RAB Source Entry 1–Anabel Nunez

My research question is: Should we trust food labeling? This topic interests me because recently I have been focusing on having a more healthy lifestyle. Coming from grandparents that suffer from high cholesterol and diabetes I have grown more wary of what I put into my body. Being on a specific diet would not be beneficial if I am eating foods with ingredients that aren’t beneficial to me. I already know that certain “healthy” foods contain high levels of salt and sugar. I also know that most fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s, chipotle, and Kfc sell processed food. I also know that certain food coloring causes different reactions in behavior. Some points I plan to explore and find out more about are what are the rates of deaths due to incorrect food labeling. I also would like to find out how many companies have been sued because of their food labels. I would like to research what well known famous companies have yet to be accused of false labeling.      

 Source entry 1

Part 1: MLA citation 

Jacobs, Andrew. “Lawsuits Over ‘Misleading’ Food Labels Surge as Groups Cite Lax U.S. Oversight.” The New York Times 7 Sep 2021. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/07/science/food-labels-lawsuits.html

Part 2: Summary

In “Lawsuits Over ‘Misleading’ Food Labels Surge as Groups Cite Lax U.S. Oversight,” Andrew Jacobs speaks on the false and deceptive food labels that companies share to the public. Well Known brands such as Tyson and Cargill Turkeys face lawsuits for the conditions the animals are in which has lead to the animals contamination. Consumers are feeling manipulated into believing that they are supporting companies who align with their values. Jacobs mentions how food marketing is “fuzzy” without any clear definitions on words like “sustainable,” “humane” or “natural” in our food labels. In addition, this legal fight Jacobs mentions adds a new front to the environmental and animal welfare groups to increase their corporate transparency and embrace less harmful practices.  

Part 3: Reflection

I agree with this article because we all will never know what exactly we are putting in our bodies with the products that we buy. I have always trusted big name brands such as Tyson and Ben and Jerry’s. I believed that Tyson’s chickens were kept in a healthy clean environment along with Ben and Jerry’s cows being “happy cows.” I have found out that this was all false advertisement. Being a consumer myself I can admit that I have many times ignored a food label just because in bold letters it may say organic or “all natural.” Growing up I had always bought Nature Valley granola bars, convinced that they were healthy and contained 100% natural whole grain oats. Only to discover that they don’t. We as buyers don’t know what happens behind closed doors in these companies. How things are being packaged or how animals are being raised and the slaughtering process. Without any clear answers society will continue to believe and eat up these false food labels, believing that these companies are supporting the consumers and their health. 

Part 4: Rhetorical Analysis

The genre of this source is a news report. The purpose of this article is to inform the general reading public. The writing style is factual, and the tone is objective. The purpose for this news report is to inform the general public about the false and deceptive food labels that many companies share with the public. The author appeals to logos by using statistics to support the lawsuits that are being made against food companies. The New York Times is a reliable source because it is ranked 17th in the world by circulation and 3rd in the United States, while also being a worldwide read with readership of 740,000 paying subscribers as of 2022. Andrew Jacobs is a reporter with the health and science desk of The Times based in New York. Covering varied topics such as the presidential campaign, the aftermath of the earthquake in China and the lead up to the 2008 Summer Olympics. 

Part 5: Notable quotables

 “The federal complaint also questioned Tyson’s “safe work environment” claims, noting that 39 Tyson processing plant employees have died of Covid-19 and 12,500 others had become infected, four times more cases than its biggest competitors.” (Andrew Jacobs)

“Since 2013, the institute has requested documentation from the F.S.I.S. for nearly 100 package label claims. In more than half of these cases, the agency has been unable to find any documentation to back up its decisions, according to a report.” (Andrew Jacobs)

“Without clear-cut definitions for words like “sustainable,” “humane” or “natural,” food companies have been using claims they know will resonate with Americans concerned with the environment, animal welfare and worker safety.”(Andrew Jacobs)

“Pooja S. Nair, a corporate food lawyer with the firm Ervin Cohen & Jessup, said many are patently frivolous, among them some four dozen cut-and-paste lawsuits filed last year against vanilla flavored products.”(Andrew Jacobs)

“The Organic Consumers Association, the Family Farm Action Alliance and the Animal Welfare Institute, among the nonprofit organizations behind some of the litigation, say that misleading and exaggerated marketing dupes consumers into believing they are supporting companies whose practices align with their values.”(Andrew Jacobs)