Safe Food : Bacteria, Biotechnology, and Bioterrorism (California Studies in Food and Culture)

Rating:
Summary: An important and well-documented expose
Review: This is a well-written book by an author with experience in both the scientific and public affairs aspects of food quality and safety. Marion Nestle makes an effort to describe the complex scientific procedures associated with foodborne disease investigation, and the creation of bioengineered foodstuffs, reasonably clear to the layman / woman. Her message is simple and direct: as far as US government regulatory agencies, and the food industry itself, are concerned, food safety and wholesomeness is regarded as a secondary consideration to corporate profit. Her thesis is supported by a wide and varied list of references, including the scientific literature, print media, and quotes from participants involved in the struggle to make food safety one of the more urgent issues in contemporary public health. "Safe Food" covers such important topics as the outbreaks of E. coli caused by feces-contaminated ground beef; the ineptly regulated release of genetically engineered crops into farm systems and the spread of transgenes into native species; and the farcical (but ultimately tragic) mishandling of the "mad cow" epidemic by a British government blindly devoted to promotion of the beef industry. In each instance, Nestle documents how the food and agrochemical industries conspired to weaken federal oversight of food safety and quality by manipulating politicians and government officials, all in order to maximize profits.
The book is not perfect; some of the sections describing various scientific procedures may have benefited from the inclusion of explanatory diagrams, rather than somewhat belabored text descriptions. But overall, "Safe Food" is an important and timely book, and one well worth reading by anyone concerned about the quality of the food we eat.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: "Safe Food" is a terrific look at the issues involved in keeping our food supply uncontaminated. It is also a look behind the scenes at how our democracy really works, and it's not a pretty sight. Corporations choosing profits over public health, government representatives more often than not siding with industry rather than consumers, corruption, greed, and ineptitude are all part of this fascinating story. Highly recommended!

Rating:
Summary: more questions raised about the author's intentions
Review: I just heard Marion Nestle on the Mike McConnell raido show. All I could ask myself during the interview was, "What are her intentions in writing this book." All I could think of during the interview was she was another Rachel Carson writing her "Silent Spring".
My general impression was that she wrote this book to create fear in the food consumer, but never really offered any solutions except more government intrusion. She never presented, in the interview, the fault of the consumer in poor preparation practices or lack of control when eating out.
In Nestle's view its either "big" business' fault by being cheapskates or the government's failure by not legislating.
Yes I believe that there needs to be safeguards, but I also believe that regulations can become so excessive that it could become not profitable to produce food products. That is why there should be a certain amount of responsibility by the consumer (i.e. don't eat tuna fish that's been sitting out in the sun for a few hours).
In the interview of besides presenting herself as a prophet of doom, I also found her to be very condescending to people who challenged her opinions.
If you want to read her work, I can only recommend reading this with a very critical eye.

Rating:
Summary: Excellent
Review: I just heard Marion Nestle on the Mike McConnell raido show. All I could ask myself during the interview was, "What are her intentions in writing this book." All I could think of during the interview was she was another Rachel Carson writing her "Silent Spring".
My general impression was that she wrote this book to create fear in the food consumer, but never really offered any solutions except more government intrusion. She never presented, in the interview, the fault of the consumer in poor preparation practices or lack of control when eating out.
In Nestle's view its either "big" business' fault by being cheapskates or the government's failure by not legislating.
Yes I believe that there needs to be safeguards, but I also believe that regulations can become so excessive that it could become not profitable to produce food products. That is why there should be a certain amount of responsibility by the consumer (i.e. don't eat tuna fish that's been sitting out in the sun for a few hours).
In the interview of besides presenting herself as a prophet of doom, I also found her to be very condescending to people who challenged her opinions.
If you want to read her work, I can only recommend reading this with a very critical eye.