- Chris MacDonald is a Toronto-based ethicist, professor, speaker and consultant.
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Category Archives: labeling
No Ethical Obligation to Label Pink Slime
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
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Fast Food Beef: What Matters?
According to emoneydaily.com, McDonald’s is raising prices to reflect increases in the cost of beef: McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) Chief Financial Officer Pete Bensen said, “As commodity and other cost pressures become more pronounced as we move throughout the year, we will … Continue reading
Fairtrade Coffee Battle
The British papers are having it out over fairtrade coffee this week: Here’s the first volley, from Sean Poulter, writing for the Daily Mail: Unfair trade: Ethical food ‘is not lifting Third World farmers out of poverty’ Sales of its … Continue reading
Posted in certifiction, ethics, fairtrade, labeling
1 Comment
Food Eco Labels vs Legislation
When is choice good? Do labels do enough to help us make good choices? When is legislation required? Should legislation facilitate good decisions, or force them? See this story, by Harry Wallop, for the Daily Telegraph: Food eco labels not … Continue reading
Posted in certifiction, choice, environment, ethics, labeling, regulation, values
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“Yes Please” and “No Thanks” to Animal Welfare Labels
Some people want to know more about how their food is produced. On the other hand, some people really really don’t want to know more about how their food is produced. By William Neuman, writing for the NYT: New Way … Continue reading
Posted in agriculture, animal welfare, labeling, meat, values
2 Comments
Energy Drinks
Caffeine is popular. Most North American adults consume some every day, usually delivered via a hot beverage (coffee, espresso, cappuccino, tea, etc.). It’s very likely the world’s most widely-consumed drug. But it’s also entirely unregulated. Combine that fact with the … Continue reading
The Right to Know What I’m Eating
In the debate over the labelling (or non-labelling) of genetically-modified foods, one of the most common refrains is that consumers “have a right to know” what they’re eating. I’ve commented briefly on that here before. (See “Should Companies Label Genetically … Continue reading
Posted in consumerism, GMO, labeling, restaurants, safety, values, vegetarianism
35 Comments
Silk’s Non-Organic Soymilk
Here’s an interesting piece about the delicate matter of marketing products at the (apparently) fragile intersection of terms like “organic” and “natural” and “GM-free.” By Melanie Warner, for Bnet: How Silk Soymilk’s Cost-Cutting Dis of Organic Backfired Back in early … Continue reading
Posted in ethics, genetic modification, labeling, organic
7 Comments
GM Foods and PLU Codes
Can PLU (Price Look-Up) codes help concerned consumers avoid genetically-modified foods? No. The idea that a 5-digit PLU beginning with “8” is a reliable guide to the genetic characteristics of a piece of produce has spread around the internet like … Continue reading
Posted in biotechnology, certifiction, ethics, genetic modification, GMO, labeling, organic
19 Comments
Should Grandma Drink Bottled Water?
Here’s a thought about health warnings related to foods and food packaging. A few months ago my grandmother told me she had stopped drinking bottled water. Why? Because she had heard on the news that there are chemicals in plastic … Continue reading
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