Marion Nestle

READ ONE of the following in Marion Nestle’s What to Eat:

MEAT (p.138-180) OR FISH (p.181-247)
Submit two posts to this discussion forum following the guidelines below:

POST ONE – write a post addressing the four prompts associated with your choice of topic – either Meat or Fish – (for clarity during grading please number each part of your response.)

MEAT PROMPTS – answer these if your choice was meat:
1. In the Meat Marketing section Nestle quotes the ANNUAL PER CAPITA amounts of meat consumption in the US (remember, this definition excludes fish and seafood).

Consider your current diet. For each category (chicken, beef, pork, turkey, lamb and veal) indicate if you consume MORE or LESS than the average annual per capita amount in the US (Remember: per capita amounts are annual averages – to do this comparison estimate ON AVERAGE what you eat in a year; don’t worry about trying to be very exact.)
Now consider your childhood and adolescence (age 5-15) when other people were making the your dietary decisions. Indicate whether your meat consumption is substantially different now than at that time. If yes, specify how (portions/types/methods of preparation/frequency etc).
2. Reflect on your answer in 1. What is the reason, do you think, for your past and current choices. Consider:

what factors do you think influenced your caregivers’ choices of what to feed you;
if your diet is different now, explain why (what factors influence your current choices)
NOTE: you are invited to but are NOT REQUIRED to share any personal, medical, emotional, religious, moral etc reasons for your past or current diet.
3. Based on the information you read in the Meat safety section (p.151-164), answer the following:

What are you expected to do as a consumer to prevent food poisoning from contaminated meat? Do you think these are reasonable expectations or do you think the meat industry should do more to prevent pathogens from being in the meat in the first place?
If you were choosing between requiring meat companies to use HACCP to increase meat safety or use irradiation to increase meat safety, which would you choose and why?
4. Use the information in the organic vs natural section (p.165-180) to answer the following:

Briefly summarize the difference between organic and “natural” labels on meat.
Do you notice these labels on meat in the grocery store? Do you make purchasing decisions based on them – and if so, how does the labeling influence you?

FISH PROMPTS: Answer these if your choice was Fish. This section is long; you will need to read the entire section to answer question 2 but you will focus on a more specific topic for questions 3 and 4.
1. How much fish do you consume in an average week? Do you have specific vendors you prefer or specific types of fish that you avoid? What factors most affect your consumption of fish? – examples: health, ethics, taste preferences, environmental issues, finances, familiarity (heritage, habits) and convenience.

2. What is the current suggestion for fish consumption in the US? In your own words, summarize the nutritional advantages of eating fish (what are they rich in) and the main health and environmental issues surrounding fish consumption. Where can you go to get more information about the benefits and risks of eating fish?

3. FOCUS AREA – choose ONE of the following focus areas and answer the prompts

FOCUS OPTION 1: The fish farming dilemma (p. 203-217; p. 240-241) What is the difference between “wild” fish and “farmed” fish. Describe what is happening to ocean fish populations and explain why current fishing practises are considered “unsustainable”. What problem does fish farming aim to solve? What are the safety and health concerns surrounding farmed fish? How can you mitigate these problems if eating farmed fish? (NOTE: you will need to read both the fish farming section and p.240-241 as well)
FOCUS OPTION 2: The fish labeling dilemma (p. 218-233; p.241-244) Summarize in your own words the four “labeling quandraries” that Marion Nestle discusses. What does she suggest you do about them? Compare her suggestions to your current shopping and consumption habits. (NOTE: you will need to read both the labeling section and p.241-244 as well)