Post #2, Chapter 9

Chapter 9 discussed a couple of different ideas and concepts that all come full circle to the fact that the government is doing anything they can to please the consumer. We want healthier foods, organic foods, low-fat foods, and all these other demands that we think will help to improve our lifestyles all at a low price. Just like they say, the customer is always right. By shopping at places like Whole Foods or Trader Joe's we feel better about the foods that we're consuming because of the labels they sport. But when you really look into what it is you're eating, whether it be organic or not, you can't always decipher the ingredients or the nutritional information. By disguising what's actually in the food, the FDA and the government can pretty much make us believe what we're eating is healthier than it actually is.

I really like the fact that Pollan felt it necessary to trace the foods back to where they originated, so that he could prove how much America processes food. Taking the time to actually learn where the things you eat originate and then following them through the food chain of America is a difficult process where you can learn things that you would have died happy without knowing. The conditions that most of our food goes through are unappetizing and could peak the eating disorders in America, were all Americans to be educated on the topic. This chapter, and this book make me wonder how it's possible today to truly eat healthy and not consume the chemicals and bacteria that's in our meals everyday.