Szakmeister 1

Joel Szakmeister

Professor Ludwig

English 101H

27 November 2017

Food Politics Book Review

In the United States, the government is supposed to serve the people. However, in her

book Food Politics, Marion Nestle argues that due to the influence of the food industry on

American government, it may be drifting away from this noble goal towards catering to the food

industry. Using her experience as Senior Nutrition Policy Advisor in the Department of Health

and Human services, she delves in great detail into how food manufacturers are influencing

American life through advertising and government lobbying and how this negatively affects the

health of the American people. Overall, Food Politics effectively illustrates how the food

industry has control over American politics through a well organized argument backed up by

extensive research.

Part one of Nestles book focuses first on the history of government food advice in the

United States, chronicling the shift in focus from preventing infectious diseases by eating more

to preventing chronic diseases by eating less, before delving into the controversy surrounding the

food pyramid and analysing several of the dietary guidelines up to the year 2000. Part two

focuses on the methods the food industry uses to control the government, from lobbying and

campaign contributions to co-opting nutrition professionals and detailing how these tactics

actually affect what Americans eat. Third, Nestle turns her attention to how the food industry

targets children with their advertising in an attempt to get them hooked on their products from a

young age. Part four focuses not on traditional food, but on dietary supplements and their lack of
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regulation. Finally, part five talks in detail about techno-foods fortified for better or worse with

nutrients, completing a thorough analysis of how the food industry exercises control over

Americans.

One of the most effective aspects of the argument presented in Food Politics is the way it

is organized. By starting with the history of governmental food advice, moving through the

present battles with lobbying and advertising both of traditional food and of dietary supplements,

and ending with engineered designer foods, Nestle establishes a logical, almost chronological

order to her arguments that is very easy for readers to follow. More specifically, each chapter in

her book leads to the next, with seamlessly crafted transitions that gently guide readers from one

point to another for example, between parts three and four she states, In these chapters, I have

focused on the ways in which food companies use advertising and marketing methods to expand

their base of consumers by targeting young people. In the next section, we move on to an even

more powerful strategy: resistance to regulation (Nestle 218). It is like this every chapter, a

complete yet concise summary of what she just wrote and a sneak peak of the topic she delves

into next, and it keeps readers engaged while contributing to the flow of the book.

What really sets Food Politics apart, however, is the quality of Nestles research. It is

complete with 36 figures and 41 data tables, each one truly worth a thousand words. For

example, table 30 chronicles major laws Congress has passed that weaken the Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) and includes a brief summary of how each law does so, giving readers all

the details they could hope for concerning the legal process (Nestle 235). Figure 30 is just as

useful, as it is a Heinz advertisement claiming that ketchup may reduce the risk of cancer,

included to show how food companies can make outlandish health claims without any backlash

(Nestle 335). Nestles tables are an extremely efficient way to present large amounts of
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information in a concise, easy-to-understand way. She could have droned on for pages about

each one of the laws included in table 30, but that would have been intensely boring and hard to

follow. Instead, organizing her data into a table presents it in a very reader-friendly way. Her

figures are just as useful, as they show concrete examples of food company advertising, among

other things. Not only do readers no longer have to take Nestles word on what food companies

are telling people, but it is much more efficient for readers to see firsthand these examples

instead of Nestle just trying to describe them. The one criticism that can be leveled at Food

Politics is that it may be a little too research-heavy, to the point where readers may get bored or

have trouble absorbing so much relevant information in one sitting, but the benefits of including

all these facts seem to outweigh these costs.

One of the most underrated aspects of Nestles argument in Food Politics is the tone and

language she uses to deliver it. More specifically, she reads like a teacher lecturing a class on the

topic of food politics. The book is almost completely devoid of charged language and maintains

an unwavering academic tone throughout. Some critics may argue this causes the book to

become too dry or boring, but it is actually the best way to present an argument in such a volatile

setting as American politics. By keeping an academic tone and simply letting her research do the

arguing for her, she defends herself against accusations of partisanship or bias by those who

disagree with her. Opponents could make arguments against some of her points, but it is

extremely unlikely that any of them would be as well researched as Nestle, putting them at a

disadvantage. It is possible to dispute Nestles conclusions, but it is very very hard to find a flaw

with her research and how she got to them.

Although it can be a bit dry at times, Food Politics is a very well organized and well

researched peek behind the curtain to reveal the often ugly details of how the food industry
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influences American government. Through her impeccable research and efficient presentation of

it, her flowing organization of her main points, and her unbiased, academic tone, Marion Nestle

is able to shed light onto the often shady world of food politics. For anyone who wants to truly

understand the influence food companies have on American politics, Food Politics is the place to

start.

Works Cited

Nestle, Marion. Food Politics. Revised and Expanded Tenth Anniversary ed., University of

California Press, 2007.