Of late, I got to read two fascinating non-fiction books, which changed my ideology of the food and grocery industry from the roots up.
This book is mostly about the greediness and wickedness of the fast food industry and the impact of this food on our daily lives. This is a fascinating and informative book which not only criticizes fast food, the chemicals they use and the resulting health issues, but also gives us a clear picture of the exploitation of workers.
The author talks about the pitiable working conditions of the workers who make this industry function properly. The people working in the farms, packaging companies, slaughterhouses, etc, need to be given at least the minimum wages. The unsafe meat necessitates government intervention for testing and removal, which doesn't happen at all. Neither does the USDA or the meat companies do this. Corruption is always at an all time high and no one is able to regulate it at all. Even when a company is issued a fine, it would be a meager amount. As per the author, the FDA actually regulates only prescription drugs.
This book would probably make you gloomy, but if you would like to know what you're eating and how it came into existence, please try reading it. Maybe, it would raise awareness among common people and hence, reduce malpractices in this industry.
The book begins with Joe Coulombe, the original Trader Joe. He was a very disciplined and brilliant guy who started up a chain of convenience stores. However, when 7-elevens started popping up, he understood that there was going to be a price match and comparison for people. This is how Trader Joe came into existence. Still, this is one store that has a loyal customer base where even employees are gifted by customers during special occasions or holidays. This is the person who started the idea of store brands which didn't mean cheap and low quality things.
Aldi is a closely-alike-cousin of Trader Joe which mostly competes with respect to price. Any of these stores cannot exist without the help of trucking, and such truck drivers are probably the most underrated of humans who work around 70-80 hours a week. Then there are the entrepreneurs who want to get their products onto the shelves of the grocery stores, and who are turned down most of the time. There have been times when stores like Whole Foods had been struggling with costs and improving productivity, before Amazon bought them and improved their own profit margins. Yes, after this takeover, the efficiency did improve, but the people who actually created the store in the first place, moved on.
Now, about the quality of the products - do you really check if your item is organic, sustainably sourced, cage-free or the like? Totally senseless! In case of overseas products, the inspectors are mostly bribed or even otherwise, this entire process has lots of flaws. Finally, there are exploited workers who are more or less like slaves, working endlessly under really bad conditions.
The wondrous world is magical and extraordinary, but if you want to feel it, you must be brave enough to explore the unknowns and step out of your comfort zone!
Such an adorable and hilarious book exploring the silliness of classroom lineups!
Palindrome - yes, you will find them through the entire story. The title of the story is itself a palindrome! Wow! Such a poignant and emotional tale!