Michael Takes a Pledge

A few weeks back I finally got around to watching the much talked about film Food, Inc. and though it didn’t really give me much information that I wasn’t already acutely aware of (I have been a food activist for most of my life), it was presented in a very realistic and easy to comprehend way that I strongly recommend to everyone.

In the weeks since I have been talking about overcoming our addiction to convenience foods here on Gone Frugal but I didn’t go into much detail about why I took on that particular challenge.  It was that film’s discussion of fast food industry beef practices that reminded me just how horribly wrong our country’s food industry has gone.  Let me give you an example taken from the website of fast food giant McDonald’s:

source: www.mcdonalds.com

You read that right, folks.  Ammonia is routinely used to wash burger beef so that it is safe from E. coli 0157 and antibiotic-resistant salmonella.  The same stuff that is in your window cleaner is in your fast food burger.

I’m not the preachy type and I don’t use Gone Frugal as a political platform of any sort but I want readers to understand that I am making a personal pledge to stop giving my money to fast food restaurants once and for all.  Their cheap burgers made from poor quality beef leftovers washed in chemicals are no longer on my dietary approved list.

This is a major reason for my decision to help people come up with homemade alternatives to their favorite convenience foods, not just because of the financial benefits of eating at home. but also because I am concerned for our health as a society and I want to do what I can to contribute to a healthier way of life for all of us.

Additional Info:
NY Times, “Safety of Beef Processing Method Is Questioned"
by Michael Moss, published December 30, 2009

Food Inc. movie trailer: