication. Communication comes in several ways, such as labels, advertising, marketing, promotions and media. As the consumer you have to pay attention to all the communication. Be aware, and read: only you the consumer can protect yourself.
Inspecting and testing food factories are crucial processes in order to ensure the safety of our food. The objectives for inspections are to provide information for management to apply certain actions and to ensure that the decline of stored foods is kept to a minimum. Inspections include a detailed examination of all of the consignment of produced foods, stored commodities, handling and transport methods, the storage building, and the standards of storekeeping and pest control. This examination sometimes includes the taking of samples for analysis.
These examinations take place in these areas:
•Warehouse site
•Warehouse structure – external
•Warehouse structure – internal
•Standard of warehouse keeping and hygiene handling
•Stacking
•Commodities
•Pest control
•Safety and hygiene
•Food processing factories
Within these places of inspection they also check the hygiene of production, security and working conditions of the workers, and the hygiene of personnel. Not only do they do inspections in food factories, they do testing as well. These tests are done on our foods to check for insect and physical damage, moisture content, chemical changes, and the wetting of dried products. All of these tests have their own standards to meet.
The wetting of dried products leads to contamination, which may cause an insect infestation as the metabolism of insects raise the moisture content of the commodity. As you can tell these tests are extremely important to society’s health and wellness.
The food manufacturing industry has one of the highest incidences of injury and illness among all industries. Food manufacturing workers are highly affected by repetitive strain injuries in their hands, wrists, and elbows. They stand for long periods of time and may be required to lift heavy objects or use a dangerous machine. In 2007, rates of work-related injuries or illnesses for full-time food manufacturing employees were higher than the rates of all other manufacturers. In an attempt to reduce hazards, some plants have redesigned machines, increased job rotation, allowed longer or more frequent breaks, and designed training programs in safe work practices. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations ensure that there is a safer working environment. Some workers now wear protective hats, gloves, aprons, and boots. In many companies, uniforms and protective clothing are changed daily for sanitary reasons.
In 2008, the food manufacturing industry provided 1.5 million jobs. About 34% of all workers are employed in the animal slaughtering and processing, 19% work in bakeries and tortilla manufacturing, and 3% work on seafood preparation and packaging. There are many different jobs within the food industry. Such as:
•Slaughterers and meatpackers
•Meat, poultry, and fish cutters and trimmers
•Bakers
•Hand food decorators
•Candy molders and marzipan shapers
•Food batch makers
•Bottle packers and bottle fillers
•Mechanics (machinery, refrigerator, heat/air conditioning, farm equipment)
•Maintenance repairers
•Supervisors
•Graders and sorters
•Production inspectors
•Drivers/sales workers
•Freight, stock, and material movers
This list does not include all of the machine operators and employees that work within an office. For example, accounting, advertising, public relations, etc.
Most of these jobs listed require little formal education. A high school diploma is preferred, but not always required. Workers learn what to do and not do from other workers. It may not take long to learn how to use equipment, but it may take a few years to get it to run smoothly, efficiently, and safely. Some workers do participate in specialized training when it is provided for there job. Inspectors and quality control workers need specialized training and education. They are trained in food safety and usually need a certificate to be employed in the food industry.
Production workers in the food industry average $14.00 an hour compared to $18.08 an hour for all workers in a private industry in 2008. Weekly earnings were lower than average, at $567 compared to $608 for private industry. Weekly earnings ranged from $501 in animal slaughtering and processing plants to $813 in grain and oilseed milling plants. In 2008, 17% of workers belonged to a union. Food manufacturers play a vital role in our food processing system, but we must consider the farms where the origin of the food comes from.
First to know whether or not the consumers are being protected from the food industry begins with how we handle our agriculture system as a whole. With the population increase and need for more food supply, our nation has led to more industrialized farming where there are only a few major farms contributing to its production. However, their main goal is to maximize profit, and they are not necessarily concerned with the health of the people or if it threatens the animals or workers. Factory farming is where they raise as many animals as they can in a small space, which is more cost effective for mass production then to let the animals roam free. Then it’s the animals that suffer and live a cruel life if any since they are looked at as machines instead of living creatures. Most of them do not have any access to sunlight or fresh air, and many are unable to move due to the amount of space they are given in the cages.
A documentary, Food Inc., shows America how inhumanely the animals are being treated and the effects that puts into our food leading to many dangerous outcomes and becoming more prone to harmful bacteria. Within the film they provide Americans with insightful information about how much we really know about the food we buy in our supermarkets, and how we are changing the food industry. The food we are buying determines what they are going to sell and how much, and since we are purchasing these products it is almost like giving them the okay. However, many Americans are unaware of what happens to these animals and the conditions in which they live before they make it to the supermarket.
In November 2010, an undercover study of one of the largest egg producers in the United States ended up with a recall of over two hundred thousand eggs due to salmonella and many other problems that were found to be responsible for some previous recalls. Many of the animals were covered in blood and feces while there were others dead trapped underneath the cages with the other chickens that were unable to reach food or water. According to Sustainable table, “ a single hog excretes up to 17.5 pounds of manure and urine each day. Put 1,000 hogs together, and that’s six million pounds of waste each year. On a factory farm containing 35,000 hogs, over four million pounds of waste our produced each week, and over 200 million pounds each year.” From that they are exposed to high levels of toxins, and because of the unsanitary conditions they need to be injected with antibiotics.
They have the ability to produce large quantities of food for little money, but at what cost. The humane society’s Julie Falconer says, “Taxpayers shell out billions to prop up a inhumane, inefficient, and environmentally destructive industry.” In a healthier farm system the agriculture should work in harmony with the natural environment, and that is what Sustainable Table is all about. They created a great resource to help consumers buy good healthy sustainable food. It involves using the local farms, and eating the foods harvested close to your area, which avoids shipping and chemicals used for them to last longer. They do not harm the environment and treat animals as they should be treated.
As the consumer, we have to take the time to look at all the labels, and listen to the advertisements and media to ensure that the food that we are consuming is healthy. The laws are in place to ensure our safety, we should know what farms each manufacturer uses to ensure that those farms are treating the animals in a humane way and not having them live in piles of manure. Consumers have to entrust the employees of the food processing system that they follow all regulations, sanitary procedures and processes. If you do not feel that you are getting the quality of food that you want, you have to go more in depth and take action.