Category Archives: industrial

No Ethical Obligation to Label Pink Slime

Posted on April 7, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

So, unfortunately, we now all know what “pink slime” is. It’s the ‘lean finely textured beef‘ (LFTB) that is produced by mashing and sterilizing scraps of beef. It looks disgusting, and the production process is unappealing. But then the same … Continue reading →

Posted in animal welfare, choice, industrial, labeling, meat | Comments Off on No Ethical Obligation to Label Pink Slime

Who Wants Test-Tube Meat?

Posted on March 10, 2012 by Chris MacDonald

Sonja Puzic, for CTVNews.ca, asks: Would you eat meat grown in a test tube? When a Dutch scientist declared last month that he could have the world’s first lab-grown hamburger on the grill by October, the Internet was abuzz with … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, biotechnology, genetic modification, GMO, industrial, meat, science, synthetic meat, values | Comments Off on Who Wants Test-Tube Meat?

Is Smaller More Ethical, or Less?

Posted on June 19, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

The food world’s fascination with small-scale production of bespoke edibles shows no sign of waning. See, for example, this piece by Emma Sturgess, for The Guardian: From small seeds grow big ideas There are David and Goliath battles in all … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, factory farms, farmers, industrial, sustainability, values | Comments Off on Is Smaller More Ethical, or Less?

Would You Like Your Synthetic Meat GM or Non-GM?

Posted on January 30, 2011 by Chris MacDonald

This news story is not exactly news. We already know that synthetic meat is under development in various labs around the world. But it does raise a fresh issue or two. By Harriet McLeo, for Reuters: South Carolina scientist works … Continue reading →

Posted in animal welfare, biotechnology, ethics, genes, GMO, industrial, meat, natural, science, synthetic meat, values | 9 Comments

Children, Food, and Indoctrination

Posted on December 14, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

A few weeks back, this video of a precocious kid talking about the ethics of food made the rounds. I wasn’t sure what to say about it. I guess it’s finally time. I don’t like to pick on kids, but … Continue reading →

Posted in advertising, agriculture, children, consumerism, ethics, factory farms, farmers, genetic modification, health claims, industrial, kids, local, marketing, meat, organic, values | 4 Comments

In Praise of Industrialized Food

Posted on October 20, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Check out this piece, by Rachel Laudan, in the Utne Reader: In Praise of Fast Food. (It’s worth noting right up front that the title of the piece is misleading. It’s not a defense of fast food, in the McDonalds … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, factory farms, fast food, health, industrial, junk food, labour, natural, science, values | 2 Comments

Portable Food Factories

Posted on October 14, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Can the word “factory” ever be used in a food-related context in a way that doesn’t sound like a criticism? Can an chemical company ever produce something that could be welcomed by fans of local, organic agriculture? How about a … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ecosystems, factory farms, industrial, labour, organic, values | Comments Off on Portable Food Factories

A Better Factory Farm?

Posted on October 7, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

A few weeks ago, I asked When is a Factory Farm Not a Factory Farm? I suggested that the problem with some factory farms (including especially the ones that played a central role in the recent salmonella outbreak) is that, … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, ethics, factory farms, farmers, FDA, health, industrial, regulation, safety | 2 Comments

Health Foods, Junk Foods — All Processed

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Nestlé (the food manufacturing giant based in Switzerland) has just announced its plan to expand into the realm of health food. According to the NYT: Nestlé announced the creation of Nestlé Health Science as well as a research body, the … Continue reading →

Posted in health claims, industrial, junk food, nutrition, science | 3 Comments

When is a Factory Farm Not a Factory Farm?

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Chris MacDonald

Factory farms are often vilified, with varying degrees of justification. But sometimes, it seems to me, the problem with factory farms is that they’re just not enough like real factories. Let’s start with a report on the condition of one … Continue reading →

Posted in agriculture, ethics, farmers, health, industrial, safety | 2 Comments