is capitalism responsible, for the degradation of food quality?

Question

should the goverment step in and stop large companys selling you crap!!!

Answer 1

Yes and no. There is crappy food available because people buy it. There is also very good food available...also because people buy it. Capitalism expands your choices, it doesn't restrict it.

If the government told you that you could no longer buy chocolate, jellybeans, pizza or soda, that would be interfering with the capitalistic process.

They could...none of those things are good for you, and there could be whole dissertations on the eased pressure on national health care if these health hazards were removed from society...but then, you remember that pesky little thing called Prohibition? The government interfered with the sale of alcohol, and all it did was create a whole new black market for the stuff. As a result, honest, law-abiding folk were restricted from purchasing alcohol, and those who did were criminals on the scale of drug runners.

Any time the government gets involved and starts making choices for you, YOU LOSE. It's just that simple. You have a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. All of those things happen when you are free to make your own choices. PLEASE don't turn that over to the government.

Answer 2

Any degradation in food quality under capitalism is due to people choosing bad food. In the end food companies will only make foods that are profitable ie the ones we all go out and buy.
The problem is likely to be that many people are uneducated about what the food they buy contains and its effects on health. Also so called crap food is alot cheaper to produce so many people buy such food to save money.
I dont beleive the goverment should ever infringe upon people free choice to buy what foods they want by stepping in and stopping large companies form selling such food. however it may be useful to introduce better labeling of what is in food and better education of the effects of such ingredients. Also there is a case to use taxation policies on food to encorage people to eat more healthy products.

Answer 3

actually the government is the cause. The food industry tries very hard to prevent illness. One great example is the invetion of irradiation on food. It is a safe and effective way to prevent illness, however hippies thought this must be bad and forced the govrnement to ban it. The facts according to the CDC (center for disease control) reveal that if we irradiate not even half our food, we can save hundreds of lives and prevent thousands of cases of food poisining each year. Way to go washington. Furthermore food quality is actually increasing, i have no idea why you would think it was getting worse. Maybe because you believe the media who takes any little thing that can make a story, therefore diarrehea gets on tv more often now. In reality companies, especially in the meat industry go to rediculus lengths to secure our food. Ever wonder why we dont have mad cow or hoof and mouth in the US. Its not just luck, its good business practices. You should look up what goes into biosecurity at any food operation, you would be surprised at well it is handled. Even though occasionally accidents do happen, they are certainly on the decrease.

Answer 4

I reject the premise that food quality is degraded. I think the perception that it is, is due mainly to the separation between source and consumer. The vast majority of U.S. citizens live in high population density cities. Their food is processed in mass and shipped to them, they assume anticeptically.

Their urban life style not only separates them from the food sources. But requires the mass production of food to sustain it.

I live in Rural Arkansas. Where most my age grew up where we slaughtered and processed animals for food in our back yards. I now work for food processing companies and I've been in all their plants. You do it your way, but I'd rather eat food produced at any of those plants than processed in my own backyard any day.

Perhaps you could free range chickens in your apartment. But you're going to need a lot of newspaper, and better put some plastic down before you start your processing operation. Good luck and bon apetit.

Answer 5

with capitalism, consumers are gifted with choice, and with choice, the consumers allocate their money according to their needs.

yes, competition and profit-seeking ventures possibly made corporations sell food that are inducing. therefore, consumers feel the "need" to buy more.

but it is also with competition and profit seeking that some companies focus on producing healthy foods, such as a bananas or vegetarian menus. with the introduction of healthy eating to counter junkfood, consumers are also interested in eating the right way.

if the government stops large companies from selling junkfood, an industry is lost, and jobs are greatly suffered.

therefore, you, my dear friend, are gifted with a matter of choice. that is the gift that capitalism entails.

Answer 6

Consumers should police themselves. If we didn't buy crappy food, the companies wouldn't sell it. There is no need for Government intervention.

Answer 7

If people don't buy bad food, then people won't sell it.

Answer 8

No, people who are willing to eat **** like KFC are responsible for it.