In 1906 Upton Sinclair published his muckraking best-selling The Jungle that exposed the dark underbelly of the meatpacking industry, shocking the nation and compelling politicians to investigate and reform the industry. Although Sinclair strove for a broader socialist agenda, the public picked up on more basic horror exposed in the novel—they didn't want to eat rats, feces, or human body parts in their food! The public outcry sparked Congress to pass the Meat Inspection and Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 that paved the way for establishing the Food and Drug Administration in 1930.

It was only a matter of time before the food industry regrouped and found ways to circumvent the FDA for profiteering at the expense of public health. Once again it's time for radical reform. Better would be a complete change of lifestyle, especially in the U.S. with its gross appetite for processed foods and dependence on fast foods that has led to epidemic proportions of obesity and diabetes.

People just don't read as much as the old days, so here's hoping that Food, Inc. achieves its goal and inspires viewers to speak with their wallets and actions to convince the industry to radically change. Based largely on co-producer Eric Schlosser's Fast Food Nation and Michael Pollan's In Defense of Food, director/producer Robert Kenner's film took over six years to bring to the screen. Hard hitting and straightforward, Kenner eschews Michael Moore's humorous juxtapositions, satire, and provocative theatrics to deliver a fact filled expose that demonstrates how our basic health is now in danger. The food we buy at the supermarket or pick up from the take out window literally can kill us!

Imagine the hamburger that has become a staple of the American diet covered with feces, and you get a picture of something that is quite possible. Ever since McDonalds changed the landscape, the beef industry has shrunk to primarily four mega-suppliers that don't care that its cattle come to slaughter knee deep in manure since they can treat the processed meat with ammonia to get past the FDA.

Similarly, imagine the plight of the typical small chick that Tyson associates deal with. After being stamped and sorted on long conveyor belts, they have only six weeks to live. Sheltered in dark cave-like chicken houses (to keep them calm and lazy), they are feed chemically enhanced feed to fatten them so fast that their scrawny legs can't even support their weight; not a concern to the company since their only value are the resulting larger breasts.

Most small time farmers have had to give in to the corporate giants. Current economics and legal attacks have made it so. Soybean farmers can't even save their own seed from year to year! Monsanto, has a patent on a custom gene for its soybeans, so they send out inspectors to snoop for “contaminated” beans in your crop since it's a 99.999% chance that cross pollination has occurred. The courts have held that the independent farmer would be guilty of patent infringement.

This is only a small sample of what's contained in Kenner's engrossing film. If you've read Schlosser's book, the film's content won't be a total shock, but it does a great job of connecting faces with the horror. Don't even bother with Richard Linklater's lame Fast Food Nation loosely based on the book; it's a comedic failure that only inspired me to hit the "eject" button halfway through. Super Size Me was reasonably effective; fast food chains stopped pushing their oversized portions and have surrendered resistance to publishing caloric values. But far more is needed, and that's where this film strikes. Given the seriousness of the subject matter and how this affects us all, Kenner's film is the most important documentary of the year. And that trumps any artistic considerations about cinematography, editing, etc.

Food, Inc. illuminates the food industry like no film to date. And it may already be having effects. Just last week the Institute of Medicine called on the federally funded National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program to set new maximum limits on calories; have less salt; more vegetables, fruits and whole grains; and include skim and low-fat milk. Consider that Chipotle is sponsoring screenings of the film—all the more remarkable when you realize that this more upscale fast food chain is a subsidiary of McDonalds! When more and more Americans speak out for healthier food choices (mostly with their wallets and credit cards), corporate giants listen. Even Wal-Mart now carries organic food selections due to customer demand as do most supermarkets. More is needed, of course, and the film can help more consumers realize that "cheaper" food is NOT necessarily a bargain when you consider your personal health.

After seeing the film, I'm even more dedicated now to shopping more farmer's markets, seeking more locally grown produce, and continuing to boycott fast food chains. The film quite effectively points out how it's scary NOT to do so.