Food politics is a topic I’m really interested in and will talk a lot about here on the blog. It’s an important topic to think about because it affects everyone’s lives — it involves how the food you eat is regulated, labeled, marketed and monitored.
The American diet, the obesity epidemic, food safety and the so-called “Western diseases” are topics that are discussed almost regularly in most major media outlets nowadays. The intersection of food corporations (“Big Food”), our government and it’s regulatory agencies have a direct effect on American public health. This is why food politics is so important.
My Blogroll will connect you to my favorite places to read about food politics.
Also, here are some food politics book recommendations:
Food Politics by Marion Nestle. This book really sparked my interest in food politics. Dr. Nestle is the “go-to” person on the subject, and the work she has done is so incredibly important.
Safe Food by Marion Nestle. This is a great read if you are at all interested in how the food you eat is regulated.
Appetite for Profit by Michele Simon. This book describes the intersection between the United States’ public health crisis caused by a poor diet and the major food corporations’ advertising campaigns that contribute to it.
In Defense of Food by Michael Pollan. If you’re interested in learning about what “real” food is, read this. Pollan discusses how processed and packaged foods have become the dominant type of food eaten in America. I base my diet around Pollan’s mantra “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.”
The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan. This book preceded In Defense of Food, and follows Pollan’s journey up and down the food chain for four different meals. This book is incredibly interesting, and if you eat, you should read this!
Science and Social Context by Lisa Nicole Mills. Mills discusses how the approval of recombinant bovine growth hormone in the U.S., and it’s rejection in Canada, can be interpreted in a science and social context. This book has helped me immensely with my thesis!
