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May 12, 2006 |
Contact: John Barnes |
Fast Food Nannies
Seattle - Eric Schlosser's latest book, Chew on This: Everything You Don't Want to Know about Fast Food, puts a new twist on efforts to demonize the food industry and the free market system that makes quality, abundance and low prices possible for consumers. This time, Schlosser is targeting a new audience - American school children.
Schlosser's view that for-profit food businesses manipulate their customers is not supported by the real-world experiences of ordinary people. "Schlosser has an insulting and arrogant view of Americans,"¯ said Paul Guppy, Vice President for Research at the non-profit Washington Policy Center, "He sees us as witless dupes shamelessly exploited by cold-hearted corporate bosses."¯
Actually, Americans are among the savviest and most demanding customers in the world. Americans insist on high quality and reasonable prices, otherwise we take our business elsewhere. Contrary to Schlosserā€™s view, Americans are smart enough to make good buying decisions for themselves.
The large food retailers that Schlosser so viciously attacks use their high standard of service to the consumer to demand safe, quality meat and poultry products from their suppliers. Agricultural markets have responded and, though hard work and innovation, farmers and processors have made our nation's food supply safer and more affordable today than at any point in history.
Washington Policy Center believes that decisions about nutrition and exercise are best left to individuals and families. Parents - not government regulators, lawyers or self-appointed advocates - should determine what food choices are best for their children.
"Sound policy decisions require an informed public debate based on facts and evidence, rather than misleading anecdotes and unfounded fears,"¯ Guppy said, "Schlosser's book fails to provide citizens with the type of balanced and intellectually honest discussion that students, parents and teachers deserve."¯