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Last spring, there was an outbreak of avian influenza that devastated poultry populations in 15 states, killing over 40 million birds. This affected the price of both chicken and eggs to consumers.
More recently is the ongoing E. coli outbreak affecting people who dined at Chipotle restaurants.
There’s a campaign going on to market foods as “natural,” “non-GMO,” and “antibiotic-free.” We’ve been told that these are somehow more nutritious and healthier. They are not. Such misleading advertising serves only to part consumers with more of their hard-earned money.
It’s almost impossible to feed healthy and safe food to 320 million Americans without adequate safety measures. This includes that vegetables come from trusted sources and are processed in clean environments under consistent and proven methods to ensure their cleanliness and that livestock is kept healthy and slaughtered under sanitary conditions.
Chipotle’s emphasis on local and regional sourcing — i.e. “natural” ingredients — rather than relying on a corporate centralized procedure for growers that ensures all food meets the same safety standard may be behind the company’s current woes.
. . . .
Be an educated consumer — “caveat emptor” (let the buyer beware). You may want to think again the next time you fork over your hard-earned money for what is nothing more than slick advertising.
Read full, original post: View from the Grassroots – Jan. 10, 2016: Natural may be synonymous with Caveat emptor
