Final essay

TOPIC: In “Cogs in the Great Machine,” Eric Schlosser reports on the shift in the meatpacking industry toward a reliance on “the new industrial migrants,” noting that as meatpacking corporations reorganized they transformed what had been a “middle-class” profession into one that pays “poverty wages” or less (160). Discuss the impact of this system on the migrants themselves by focusing on one specific aspect of the problem, and then present your own solution.

"The New Industrial Migrants” written by Eric Schlosser (book “fast food nation” pg 160) , writer states that industrial owners hire immigrants to increase the growth profit of their business. The meatpacking jobs were usually given to the middle class American but now the jobs are mostly worked by none speaking immigrants. Writer further tells us about the beef plant Greeley and their majority immigrants workers. Arden Walker, the head of labor relation uses a technique where he hire new employee all the time. He states that since insurance are very high he tries to hire new employee because the insurance are not provided to the new employees. Further the company begins to recognize the lower wage immigrants.

Thirty years ago, meatpacking was one of the highest-paid industrial jobs in the United States, with one of the lowest turnover rates. Labor unions had slowly gained power in the industry, winning their members good benefits, decent working conditions, and a voice in the workplace. Meatpacking jobs were dangerous and unpleasant, but provided enough income for a solid, middle class life. There were sometimes waiting lists for these jobs. And then, starting in the early 1960s, a company called Iowa Beef Packers (IBP) began to revolutionize the industry, opening plants in rural areas far from union strongholds, recruiting immigrant workers from Mexico, introducing a new division of labor that eliminated the need for skilled butchers, and ruthlessly battling unions. By the late 1970s, meatpacking companies that wanted to compete with IBP had to adopt its business methods or go out of business. Wages in the meatpacking industry soon fell by as much as 50 percent. Today meatpacking is one of the nation's lowest paid industrial jobs, with one of the highest turnover rates. The typical plant now hires an entirely new workforce every year or so. There are no waiting lists at these slaughterhouses today. Staff shortages have become an industry wide problem, making the work even more dangerous. In a relatively brief period of time, the meatpacking industry also became highly centralized and concentrated, giving enormous power to a few large agribusiness firms.

In 1970, the top four meatpackers controlled just 21 percent of the beef market. Today the top four IBP, ConAgra, Excel and National Beef control about 85 percent of the market. While the meatpackers have grown more powerful, the unions have grown much weaker. Only half of IBP's workers belong to a union, allowing that company to set the industry standard for low wages and harsh working conditions. Given the industry's high turnover rates, it is a challenge for a union simply to remain in a meatpacking plant, since every year it must gain the allegiance of a whole new set of workers. In some American slaughterhouses, more than three-quarters of the workers are not native English speakers; many can't read any language, and many are illegal immigrants.

 Many of the poor workers are driven from places to places to work for low amount of money. Most of the ads that are put up for jobs in the US are broadcast in Mexico because the low cost of labor workers. The immigrants are not given health insurance, or vacations instead the worker with no money were put at a homeless shelter Works that are given to the middle class Americans are now given to poor immigrants. The reason for many owners to hire immigrants is because the immigrants get paid low for many hours of work and also because they health insurance are not given to them. Many of the owners tricks immigrant’s workers and sent to homeless shelter. Many illegal immigrants are brought to US to work for a very low amount of money. This job makes immigrants not have choice but to work because of the poverty. The owner of the companies uses their techniques into paying as lower as possible to their workers. An owner like Arden walker has a time limit for each worker than he can hire new workers so he doesn’t have to pay employee insurances.

The roughly estimated number of undocumented workers in the meatpacking industry ranges from 20%-50%. The increase of immigrant workers has occurred alongside structural changes in meatpacking industry. Many of the immigrant workers are from Latin American countries, while others are from Africa too. Permanent residency status, also known as having a green card, is allocated on the basis of quotas for each country of origin. The current yearly quota for Mexico is 20,000, while an estimated 202,000 undocumented immigrants came to the US every year between 1987 and 1996.Another option could be temporary work permit programs (H2) these work permits are designated for unskilled labor when no American workers can be found. There are two types of permits:H2-A: for temporary or seasonal agricultural labor (uncapped)H2-B: for temporary, seasonal, intermittent or peak non-agricultural labor, ideally for workers in grinding season (off-field work), and capped as 66,000 per year and more than 100,000 petition for those slots. Employers may also apply for a temporary labor certification, but mostly it is applied to skilled and professional workers. It is hard for low-skilled immigrant workers (especially from Mexico) to work legally under current US law for any purpose other than agricultural labor. While several programs have been proposed, none of them have passed Congress or become effective.

In 2004 US administration started guest worker program (similar to the Bracero program of the 1940s - 1960s). Under this proposal, foreign workers, including the estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants currently in the US, could have applied for a permit to work for three years, but they would never have become eligible for legal permanent status or citizenship through this program. According to history the Bracero program took place between 1942 and 1964, some 4.6 million Mexicans were admitted to US to do farm work, many Mexicans returned year after year, but 1 to 2 million gained legal U.S. work experience. The Bracero program was small during the war years. Admissions peaked at 62,000 in 1944, meaning that less than 2 percent of the 4 million U.S. hired workers were Braceros.The U.S. Department of Labor relaxed regulations on Bracero housing, wages, and food charges in the mid 1950s, more farmers hired legal Braceros; admissions peaked at 445,200 in 1956. However, Braceros admissions began to fall in the early 1960s, when President Kennedy ordered the Department of Labor to enforce Bracero regulations. The November 1960 CBS documentary “Harvest of Shame” convinced Kennedy that Braceros were “adversely affecting the wages, working conditions, and employment opportunities of our own agricultural workers.” Farmers fought to preserve the program in Congress, but lost, and the Bracero program ended December 31, 1964.

In 2005 temporary visa program for low-skilled workers H5A visa program came to act by US administration. Some undocumented immigrants could have applied for legal permanent residents, after working for 6 years and paying taxes and fines. The 2006 Comprehensive Immigrant Reform Act (Senate Bill 2611) this bill proposed a three year temporary visa program with a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants currently in the US. It also included aggressive border enforcement measures, because if S.B. 2611 becomes law, Americans become victims of their own lawless country. They become victims of adding 100 million people to US. So after 30 hour of period debate the bill failed to pass conference committee.

US government rather then passing bills in congress to resolve the immigrant situation to be legalized is also doing raids in meat packing companies. These raids are being done to lessen illegal immigrants especially from meat packaging plants. Majority workers in these companies are illegal and this situation is growing on a large scale. Recently(October 7^th 2010), fifteen people were arrested after Maricopa County sheriff's deputies served a search warrant at a Phoenix meat packing business with employees suspected of using stolen identities. The company owner says” I lost one third of my working staff" but this raid raises the issue of crime being done by illegal immigrants also. A lot of illegal immigrants in US are related to crime also and they can not be traced due to any documentation. Crime, poverty, drug abuse, and homelessness have lately taken root in towns due to illegal immigration also.

           

Plenty of precautionary steps are taken about these situations but nothings promising. Immigrant problem can’t be resolved in a fast pace that’s for a fact. In my review it’s a monopoly state is playing to do the “dirtiest job” through lowest paid labor. Reasoning  is simple we the USA is a first world country and there is nothing possible we cant do, so if our state government really wants no immigrants taking over jobs it is possible, why with the pending bills and policies why no success? And plus plenty of Americans wont do what the immigrants are doing, therefore If I understand this little knowledge states knows this long ago, and that could be reasoning immigrant worker not being abolished, but it is possible.

            To end illegal immigration government must act strict laws for the companies who are hiring illegal immigrants. All the factories should go through regular inspection and if any illegal immigrants are found working the owner should be responsible with high penalties and should be fined. Deport immigrants who are found not documented. Extend the Border Patrol canine program and highway checkpoint system Increase personnel in Inspections, Intelligence, Border Patrol, and Detention and Deportation. Improve vehicle fleets of the Border Patrol, Investigations, and Detention and Deportation. Introduce new, up-to-date technology in Inspections, the Border Patrol, and Investigations, so less people could cross the borders.

Schlosser, By Eric. "The Chain Never Stops | Mother Jones." Mother Jones | Smart, Fearless Journalism. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://motherjones.com/politics/2001/07/chain-never-stops>.

"Immigrants in Meatpacking | Midwest Coalition for Human Rights." Midwest Human Rights News | Midwest Coalition for Human Rights. Web. 03 Dec. 2010. <http://www.midwesthumanrights.org/immigrants-meatpacking>.

Martin, By Philip. "The Bracero Program: Was It a Failure?" History News Network. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://hnn.us/articles/27336.html>.

"Frosty Wooldridge -- Repercussions of Senate Bill 2611." NewsWithViews.com -- Where Reality Shatters Illusion. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.newswithviews.com/Wooldridge/frosty211.htm>.

"15 Arrested during Raid of Phoenix Meat-packing Business." Arizona Local News - Phoenix Arizona News - Phoenix Breaking News - Azcentral.com. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.azcentral.com/12news/news/articles/2010/10/12/20101012phoenix-sheriff-immigration-raid-abrk.html>.

"FAIR: How to Stop Illegal Immigration." FAIR: Federation for American Immigration Reform. Web. 08 Dec. 2010. <http://www.fairus.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=16669&security=1601&news_iv_ctrl=1007>.

"RESEARCH PAPER"

Fast food advertisements do impact or lives. There are studies over it and it’s a fact "what we are seeing is what we are eating" and we can not lie about it. From breakfast to dinner majority people do depend on fast food. How we know what’s available for breakfast, lunch or dinner? If it wouldn't be the advertisement how would we know?

"GOOD MORNING WE ARE OPEN FOR BUSINESS"

                            

"GET A BIG BURGER FOR LUNCH"

"DON`T SLEEP YET DINNER IS JUST SERVED"

Traditional way of eating home cooking food is not on the menu of our everyday lives anymore, and the above picture is clear example why we don’t need to. These advertisements presented on the big billboards, gives invitation to all in such an irresistible way that we hardly could resist. Two thirds of food ads during popular children television programs promote junk food.

Schor, By. "From Tastes Great to Cool: Children's Food Marketing and the Rise of the Symbolic - Health News - RedOrbit." RedOrbit – Science, Space, Technology, Health News and Information. Web. 22 Nov. 2010. <http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/952736/from_tastes_great_to_cool_childrens_food_marketing_and_the/index.html>. 

           Margaret Gamble and Nancy Cotugna's 1996 content analysis of Saturday morning cartoons by found that 63% of the 353 advertisements in this time slot were for food products. Among these commercials, cereal ads comprised 40% of the total, with the proportion in the high sugar category increasing from 23 to 34.5% between 1991 and 1996. The authors reported that among nearly 1,400 food ads studied between 1972 and 1996, there were no commercials advertising fruits and vegetables with the exception of a few Public Service Announcements.22 (The lack of fruit and vegetable advertising is due to the fact that almost none, with the prominent exception of Chiquita Bananas, are branded.)

            Children are also heavily exposed to food ads during prime time viewing hours. A 1998 content analysis during the top-ranked prime- time shows for children aged two to eleven found that 23% of the commercials were for food, and 40% of those were for fast-food restaurants.23 Excluding fast-foods, 41% of the advertised foods were in the fats, oils and sweets category of the United States Department of Agriculture's food pyramid. A similar percentage fell into the grains category, and nearly half of those had either a high fat or sugar content.24 Preliminary content analysis done by the authors in the summer of 2006 have found that 44.4 % of ads on children networks during weekend mornings and the after-school block are for foods.25 Notably, even as the range of products advertised directly to children rises, food remains by far the dominant category.

            Food marketing to children has moved beyond the television set, however. Packaging has become a form of advertisement, as companies innovate by putting food into "cool" new containers or adding licensed characters, games, and ads for other branded foods. Another marketing strategy is product placement, in which food companies pay producers of music videos, radio, books, comic strips, songs, plays, and movies to place the product in the setting.26 This strategy is thought to have begun in 1982 when sales of Hershey's Reese's Pieces Candy rose 65% in the month following the release of the movie E.T., The Extra Terrestrial, where the product had a prominent placement.27 The effectiveness of product placement is thought to be on account of its ability to avoid seeming like a sales pitch, as well as its association with highly valued celebrities. Product placements also cannot be zapped out, unlike 30-second spots. 

    

            Above pictures might be delicious looking and eye catching too, the way they made those sandwiches they do look nice, but what’s is in it? Yes, we can read meat, crab, and steak but did they mention anything about "processed meat item" or "1500 to 3000 calorie range”. They didn't because that is the whole purpose just to sell for business. So, in other words advertisements are also now responsible for public health. Just by looking at those ads we do eat stuffs which aren’t totally healthy.

http://www.kff.org/entmedia/upload/7618.pdf

    This statistic pic is from Kaiser family foundation.kaiser foundation deals with health policy and communications, the Kaiser Family Foundation is a non-profit, private operating foundation focusing on the major health care issues facing the U.S., as well as the U.S. role in global health policy.

     According to Kaiser family foundation young children cannot distinguish between programming content and advertisement while another study shows that children’s choice of food is impacted by the ads they saw.  In another word exposure of fast food affects children’s dietary intake. Children’s today are exposed to fast food at all places.  Fast food advertisement covers every aspect of a children’s life and therefore fast food advertisement should be banned or there had to be limitations to it.

 

WHAT KIDS EAT

Schlosser, Eric. "(9)what`s in the Meat." Fast Food Nation. 218-221 print.
USDA is responsible for the distribution of meat products to school cafeterias throughout the United States. The National School Lunch program`s meat suppliers are chosen by USDA. USDA made their decision based on lowest price. These meats are always questionable why it is so cheap. Answer is quite simple the meat contains pieces of spinal cord, bone and left over’s those are stuck on the meat recovery system in the factories. Throughout the time USDA, switch their suppliers from one to another. Some known suppliers as listed:
(i) The Cattle King Packing Company.
(ii) The Bauer Meat Company.
(iii) Northern States Beef (A Subsidiary of ConAgra).
(iv) Supreme Beef Processors.
All these suppliers have the background violation of contaminations of meat with pathogens, E. coli, Salmonella. In the late 1983 cattle king`s packing was infested with rats, cockroaches and it was found that they were also packing meats of animals which came dead to the factory. Even USDA once declared in 1998 against Bauer meat products “unfit for human consumption” and 6 million pounds of meat were detained. On 1999 supreme beef processor who supplies 45 percent of meat products to the school, their 47 percent meat infected with salmonella. The main point is USDA knowing the consequence what might the outcomes going to come approves these distributions. Inspections are needed to be done prior time not after the products on market. Risking the life and health of people and doing the recalls later do not make any sense.

RESPONSE 3 "MY PROJECT BENEFIT OF GM FOODS"

My project is about the benefits of genetically modified foods (GM). I would like to start this by keeping in mind, Earth population is growing day by day, its not lessening, and the food chain cycle has its own specific time of growing back. Soon this specific time era won’t be enough to feed all the human kind, so its must to find a solution about it and the solution is genetically engineered food. To prove my fact of its help I would give an example of china because China has 20% of the world's population

China largest Gm producer:

China is considered a potential market for GM food for several reasons. First, China currently has almost 1.3 billion people and is likely to exceed 1.4 billion by 2050 (Population Reference Bureau, 2002). China recognizes that if it is going to continue to feed its people, it must find more efficient agricultural production methods. To this end, China is spending close to $120 million each year on biotech research and growing rice, potatoes, cotton, wheat and many others fruits and vegetables. In fact, China is the fourth largest producer of GM crops in the world after the US, Canada, and Argentina, and has approved more than a dozen genetically modified crops for development

Some food plants genetically engineered:

Apples that resist insect attack, Bananas free of viruses and worm parasites, Coffee with lower caffeine content, Cabbage that resists caterpillar attacks, Melons that have a longer shelf life, Sunflowers that produce oil with lower saturated fat

      GM crops claims many advantages :

      Improved storage and nutritional quality, Pest and disease resistance, Selective herbicide tolerance, Tolerance of water, temperature and saline extremes, improved animal welfare, higher yields and quality.

Solution to some problems:  

A recent report from the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that nearly 14 million people, including 2.3 million children under the age of 5, are at risk of starvation. Without effective action the WHO says at least 300,000 could die from hunger and disease in the next six months. As we know due to Africa’s climatic condition crops have least chance of survival if not properly taken care of, therefore genetically modified crops can be a solution of quick reproduction in less time effort and providing the food need of the country. Not only has that Africa suffered 500,000 blindness each year due to vitamin A deficiency and 70% amongst them are children dying in young age .GM food such as “golden rice “is enriched with vitamin A which can be a good help in decreasing the blindness ratio. In our regular life people do have food allergies too so if foods that are modified can proven as help it can’t be said it’s totally bad. Even natures natural got it effects also. Example of milk is the best of daily use not all people can drink milk so it’s modified to lactose free now which is considered a benefit of GM food. In the end I would like to say that it depends how we think about it, but if GM food can do some benefit to mankind and there are some solution through it we should accept them nor being ignorant whether its temporary solution or not.

Problem-Posing Assignment"The decade of the child consumer"

"The decade of the child consumer" selling food to the youth in other words "Cradle to Grave" advertising strategy amongst the children was a good way of marketing  MacDonald by Ray Kroc. This strategy proved to be profitable for the company, and making mankind to fall for "Brand Loyalty." But on the consequence what humanity is suffering is now is worse death rate before age, high ratio of obesity are the least things to begin with. The idea to make profit for your own sake to others loss it's ethically wrong to begin with. It's not wise to play with weak minds and that's what this fast food chain started with. They planted a seed in kids mind, which weren't even develop. These marketing strategies are needed to be changed. Rather then deception they should be clear with everything. They should not only show calorie board on the store but on the television advertisement too, rather then showing all "natural" it has to be stated clear"processed", because no food served is natural anymore it's been going through different process of mixing with chemicals. Hope so little steps like these would create alertness in making difference for upcoming generation.

Descriptive writing #2

I opened the store on Sunday 11 am  and i didn't had the time to do  break fast (FYI i am manager in Pizza Hut). On my way to work my stomach was making weird sounds, i was thinking going to Macdonald but then they their breakfast hours are till 11 am and i would be late so i didn't take my chances. I don`t know for some reason i was craving for Angus Deluxe.That burger is mouth watering,the thick black angus meat pattie with combination of mayo, ketchup ,pickle,onion, lettuce all together inside the soft sesame bun is delicious. The whole time while working i also thought just to make a pizza and get over my hunger but that didn't happen due to football games it was so busy, didn't got the time to eat, plus thensmell of wings street oil and grease and the smell os pizzas killed my appetite  My shift finally ended at 6 pm and i was going back home suddenly my sister called for coffee from Macdonald"half and half" thats what she request....so i went to Macdonald but didn't had the intention of eating anything, but there it was on the big menu displayed Angus Deluxe and wasting no time more when the cashier said "next, how may i help you?"  my answer was simple "medium coffee half and half and an Angus Deluxe please to go." And while walking home i couldn't wait no more so i took my burger out and on the first bite it came to my mind Macdonald's motto "i am loving it" but in my case "i was missing it" ;)

descriptive writing :) "I am Loving it". ;)

I opened the store on Sunday 11 am  and i didn't had the time to do  break fast (FYI i am manager in Pizza Hut). On my way to work i was thinking going to Macdonald but then they their breakfast hours are till 11 am and i would be late so i didn't take my chances. I don`t know for some reason i was craving for Angus Deluxe. The whole time while working i also thought just to make a pizza and get over my hunger but that didn't happen due to football games it was so busy, didn't got the time to eat. My shift finally ended at 6 pm and i was going back home suddenly my sister called for coffee from Macdonald"half and half" thats what she request....so i went to Macdonald but didn't had the intention of eating anything, but there it was on the big menu displayed Angus Deluxe and wasting no time more when the cashier said "next, how may i help you?"  my answer was simple "medium coffee half and half and an Angus Deluxe please to go." And while walking home i couldn't wait no more so i took my burger out and on the first bite it came to my mind Macdonald's motto "i am loving it" but in my case "i was missing it" ;)

Biphenol -A or BPA

Works Cited
"Bisphenol A (BPA)." U S Food and Drug Administration Home Page. Web. 20 Sept. 2010. <http://www.fda.gov/newsevents/publichealthfocus/ucm064437.htm>.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is an industrial chemical that has been present in many hard plastic bottles and metal-based food and beverage cans since the 1960s.
Studies employing standardized toxicity tests have thus far supported the safety of current low levels of human exposure to BPA.  However, on the basis of results from recent studies using novel approaches to test for subtle effects, both the National Toxicology Program at the National Institutes of Health and FDA have some concern about the potential effects of BPA on the brain, behavior, and prostate gland in fetuses, infants, and young children.  In cooperation with the National Toxicology Program, FDA’s National Center for Toxicological Research is carrying out in-depth studies to answer key questions and clarify uncertainties about the risks of BPA.
In the interim:
    •    FDA is taking reasonable steps to reduce human exposure to BPA in the food supply.  These steps include:
    ◦    supporting the industry’s actions to stop producing BPA-containing baby bottles and infant feeding cups for the U.S. market;
    ◦    facilitating the development of alternatives to BPA for the linings of infant formula cans; and
    ◦    supporting efforts to replace BPA or minimize BPA levels in other food can linings.
    •    FDA is supporting a shift to a more robust regulatory framework for oversight of BPA.
    •    FDA is seeking further public comment and external input on the science surrounding BPA.
FDA is also supporting recommendations from the Department of Health and Human Services for infant feeding and food preparation to reduce exposure to BPA.
FDA is not recommending that families change the use of infant formula or foods, as the benefit of a stable source of good nutrition outweighs the potential risk from BPA exposure.

Welcome to My Blog

Hello Everyone,

                          My name is Shahbaz Khan and welcome to my blog. I am a student in Laguardia Community College and the purpose of creating this blog is due to my course "The Ethics of Food."

I live by my own and i don`t know how to cook properly, but i do know how to make egg, noodles and a bit of recipe i learned, but not a very  good cook ;) still good enough for me.

    

As i don`t cook that much at home i usually eat outside, but in my freezer you will always find egg, gallon of milk, bread, butter, mayo and of course jam :D. I mostly buy noodles,canned food and fruits depending on my mood. I love to eat and i don`t have trouble eating anything BUT staying in the limit of my religion, as i am a Muslim :).

             Since my childhood i love eating pizza and luckily i am working for pizza hut, and now i make my own way of pizza for me ;) . My specialty pizza for my family only is "tuna fish pizza" and my so named"ultimate egg pizza". I am working as a manager, so i know quite some information about the ingredient of food or  the source the food is coming from, which is a big help if anyone interested in knowing about it. 

                       

    Rather then  pizza i do love to  eat indian curry food as i am from Pakistan, spicy food attracts me alot.