Here here Charles! I agree - we are the perpetuators in an increasingly downward spiral of consumerism. Just because the multinationals know how to target us doesnt mean we have to fall for it!! Vote with your feet - eat real food! Even better - teach our kids to cook real food, none of this pre-packaged, chemical ridden convenience crap either!

Written in June 2008

Hi John.
I'm sure McD only did it because of consumer pressure, not because they suddenly went green.

My main points are this:
* We are not victims to these food corporations. We don't have to buy their crap. They don't hold a gun to our heads. Just grumbling and continuing to buy there is defeatist.
* When we do buy their stuff then we're endorsing their practices. We're saying: Here's $10, now give me that pile of rubbish. What's motivating them to change?

I very seldom eat take out. When I do I almost always buy stuff from smaller non-franchise vendors. I have not bought McD or KFC in 15 or more years. The food is... food, and packaging is far less too (a paper wrap).

Written in July 2008

Agreed John. They, and all other junk producers **should** be proactive, but they aren't until either legislation or customer pressure forces them.

The lead paint thing is a bit different. This is through legislation that existed before the massive influx of Chinese made toys. It is also very difficult for Joe Consumer to determine things like lead in toys, so tha is when legislation becomes far more important.

The problem with packaging is that it is far harder to legislate because where do you draw the line. Give a lawyer a nice floppy word like "excessive" and he'll find a loop hole big enough to drive a truck through it. However on the plus side, it is obvious to Joe Consumer that the KFC packaging is excessive. This takes no specialised equipment.

Written in July 2008

The food is cheap for a lot of these companies, because their costs are hidden in tax cuts and various forms of legal abuse and environmental damage for which they do not pay.

The best way to take these companies down is by attaching a real price to what they sell. Make them pay properly for the energy they use, the waste they dump, the feed they give their chickens (rather than subsidizing it). Make them pay their staff real wages, and enforce tight laws regarding 'disposable' packaging, and suddenly their product will not be looking as attractive to buyers any more.

In short, hit them where it hurts, and get their honest competitors who sell decent products behind the 'hitting'.

A good start would be checking them for food safety. I remember reading that 2 out of 3 chickens sold are contaminated with camphylobacter. Get a whole lot of testing done at the Colonel's, and that might slow them down a little too.

Just some thoughts.

In the end, though, with the economy slowing, I think fewer people will be eating out and buying trash food, and that will hit these companies hardest of all. People in my area are already putting veggie plots in. It's only a small step away for them to be keeping their own chickens. Healthier, more sustainable, and much more ethical to the animals.

Written in July 2008