Food, Inc. Discussion Guide - TakePart

• In the film, Barbara Kowalcyk appears to be afraid to say how her eatinghabits have changed as a result of her son’s death, and she does not reveal thesource of the meat that killed him. What do you think of that?• People who have been in the industry are knowledgeable about that industry.What are the pros and cons of them becoming regulators working for thegovernment?• Who do you think should have the power to decide food policies, laws aboutfood safety, and other food-related matters?R e f l e c t i o nHave students imagine that detailed information about all of our food was readilyavailable. Have them write about their thoughts on whether that would affecttheir food choices, and how.I d e a s f o r A c t i o n• Invite students to investigate organizations that advocate a right to know whatis in food and create an annotated bibliography of them.• Distribute copies of the Labels Survey student handout for class membersto give to their peers. Have them tally the results and evaluate the impact oflabels on foods and other products.• Have students choose a member of a U.S. Senate or U.S. House committeerelated to food and do a background check to find out whether that personhas ever worked in one of the industries they now regulate. (See www.senate.gov or www.house.gov and follow the links for a list of committees andcommittee members.)8 3F o o d , I n c . D I S C U S S I O N G U I D E© P a r t i c i p a n t M e d i a