Strangechord

Over the past two years or so, I’ve given more thought to what food I buy and eat than ever before. The more I’ve learned about food corporations, genetically modified ingredients and all the chemicals and additives that are in most store-bought products, the more I’ve gone out of my way to alter my food consumption.

For example, three years ago found me grocery shopping at Fred Meyer’s, buying all conventional produce and even regularly buying stuff like Diet Lemon Coke, Cool Whip, Progresso soups, and Pria bars - stuff I cannot even imagine spending a penny on now. It’s not that I purchased a lot of “junk food” or anything, I just bought what is commonly considered “normal” groceries.

Then as my awareness grew and I became more outraged at corporate practices, environmental devestation and consumer culture, whoa! did my spending habits change. I’ve become really conscious about what I’ll give my money to, and food is a part of that. Jeremy and I now shop mainly at People’s Food Co-op where we are members and can buy local and organic produce (barely more expensive than Fred Meyer’s fruit and veggie - believe me), I eat less packaged food, grow a garden in the summer, and I read up in order to avoid buying the products of gigantic food/agro corporations. I’m not claiming perfection here by any stretch - especially when eating out, it’s been hard for me to hold to the same standards as grocery shopping. Although I don’t eat out that often and I avoid fast food like the plague, I do know most restaurants at which I eat are non-organic.

Anyway, here’s the dilemma:

Those like myself who are trying to be responsible food consumers have fewer and fewer shelf products to turn to. Via my friend Harmony comes a link, Recent Mergers in the Food Industry, listing who owns which healthy food brands. I warn you, it’s really depressing reading. Almost all of the favorite brands of food progressives and vegetarians are owned by some of the biggest and baddest corporations. Here are some examples of products I’ve been known to buy in the past few years and who owns the brand:

• Cascadian Farms (cereal) and Muir Glen (pasta sauce) is owned by General Mills
  
• Odwalla Juice (SuperFood) is owned by Coca-Cola
  
• Morningstar Farms (veggie links) and Kashi (cereal) are owned by Kellogg’s
  
• Lightlife (vegetarian sandwich slices) is owned by ConAgra
  
• Boca Burgers and Balance bars are owned by Kraft Foods, which is owned by Philip Morris
  
• Ben & Jerry’s (ice cream) is owned by Unilever
  
• Silk Soy Drink (coffee creamer) is owned by White Wave, which is owned by Dean Foods

…and the list goes on. Oh, it hurts! If you’re wondering, go to the Mergers page to read more and find links that explain why companies like Kellogg’s and Unilever are so frightening.

As all of these small, health(ier) food companies get swallowed up by the giants, it puts people like myself in an incredible bind. Because of my busy lifestyle, I don’t feel as if I can eat 100% all produce and local bulk foods, but I also am really upset that there are increasingly fewer pre-packaged items I can buy with conscience intact. It’s not an option for me to just give up and not care anymore either.

The whole thing occurs to me as indicative of a larger problem: the larger and more powerful multi-national corporations grow, the harder it is to “escape” from supporting them; the less choice we really have. We see it happening to us with the conglomeration of media companies, the healthcare industry, etc. We can go around saying and acting on, “You can make a difference for a better world via your wallet,” but what happens when you’re left with little choice? It is truly scary, the idea that the ConAgras and Coca-Colas of the world are forcing a situation where we almost have to give them our money.