Have you ever thought about the food you eat? I mean, the saying does go “You are what you eat.” To be honest, I never put much thought into it. However, since COVID and my Mom’s cancer treatment, it seems I don’t trust many bureaucratic agencies anymore, especially the FDA.
Last semester, for AP Gov, I was trying to find a clip on The Jungle to introduce the term “bureaucracy” to my students. I came across a PBS documentary called The Poison Squad (which was taken from this book). A few days later, I decided to purchase the book. I read it on and off for the past few months but will say this…if you want to eat healthy, read this book!!!!!
Many students learn in school Upton Sinclair’s book The Jungle pushed for the creation of the FDA. From this book, though, I learned that this process actually started with a food chemist named Dr. Harvey Wiley. I am absolutely amazed at the YUCK that was once part of our food (like formaldehyde added to milk). It was fascinating (and sad) to read how food companies would take shortcuts in order to “save a dollar.” I am all for free markets and the right for businesses to make a profit but not lying about it and doing it knowing people are dying. Going back to The Jungle…I learned that Dr. Wiley was able to use this book to finally get to the people’s emotions about demanding food regulations. What is also interesting…European countries started banning all this fake mess way before we did for the same reason that Wiley was pushing for a clean food act.
As part of my AP Gov class, the students have to know the Iron Triangle – the connection between interest groups, Congress, and Bureaucracies. This book gave me so many ideas and examples of how the flow of money impacts policy. We all know it but this book gave me concrete examples to share with my students. And yes…it makes you hate politics all the more!
There is so much I can tell you about this book! I have not watched the documentary yet but feel you would get the same impact from it as you can from the book. I will say this definitely makes me want to minimize the preservatives I eat. All this debate about “red food dyes” and such isn’t new. It has just been allowed to exist and only through information technology are parents realizing the impact of the foods we eat.
Although added above, here is the link to access clips and articles on The Poison Squad through PBS. I challenge you all to look through this and start demanding the same food safety laws as our European neighbors.
Oh…and I’ll get this plug in just because I can…before taking any experimental drug (or any drug), don’t believe everything your doctor says ($$$) and do you own research. I’ll always believe Mom’s death was sped up through the drug Keytruda. Following her death, I did some research and realized the FDA approved the dose she was given NOT because of solid evidence in trials but because of COVID – double the dose and prolong time between treatments to keep people out of the offices (and yes, I found the document on the FDA’s website). There was literally ZERO studies of that dose benefiting someone with her specific cancer. Sadly, though, you trust that your doctor has done the research for you (don’t do that). I emailed Keytruda requesting the trial study and of course nothing. So, yea, although I am glad that we do have FDA and food regulations, no, I do not solely trust them because of the impact money has on their decisions.
