Entry# 9: Farm Fresh Goodness

Farm Fresh Goodness

 

In this comic drawn by Clay Butler in 1996, we can see the process by which our fruits and vegetables are farmed and put on grocery shelves, but it’s depicted in a way that pokes fun at the food industry.  The entire image is composed of four squares, each detailing a food production chain process. The first image shows a crop-master straight up blasting the crops with a mysterious liquid that can be seen producing fumes into the ozone. Of course, it doesn’t mean the liquid necessarily has to be dangerous, but based on the artist drawing the crop master being a laser, the viewer can come to the conclusion that it’s definitely not something you would want to put on food, Also in the back, there seems to be smoke leaking into the atmosphere too which isn’t a good thing either. It lets us, the consumers, know that this industry is doing more damage than good. In the next square, there is a person in a hazmat suit spraying chemicals on oranges. Now, in this image, I know for a fact the chemical is deadly because there is a cross-bone label on the front of the container the liquid is in. Typically, chemicals with a cross-bone label mean the chemical is hazardous and or deadly if mishandled. It would make sense why the person is wearing a hazmat suit, a suit used for protection against harmful chemicals, to ensure they do not harm said person. Meanwhile, these same chemicals are being sprayed on food that goes inside people’s mouths. In the third section, it blatantly shows what chemicals are sprayed on produce before it’s put in grocery stores.  The chemicals listed are wax, fungicide, and color enhancer, which have all been confirmed true. Red apples, commonly known for their bright red color, are actually victims of a common practice called fruit waxing.

According to Wikipedia, fruit waxing is a process where produce, usually fruit, is covered in an artificial wax so the fruit can maintain its bright, shiny color (“Fruit waxing”). Before fruits are placed on the market floors, they are sprayed with wax because they can retain it’s shelf life longer than usual. It’s been done since the twelfth century and is considered a safe practice (“Fruit waxing”),  but that was before the food industry began pumping the fruits with germicide. Lastly, the final slide depicts the final stage of the production chain, the fruits being put inside the grocery store. The fruits are labeled “fresh farmed,” which is pretty ironic,  since the previous slides show the real truth and that they are actually very artificial. 

image source

Comic interpretation

This comic is intended to entertain since it is rooted in satire, but the artist is also trying to inform the viewers about the truth behind the scenes in the food industry.  If anything, I would say it’s doing a better job at telling consumers what is actually being put in our food than our own government is. I say this because each year, there are articles about mass amounts of food being recalled due to health concerns the industries were not made aware of. In fact, there have been 30 cases where products were recalled in just this month alone. The FDA website lists every recall, safety withdrawal, and safety alert that has taken place in the U.S. in the food industry and already has 1,084 entries entered in the system.  We’re often told a piece of what goes on with our food, but the statement is always followed with an excuse on why the government needs to follow this process. Instead of working harder on strategies to improve the food industry, the food chains in charge spend more time cutting corners. Personally, this makes me want to change my food habits since it is better for myself and the environment. How does this comic make you feel? Does it make you want to change your eating diet, or is that just me? 

Curious adolescent, signing off

Work-cited

“Fruit waxing.” Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fruit_waxing. Accessed 24 November 2023.

Habib, Katie Dawn. “Political Food Cartoons — The Hungry Gypsy: A Personal, Health, Food and Travel Blog.” The Hungry Gypsy, 23 April 2014, http://thehungrygypsy.com/food/2014/4/23/political-food-cartoons. Accessed 24 November 2023.

“Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts.” FDA, https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts. Accessed 24 November 2023.