A Critical Response to 'In Defense of Food'

In ‘In Defense of Food,’ Michael Pollan takes a very strong stance on how the Western culture has negatively affected eating habits. The ‘Western Diet,’ as he calls it, is the reason why he feels eating habits have deteriorated to a pathetic state. From the chapter he aptly calls ‘Escape from the Western Diet,’ he writes that ‘People eating a Western diet are prone to a complex of chronic diseases that seldom strike people eating more traditional diets. Scientists can argue all they want about the bio­ logical mechanisms behind this phenomenon, but whichever it is, the solution to the problem would appear to remain very much the same: Stop eating a Western diet.’ He also compares the ‘Western Diet’ to that of ‘Japanese and other Asian diets as well as the traditional diets of Mexico, India, and the Mediterranean region, including France, Italy, and Greece,’ stating that the latter is a lot more wholesome and healthier than the former. In making these statements, Pollan fails to compare the two diets in a thorough and unbiased manner.

Pollan does not thoroughly address organic food in his book. In fact, it is apparent he knows very little about the organic food concept. His statement ‘When Coca-Cola begins selling organic Coke…’ shows his shallow perception of the idea. Throughout the whole book, Pollan attacks the method of production of food in America, and blames the techniques used as the cause of a less healthy ‘Western Diet.’ What he does not realize, however, is that the whole concept of Organic food is to set standards against such methods. What makes a food product Organic is not what it consists of, but how it is produced. Organic food is produced mainly with organic fertilizers, though a few inorganic fertilizers are also used. For livestock, they must be reared without the use of antibiotics and growth hormones, and must generally be fed a healthy diet. To further support the fact that organic food is healthy, the QLIF (Quality Low Food Input), a five year integrated study funded by the European Commission confirmed that ‘The quality of crops and livestock products from organic and conventional farming systems differs considerably.’ Contrary to Pollan’s claims that the current food industry is rapidly deteriorating, organic food is the fastest growing sector of the American marketplace. The fact remains that in America, organic food sales have grown by 17 to 20 percent per year for the past few years whereas conventional food sales have only grown by 2 to 3 percent a year. This completely contradicts Pollan’s theory that the food industry is becoming worse by the year, when, in reality, it is heading on a good, upward path.

Not only does Pollan state that the quality of food industry is declining, but also states that the situation in many other countries is a lot better than it is in the United States. Pollan completely fails to acknowledge the role of the FDA plays in food safety. Sure, he criticizes the FDA many times in the book, and even goes so far as to say that the FDA sometimes acts under pressure, but doesn’t once mention a positive role it has played. As recently as 2008, the FDA conducted enforcement actions to protect consumers against unapproved drugs and devices and from unsafe dietary supplements. The FDA is an organization that has revolutionized the way America ensure it’s food is safe. Many of the countries Pollan mentions the West should model do not even have such organizations, and do not have as strict regulations as there are in America.

Michael Pollans book has many shortcomings. Also, Pollan addresses many situatins very selectively, and does not offer an unbiased view. Many facts and figures have to be looked at in context, and not through the small, foggy window that Pollan provides.