Bait and Switch

There have been disturbing reports surfacing lately about the food supply. Turns out some of what folks thought was beef in the UK was at least partly horsemeat. And that fish they charged you big bucks for might not be what you thought it was.

Look, I am not a foodie fanatic. If it tastes OK, I’ll probably finish it. If I stick a fork in a piece of meat and I don’t hear a whnnny, the packager will likely get away with it, and I’ll never know the difference.

But I should.

Here in California, many of us worry about genetically-modified food. An initiative to require disclosure of such modifications failed. It was a good idea, but there were problems with the measure – I even voted against it because of them. But GMO may be the least of our problems, if they can’t even tell us what it is that we’re putting in our mouths now. Where is Upton Sinclair when we need him?

If it’s part horse instead of all beef, just tell me. If it’s tuna instead of red snapper, let me know. I might surprise you and try it anyway if you make it worth my while. Be honest! Look at how much the organic food people charge for their products. There’s a market for all choices and price points, but nobody will buy your stuff again if it’s revealed later that you lied.

When I was little, I was a picky eater. My mother actually disguised food that I swore up and down I’d never consume, and tell me later that I had just eaten it. I never noticed until it was too late.

But aren’t we all a little old for games?