OK, folks, time to wake up. Let me help you answer this question. It's not a political position at all. How it has become one is beyond me. And the more people perceive the concept of farm to table as some cute little trend chefs are grasping at to help define their style of cooking is ridiculous.
Do you know why chefs have gravitated to this philosophy? It is because food safety is a huge issue in this country. We have a responsibility to you as the consumer to provide you a safe and delicious product. What the role of regulation from the USDA and the role of The Department of Agriculture is has been turned into a political stance.
There is a recent press release from McDonald's stating that they have given considerable thought and have decided to no longer use the "pink slime," quoted by Chef Jamie Oliver, in their food, because in the end they really care. How did it get there in the first place? And if you don't know what the "pink slime" is, it's all the by-product that is normally fed to pets in every other country in the world except the U.S.A., where we have developed this fascinating technique of using ammonia to kill all the bacteria, so it's safe for us to eat.
Who's hungry? I'm not.
Another interesting thing that, over the course of my 27 years in the food service industry, has raised concern is the increase in food allergies. We have not discovered that many new, untested ingredients that so many people somehow are having an adverse reaction to. I believe they are allergic to something, and I'm sure science has progressed enough to better define an individual's ailments. However, I am more inclined to believe a cost-effective corner has been cut in how our food is being produced only to increase profit margins at the expense of the American public.
As Americans we need to be aware of what we really consume and how the food was produced. Was it raised ethically? What drugs have the animals consumed? What is in processed food?
There was a report of a lawsuit several weeks ago that a gentleman discovered a mouse in his Mountain Dew; Pepsi's response was "That's impossible because the Mountain Dew would have dissolved the mouse."
Holy &*#*! Frightened enough to care? I am. What isn't on the nutritional label? Like with everything else, if we place our trust solely in others to take care of us and don't take the time look at what's in the glass or on our forks, whose fault is that? Write your congressman and demand food safety. I don't care what party you belong to, how about a safe food party?
For further information on these issues I recommend this link to The Food and Environmental Reporting Network. Or, read The Washington Post's recent report about a piece of legislation The U.S. Supreme Court overturned.
Chef Jason Gorman has been eating for almost 41 years, cooking for 26 years, and has had the privilege of working with some of the country's top chefs and restaurants.
He's been fortunate enough to have worked in many different aspects of the hospitality world, from fast casual service, "ma and pa" restaurants, catering, 1,000-room plus hotels, independent stand-alone restaurants, some corporate chains, a casino, 4- and 5-diamond restaurants, even a steakhouse and the state's No. 1 boutique hotel, The Iron Horse Hotel.
