Book Review: “Lies lobbies food" by I.Reinecke +P.Thorbrietz

• Conclusion
• 1. Summary
• 2. Book review
• • 2.1. Farmer Sacrifices
  • 2.2. European Morals
  • 2.3. Rotten Arguments
  • 2.4. Matters of Taste
  • 2.5. Power Politics
  • 2.6. Label Fraud
  • 2.7. Chain Reactions
  • 2.8. Bakteria from the Conveyor Belt
  • 2.9. Code of Eating
  • 2.10. What Can You Do?
• 3. About the book

The images I have added to this book review serve to break up the text and provide space for additional comments. The book itself does not contain any images. The images here are from Wikipedia, I took them myself, or they are from the public domain.

Note: The chapter titles and all quotations in italics are translated from the original German.

Contents and my remarks:

Farmer Sacrifice — The Abolition of Agriculture
European Morals — Chacun à son goût (Everyone has their taste)
Rotten Arguments — From the Field to the Dump
Matters of Taste — On Dry Soups and Ready-Made Dishes
Power Politics — The Dictatorship of Standards
Label Fraud — The Swine Internationale
Chain Reactions — The Trade and Its Consumers
Bacteria off the Assembly Line — If it Doesn’t Make You Sick, It’s Fresh
Code of Eating — Consumer Protection as a Barrier to Trade
What Can You Do? — The Power of the Consumer
Information section

The individual chapters have a type of “subtitle” that always starts with “or:” Each chapter is divided into several topics.

I have linked numerous terms to Wikipedia (in italics, linked in October 2013). Entries on Wikipedia often lack objectivity. Representatives of specific industry groups also write many articles, and an account from the opposing point of view is often not possible.

In addition, many important entries do not exist. For example, there is no entry for “The Hormone Scandal.”

An entry on the "Anbauverband der Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökologischer Landbau", AGÖL (Farming association of the organic farming working group) is missing, but its successor organization (2002), "Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft, BÖLW", (Organic food industry association) is described briefly (German version only).

Other entries are strongly influenced by the establishment, which is described in the book.

Otherwise Wikipedia just gives a general overview of the subject. Links not in italics lead to articles of my own or are anchor texts.

It is clear that the EU in its present form is incapable of caring for the well-being of its citizens (and even less for the welfare of the animals). Lobbies and commissions lacking transparency set the terms and direction to be taken. An example of this was a note from a commission member on BSE (mad cow disease) that was leaked to the press. It contained the following statements: ‘We have to downplay this matter by disinforming the public!’ Ironically, this EU official was also responsible for consumer protection ...

This book also covers ‘milk lakes’ and ‘meat mountains’ as well as soilless cultivation and irradiation of food. One note on eggs is that 300 million ‘organic eggs’ are sold in the EU annually, but only 50 million actual organic eggs are produced. A generous estimate is that at least one third is falsely labeled.

It’s a book well worth reading, and the appendix contains a lot of important contact information and additional tips (sic) for consumers.”

Page 255: Petra Thorbrietz, born 1954, Dr. rer. pol., studied journalism and wrote her dissertation on networked thinking in journalism. She worked as an editor for Natur (Nature, German magazine), Wochenpost (Weekly post, German newspaper), and Die Woche (The week, German newspaper). Thorbrietz has also written for radio and television.

She was awarded the Österreichischer Staats- und Förderungspreis für Wissenschaftspublizistik (Austrian national prize for scientific writing) and the prize from the Darmstädter Schader-Stiftung (Darmstadt Schader foundation) for the implementation of socio-scientific results in practice.

There is an entry on Petra Thorbrietz (in German only) on the German version of Wikipedia with a listing of her awards.

Ingrid Reinecke, born in 1954, has worked as a photographer, secretary, and Greenpeace campaigner. She established the traveling exhibition “Essen aus dem Genlabor” (Food from the genetics lab) and is an editor of the Brandt Report.

But, according to Martin Wille, head of the Behördliche Lebensmittelüberwachung (German food regulatory administration similar to the FDA) in North Rhine-Westphalia, his administration was notified about label fraud in 1994.

Sample inspections in Düsseldorf stores and markets revealed that 24 of 26 wholesalers that were examined falsely labeled more than half of their goods (p. 17).

In the section titled “The Subsidized Paradise,” the authors explain how the EU used subsidies to change the system so that food is now mostly produced by large corporations, regardless of consumer demand.

The EEC in 1957 wanted to increase the per capita income of farmers and at the same time obtain cheaper food. At that time, representatives from Germany, France, Italy, and the Benelux states agreed on a Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

Using examples, the book shows why CAP brought about large increases in volume and lowered prices. And the authors explain the unnecessary and harmful effects, which have only increased in recent years. This is partly due to gross political errors. The book emphasizes the consequences for human health and the environment.

Large surpluses were and are produced and end up on the world market with high subsidies. This causes the demise of farms and impoverishment of farmers in other countries.

In Africa, for example, highly subsidized frozen beef was thrown on the market at dumping prices, which put the regional livestock industry under pressure, an industry that at the time was being supported by European development assistance. In 1991, the EC paid almost 2'000 million marks in export subsidies to sell meat in West Africa for only 50 million marks.

Please pause a moment to grasp the meaning of this statement.

Even in Europe, 80% of the subsidies went to only 20% of farms.

Development aid is an important issue. Sir Hans Wolfgang Singer demonstrated the deteriorating trade balance for periphery countries. The subsidy policy of the United States and EU destroy businesses in developing countries. And when subsequently Africans began to try to make it to Europe by any and all means, this subject was not considered.
People flock to Europe because we deprive them of their livelihoods with this subsidy policy. Politics and large corporations (farmers and exporters) are responsible for this exploitation. In return, our society collects aid for development.
Critics of the havoc we have wreaked in Africa usually only refer to the exploitation of raw materials.

Broadening horizons:
It is interesting to read how different parts of the world have different food taboos. These show how much we are influenced by family, religion, and region. We take the things we see around us for granted and consider other behaviors to be strange.

Nevertheless, the EU increased the use of artificial fertilizers fivefold to 282 pounds (128 kg) per 2.5 acres (1 hectare). That was later reduced to 220 pounds (100 kg). But the new varieties, such as short-stemmed grains, required an ever increasing amount of fungicides and other chemicals.

Reinecke and Thorbrietz provide examples to show how these false incentives in Europe led to massive overproduction. Years earlier, it had led to similar negative results in the United States.

Nevertheless, over the years a zigzag course between protectionism and free trade developed. The costs of the agricultural policy in the EU increased sixfold from 1970 to 1986 (p. 31).

The GATT agreements became effective in 1995 and the successor organization, the World Trade Organization (WTO) could not or did not want to prevent, for example, that Nelson Mandela was not able to export wine to the EU.

The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed by 23 countries in 1947. The next GATT treaties were developed in the Tokyo Round from 1973–1979 and the Uruguay Round starting in 1982, but they weren’t signed until April 16, 1994. They were seen as temporary measures; however, they served as the basis for the establishment of the WTO and afterwards as its overarching treaty.

Customs stamps are stolen and forged, shipping documents and invoices are tampered with, false animal health certificates are submitted, officials are bribed and goods are falsely declared, or changed out at night. While the southerners prefer to illegally move wine, olive oil, and fruit, the North focuses on the illegal livestock trade (p. 39).

We read that the EU pays eight billion euros per year in subsidies to sell food products that were produced with support funds. An interesting statement:

The president of the European Court of Auditors Bernhard Friedmann reported a case in which 1'000 trucks with Polish meat and cattle traveled to Africa. For weeks, a customs office in southern Spain confirmed that these transports left the EU according to law. But it turned out that this customs office hadn’t existed for years (p. 42).

It is quite possible that this shipment was returned to Poland with fake papers of origin for additional subsidies.

This most interesting kind of fraud does not even require transports, only the relevant papers. Here is an example of an Irish Delivery:

Officially, 10'000 tons of beef from the EU inventory were to be sent to Italy for processing and then were to be sold — with particularly high subsidies — in countries of the former Soviet Union. But at least 200 tons of this meat ended up on the British market in unprocessed form (p. 43).

The lack of internal borders gave rise to new “transnational scammers.” An effective shared criminal law system is lacking, a fact which well-organized scam networks skillfully exploit.

The EU is working to counter fraud with the UCLAF (Unit for the Coordination of Fraud Prevention), IRENE, PRE-IRENE and “green telephones” (see EUR-Lex). Finally, the EU wants to sanction not only individuals but also companies.

On page 54 there is a particularly interesting example involving live cattle from Eastern Europe. A company was supposed to export these to Italy for slaughter and then transport the meat via Malta back to the East. But what happened was quite different. They used export funds to sell inferior, re-declared meat to Gabon. Where the real meat was not clarified. But just the unauthorized export refunds for the “export” to Gabon amounted to 24 million euros.

The younger generation in the United States already has a lower life expectancy than the previous generation.

The following remark made by the person who uploaded the photo shows how well the “bliss point” is hit:

Magnus Manske:

It’s been years since I stopped by for a meal at Pinks Hot Dogs, so I decided I needed to come back here. Naturally me and Megz ordered one of their ‘Super Special’ hot dogs. All I can say, is they were so good that my heart will probably never forgive me, and they're also quite challenging to eat without getting too messy. I still think my favorite hot dogs in Los Angeles are from the street vendors who sell them bacon-wrapped hot dogs, apparently the city is cracking down on those vendors though ...

something to do with health concerns or something to do with permits or some shit like that ...

Not that it would stop me from ordering one if I see a vendor ...

The authors then turn to the problem of flavorings and state that 12'000 artificial flavorings are currently on the European market. These and other various “technical agents” such as synthetic resins (plastic) don’t have to be included on the label in the EU.

Note: Plastic harms animals and nature, sometimes to a very large extent.

Reinecke and Thorbrietz provide quite clear and vivid descriptions of some of the production processes. In the section titled “Why cook?” we read that even top chefs in restaurants and hotel chains sometimes use precooked and prepackaged portioned convenience foods and therefore serve dishes such as "Piatto di Pesce raffinato" (a refined fish dish).

A high-end restaurant on the Hamburg Alster (river flowing through Hamburg, Germany) apparently had the following dish on their menu: Seeteufelkotelett und Scampi vom Grill auf einer leichten Tomatensauce mit frischem Salbei (Grilled monkfish cutlets and scampi on a light tomato sauce with fresh sage), and it was prepared it from premade components supplied by steakhouse king Eugen Block (founder and owner of a restaurant chain and other related companies in Germany and other European countries). The chef merely has to heat up the food and arrange it on a plate.

Cheap additives such as vitamins, minerals, flavors, and preservatives in these kinds of food are a real problem. In addition, unhealthy amounts of vitamin E are added to food — even though people already gets enough of this vitamin. They also include other information, for example, that too much calcium blocks absorption of iron and too much iron blocks the absorption of zinc (p. 83).

Note: This is reminiscent of the principle of optimum instead of maximum because even “good substances” and/or important substances can be harmful in too great a quantity.

Annual sales of nutraceuticals (a blend of the words “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical”) are about 2 billion euros in Germany alone – and they are only becoming more popular (as of 1998).

The Berlin Federal Institute for Consumer Health Protection and Veterinary Medicine (BgVV, Berliner Bundesinstitut für gesundheitlichen Verbraucherschutz und Veterinärmedizin) sees a special tactic in this: ‘Manufacturers are increasingly trying to bring their biologically active products on the market as dietary supplements in order to avoid expensive drug approval processes (p. 84).

Note: In 2002, the government dissolved the BgVV. The larger part of the BgVV was integrated into the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) and a smaller part into the Federal Office of Consumer Protection and Food Safety (BVL).

Biophysicist and food expert Fritz A. Popp has found through biophoton measurements that the energy balance of plants is changed if they come from greenhouses. The authors provide a quote made by Federal Minister of Economics Günter Rexrodt in 1997:

Today about 40 percent of all food products on the market are made using genetically engineered enzymes, starches, vitamins, and additives.

The authors also list common additives such as amino acids, vitamins, sweeteners, enzymes, and sugar substitutes such as glucose syrup and fructose, which are also found in candy, licorice, jam, and pudding mixes (p. 95).

In this context, it should be noted that xylitol and birch sugar are both very effective against cavities (tooth decay).

Xylitol and birch sugar are common names for a stereoisomer (isomerism) of pentanepentol, a sugar alcohol, which is also used as a sugar substitute (E 967).

Xylitol has a similar taste and sweetness as compared to sucrose. Nobel Laureate (1902) Hermann Emil Fischer (1852–1919) discovered xylitol as a sweetener in 1890. Xylitol is a relatively expensive sugar substitute but has anti-cariogenic effects; in other words it is effective against plaque bacteria.

For some animals such as dogs, cattle, goats, and rabbits, xylitol is very toxic even at a dose of 0.1 g per kg of body mass and is fatal at 3–4 g.

Along with sorbitol, birch sugar (xylitol) is a natural sugar alcohol that can be found in many vegetables (including cauliflower) and fruits (plums, strawberries, and raspberries), but usually makes up less than 1% of dry matter.

See also sweeteners made from stevia that habe been positively received.

The genetically modified soy plant has existed since November 1996, and its beans are used in more than 30'000 foods.

The Novel Foods Regulation for such genetically modified products was created in order to achieve greater economic potential. Labeling is required only at a certain percentage and not at all for additives such as flavorings and enzymes.

“According to this regulation, only five to ten percent of the foods produced using genetically modified organisms (GMOs) require special labeling” (p. 100).

Different species of fish that are processed in huge factory ships into flour, oil, and imitation meat are the basis for this product.

However, surimi is often produced from imitations instead of fish. In 1994, random checks found that this was the case for 70 % of the products.

This freeze-stabilized protein mixture has a long shelf life and is even used in sausage, cheese, pizza, soup, pet food, baby food, and potato chips along with other additives and flavorings (p. 102).

A similar raw material, but isolated from a fungus, is called Quorn.

(The following is not about Quorn.) In order to show just what can be done in the laboratory, Japanese chemists developed a protein-rich creation from feces that not even a butcher could distinguish from beef in texture, smell and taste.

© CC-by-sa 3.0, Kira Nerys, Wikipedia

Wikipedia: An entry on the retail food industry (German only) on the German Wikipedia site lists out the structure and performance data of the top 10 grocery stores in Germany, which together have a revenue of 140 billion euros.

• Edeka Group was number one in 2010 with more than 40 billion euros in sales. And in 2011 it had 42.7 billion euros in sales.
• Aldi, the largest discount store, had 24.5 billion euros in sales in 2008.
• Number two is the REWE Group with 25 billion and Lidl (Schwarz Group) with 14.7 billion.

Note: Some companies use the myths about the “healthy” Mediterranean diet to twist the facts. Just compare the average life expectancy for each country! For example, it is significantly higher in Switzerland than in some of the Mediterranean countries in Europe, not to mention the Mediterranean coast in Africa.

The authors describe the extraordinary case of Cassis de Dijon. This was a legal case where the REWE corporation successfully fought in European Court for the right to be allowed to distribute a product called Crème de Cassis. They won despite the fact that Crème de Cassis is a liqueur that does not contain the minimum percentage of 32% alcohol. The German government had filed a suit to prevent imports. The ruling put the “principle of mutual recognition” of goods into place for products sold in EU countries. And now the varying regulations of the EU countries are standardized.

And now Dutch beer may also contain the thickening and gelling agent propylene glycol alginate (alginic acid, E 405).

The authors include numerous examples of problems related to this standardization. For example, the energy drink Red Bull produced in Austria can be sold in Germany, but that type of drink may not be produced in Germany. For this to be permitted, an analysis would need to be conducted to determine if ingredients such as taurine (2-aminoethane sulfonic acid), glucuronolactone, and niacin (nicotinic acid) are safe (p. 116).

Note: It is interesting that wine contains about 20 mg/l of glucuronolactone and since 2012 energy drinks may contain a maximum of 2.4 mg/l.

The book makes it clear that it is consumers who in many cases now have to decide for themselves what risks they want to take. German law protects the behavior of casual consumers who are characterized by superficiality, low intelligence and an inability or unwillingness to absorb information.’ The European Court considers ‘only those consumers worthy of protection who prove to be responsible citizens, pay attention, and given their interest in and ability to absorb information take note of the information offered to them, for example, on product labels (...) and (...) make their purchasing decisions. This is still the case today (p. 117).

The authors provide a very detailed account of the history of BSE. It is permeated with misjudgments made by regulatory agencies and false assurances and deceptions on the part of representatives of special interest groups.

In 1990, Richard Lacey , a microbiologist from Leeds, warned the public of the deadly brain disease and called for the slaughter of all British cattle. The only thing that came of this is that critics labeled him a “crackpot,” “downfall apostle” and an “extreme leftist.”

Only much later, and as a result too late, did the government implement the measures he proposed. The consequences were fatal for many people.

Lacey stood with Colin Blakemore, professor of neurophysiology, who alleged that the British government consulted only experts who give agreeable answers.

Nutrition scientist Tim Lang from Thames Valley University spoke of fatal errors made in connection with BSE (p. 132).

Note: I believe that in the above quote the word “or” is a typo and that it should actually be "and." After all, the animals would not be alive for the deboning process.

The differences between “protected designation of origin” (PDO) – a regional protection, “protected geographical indication” (PGI) (production stage suffices here) and “traditional specialty guaranteed” (TSG), for “special characteristics” is discussed. The authors also cover the background of these designations and then provideexamples, for example, for Gouda cheese.

Greek feta, which is produced cheaply in Denmark from local cow’s milk and the whitener E 131, is even distributed in Greece. This product from Denmark flooded the market and destroyed the local economy of authentic feta made in Greece, which is produced from sheep’s milk and matured in brine.

Note: The substance E 131 is called patent blue V.

As this production process already existed, the Greeks were initially unable to receive protection, but after some effort, the names prosciutto, feta, and parmesan were finally protected. On the other hand, Emmental, Gouda, and Tilsiter remain unprotected generic terms. See designation of origin (p. 146).

Organic organizations eventually introduced their own quality seals and quality assurance systems that are subject to more stringent quality requirements. The Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökologischer Landbau (German working association of organic farmers, AGÖL), for example, was well known and included Demeter, Bioland, Naturland, and ECO VIN.

I couldn’t find the an entry for Arbeitsgemeinschaft Ökologischer Landbau (AGÖL) on Wikipedia, but I did find a short entry for its successor organization (2002), the Bund Ökologische Lebensmittelwirtschaft (Association of the organic food industry, BÖLW). The link is in German only.

The term “integrated production” is cleverly described in the entry as “natural and animal friendly farming practices.” However, the following is noted under the section “Kritik” (criticism):

“The Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU), however, points out that integrated production has not resulted, for example, in the environmentally friendly production of fruit. In spite of inflationary proliferation of the IP label, the use of pesticides has continued to rise in many fruit-growing areas.”

© CC-by-sa 3.0, Eric Steinert, Wikipedia

The larva of the common green lacewing (Chrysoperla carnea s.l.) eats pests (especially homoptera), such as aphids and larvae of spider mites. Red spiders, whiteflies, and others are also listed. IP does use this larva as a form of organic pest control, but this insect is more commonly used in organic farming, not for IP. IP generally uses chemical pest control, but in reduced amounts.

Note: Paradoxically, the companies with aggressive pricing policies make the biggest revenues.

The authors provide a good description of this development and of “shelf politics.” Two quotes from the book that underscore this development are as follows:

The food industry feels pressured by the ‘buying power’ of the retailers. While the two largest producers Unilever and Nestlé make about seven billion marks in Germany each year, individual retailers have profits of well over 30 billion. They use their power to negotiate very good terms and then gain even more shares of the stagnating market …

A good place on the shelf of a retail giant is expensive. According to press reports, the CPC-Gruppe (CPC group) in Germany, which owns companies such as Pfanni, Knorr, and Maizena paid ten million marks to a retailer group to get their mayonnaise listed.

Next the authors discuss conflicts between the poor and the wealthy, for example, on the streets in France. In November 1995, 30 people were wounded, two houses burned, and many cars destroyed.

Consumers have a ‘split personality’ and behave irrationally,” says hobby researcher Horst W. Opaschowski.

They will travel miles for a sale or special offer, but are willing to pay much more than the actual value for new trendy products. For example, it isn’t seen as a problem that cappuccino with vanilla flavor costs five times more than conventionally brewed roasted coffee (p. 168).

Free range chicken farms make up less than 1 % of all farms. Floor pens, where 4.5 % of all chickens are raised, the chickens scratch the ground in closed halls in their own feces and have no more space than a sheet of paper, A4 size (approximately equivalent to letter-size paper in the US).

Note: However, the authors’ calculation of 1'430 square centimeters seems to be wrong. An A4 size sheet of paper has 623.7 square centimeters. The comparison of the A4 size paper therefore refers to the room they have in a cage, which is about 450 to 550 square centimeters.

The comparisons provided by the authors of how such products are marketed using false images of a green and idyllic farm are correct and clear. Given the many complaints, courts had to ban this ploy. Actions against such by consumers are worthwhile if they are well organized. Nevertheless, “around 300 million ‘organic eggs’ get purchased annually, but only 50 million are actually laid." (Page 172)

Reinecke / Thorbrietz demonstrate how lucrative label fraud is with the example of chicken baron Anton Pohlmann, who had to give up his business later because of various scandals.

Problems that get created because of the disinfectants being used are taken up, as well as the perfectly legal trickery with synthetic beta-carotene that gives egg yolks a brighter color. The authors also go over drug residues, parasiticides and as the combination process of companies to more than 200'000 birds. (Page 175)

The book provides information about the disgusting animal transports (livestock transportation).

Example: 27 bulls were transported from Mecklenburg to Trieste. Four of them arrived dead and another three could only be emergency slaughtered.

The senseless subsidy economy allows such to happen. Approximately 10 percent of animals die during transport, especially pigs. Although these animals often receive sedatives (sedation) or beta-blockers, the abnormal amount of stress hormones is detectable in the meat after slaughter. Behind all this is a strong lobby of breeders, livestock dealers, exporters and slaughterhouse owners. Although a 28-hour transportation is allowed without a break (with fans and water), sample inspections have brought numerous violations to light. (Page 181)

Note: This is only partly true, because examiners found EHEC primarily on beef, raw milk, cold sandwiches, stuffed cabbage, roast beef, hamburgers, etc.

More than half of the reported salmonella illnesses in 1992 occurred in commercial kitchens. Nevertheless, the German Federal Institute for Consumer Health Protection (BgVV) maintains that it was due to the lack of hygiene at home.

A fact sheet of the five most dangerous pathogens follows, with the most affected products indicated. Poultry products, eggs, ground beef (hamburger), raw milk and cheese seem to be in the lead. Only animal-based products are on the list. (Page 189)

Next, hormone scandals in Europe and the subsequent "noodle war" are taken up. The authors cover the conforming of environmental regulations and consumer protection laws to the lowest common denominator. Environmental regulations are eliminated as “trade barriers.” The international trade rules.

The book shows the mismatch between industry and consumer groups using specific examples. Consumer organizations have pointed out that the panel should not act as a "scientific standardization body" and that this is an intolerable state of affairs.

Next an example is given from the United States on genetic engineering with rBST.

This on the grounds that such labeling might suggest that other products were of lesser quality. (Page 208)

An example on pesticides in baby food: Germany allows only 0.01 mg/kg, Spain allows 0.4 mg/kg and even so Spain is allowed to export such baby food to Germany. Issues arising from regulatory bodies and judicial functions are explained. Such regulations don’t come about through scientific discourse, but instead through the consensus of a panel mostly consisting of industry representatives.

© Public Domain, USDA, Wikipedia

On the website Fleischhandwerk.de a PDF called "Eating Meat" (2007) has the following introduction: "Meat production in Germany has been rushing from one record to the next, for years now. With 7'508 million tons of meat of all kinds, expressed in carcass weight, it has reached the highest level in 2007 since the German reunification. The record level of the previous year was exceeded by a further 292'000 tons or more than 4 percent."

The authors emphasize on page 216:

this high consumption of beef will never be reached again, the meat industry, farmers and politicians know that.

Pork increased the most. Poultry meat, previously discredited because of bird flu (avian influenza) picked up sharply. Import and export kept a balance. Germany produced little more meat than was consumed. In 2007, the per capita consumption of meat increased by 2.1 kg, to 61.6 kg as compared to 2006. This consists of 40.1 kg pork and 8.5 kg beef and veal. The latter would actually be healthier than pork.

Meat consumption in the EU27 was an average of 65.4 kg in 2007. By comparison, the fish consumption in Germany amounted to 16.4 kg and increased by 900 grams. As a contrast see also Japanese cuisine.

Note: One statistic kept over the years shows that the statements in the book so far are true.

Beef and veal developed this way: 1950 - 9.0 kg, 1975 - 15.3 kg, 1985 - 15.1 kg (1988 peak), 1995 - 11.4 kg, 2000 - 9.6 kg, 2006 - 8.2 kg, 2007 – 8.5 kg.

An article published in the FleiFood newspaper (German trade journal for butchers and their consumers) says that the widening gap between prices and individual earnings is to blame... and not new consumer choices.

In 2011, the carcass weight for meat was about 8.2 million tons in Germany, definitely more than in 2007. But in 2012, it was reduced again to about 8 million tons.

Eric Schlosser: Fast Food Nation. The Dark Side of the All-American Meal, publisher: Houghton Miffin, 2001, 288 pages

The thoroughly researched report by American journalist Eric Schlosser enlightens about the production conditions of fast food.

Marc Lappe, Britt Bailey: Against the Grain: Biotechnology and the Corporate Takeover of Your Food, Common Courage Press, 2002, 175 pages

Multinational chemical companies design a future, in which genetically modified soybeans, corn and cotton supply the world's growing population. This book exposes such scenarios as propaganda from the industry.