When I was 10, I made the choice to stop eating meat and fish because I felt sad at the idea of cute little pigs (and chickens and cows and and and and and). Eight years later, I’m not quite as sensitive, but still choose not to eat meat because I don’t wish to contribute to an industry that I see as largely harmful to the planet (both environmentally and economically)*. I skip out on steaks, fish sticks, and all kinds of delicious state fair food to suck profits away from The Big Bad Meat Industry, which then stops mass feed production, overuse of antibiotics, and other questionable practices. At least, that’s what I tell myself and others when I need a coherent explanation for my choice or feel the need to prove that I’m conscious of the impact of my eating practices in some way. However, I think the idea that not eating meat is automatically a good ethical choice (something many of my fellow vegetarians have told me as well) is suspect. Presumably, we substitute meat with other foods, each of which has their own “politics”. Where does it come from? How is it produced? Who does the money go to? What is it made of? Essentially, the questions Pollan seeks to answer in his discussions of food politics and what counts as a “good choice.
I decided to conduct my case study with my frequent meat-substitute of choice: the veggie burger. Specifically, a Boca Burger bought in a package of 6 from Whole Foods. I’ve been eating Boca Burgers almost as long as I’ve been a vegetarian, and over the years have spent a great deal of money purchasing boxes every several weeks or so. I’ve always assumed (rather, chose not to question) that they were from some small, natural company with ecologically sustainable farming practices and fair wages and blah blah blah. But, after a little research, I’ve discovered my choice might not be so awesome after all.
First, the Boca company is owned by Kraft, the largest packaged foods company in the country (and has been since 2000–before I even started consuming their products). So much for helping out local/small farms. My money went from one huge industry to another. Additionally, each boca burger comes individually packaged in plastic, a probably unnecessary practice that necessitates a whole lot of plastic production. The most common type of plastic used for food packaging is PVC, which is difficult to recycle and whose production mandates the use of a bunch of toxic chemicals to make it pliable enough for packaging. Boca fail #2. Additionally, until very recently, the eggs they used in their products were from chickens in “battery cages”–very small cages used by industrial agriculture for mass production. Not only are the cages ethically questionable, but they are owned by big agribusiness, whose near monopoly on production in the US has proved disasterous for many a small farmer and good antibiotic use and decreased use of artificial fertilizer and and and (see list of things I try to avoid by not eating meet, above). To top it all off, the burgers contain corn oil and hydrolyzed corn protein (WTF is that) and are then browned in more corn oil. Based on the rest of source of their eggs (and the fact that in their other more expensive burgers they specific “organic ingredients” and here they do not) I would be the source of their corn is not the small local farm down the road (insert reasons big corn business is bad here–thank you, Pollan). So, Boca burgers: not so awesome a choice if I want to make my stand for the world.
What then, is the solution? I think it is better not to give up on specific types of food but instead focus on the sources of the food we eat (and by this I do not mean it’s a good idea to eat loads of Little Bear Chedder Puffs instead of Cheetos). What is wrong with eating the free range chicken grown on organic, local feed from the small farm in Southern MN? Probably nothing. Clearly, just being a vegetarian doesn’t mean much. While Boca Burgers are delicious, they aren’t the most ethical choice. What is? Guess I need a new substitute…
*Other (probably more accurate) reason I don’t eat meat: I have developed kind of a weird thing about ingesting flesh after not eating it for so long? Difficult to explain, goes back to a fear of cannibalism, which I think has its own rich cultural history…
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Laura,
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate that you took this direction with your post. It really shows how hard it is to uphold ethical choices when we have to dig through marketing ploys to make them. Bocca burgers are thought to be the quintessential veggie option. But as you point out, they're not doing a much better job than the food companies a vegetarian is trying to avoid. It is so deceptive to read Bocca on a box and think it is its own company. I almost said get Morning Star veggie burgers, but that's owned by Kellogs. There are the small companies like Amy's Kitchen or Gardenburger you can try, otherwise -- make your own!
I think I cracked the code on how to make a better veggie burger, I was doing it wrong for years. When you put a bean or lentil patty on a bun, you run the risk of building a burger that is too dry and bready. The ratio is all out of whack, with not enough ooey-gooeyness to balance the bread and mashed beans. The solution: Turn the patty into the bun and stuff that with all sorts of good stuff. Problem solved.
2 1/2 cups sprouted garbanzo beans (chickpeas) OR canned garbanzos, drained and rinsed
4 large eggs
1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 onion, chopped
Grated zest of one large lemon
1 cup micro sprouts, chopped (try brocolli, onion, or alfalfa sprouts - optional)
1 cup toasted (whole-grain) bread crumbs
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil (or clarified butter)
If you are using sprouted garbanzos, steam them until just tender, about 10 minutes. Most of you will be using canned beans, so jump right in and combine the garbanzos, eggs, and salt in a food processor. Puree until the mixture is the consistency of a very thick, slightly chunky hummus. Pour into a mixing bowl and stir in the cilantro, onion, zest, and sprouts. Add the breadcrumbs, stir, and let sit for a couple of minutes so the crumbs can absorb some of the moisture. At this point, you should have a moist mixture that you can easily form into twelve 1 1/2-inch-thick patties. I err on the moist side here, because it makes for a nicely textured burger. You can always add more bread crumbs a bit at a time to firm up the dough if need be. Conversely, a bit of water or more egg can be used to moisten the batter.
Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over medium low, add 4 patties, cover, and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, until the bottoms begin to brown. Turn up the heat if there is no browning after 10 minutes. Flip the patties and cook the second side for 7 minutes, or until golden. Remove from the skillet and cool on a wire rack while you cook the remaining patties. Carefully cut each patty in half, insert your favorite fillings (avocado, grilled veggies, tomatoes, mushrooms, etc), and enjoy immediately.
Makes 12 mini burgers.
Laura, you seemed stressed by your discovery that a conglomerate manufactures Boca Burgers and that the product contains the devil’s ingredients—corn and soy. A fact of life, in the best Friedmanism tradition, is that food companies need to participate in expanding categories including organic, natural, and vegetarian foods. Major food companies often enter these new markets by buying small, regional brands such as Boca Burgers. Consumers benefit from lower prices, wider distribution, consistent quality, and rigorous safety and regulatory standards. You may choose to purchase the product because of nutritional and taste preferences or not purchase the product because of ethical or political worries. The decision is yours
ReplyDeleteLaura,
ReplyDeleteThis is a very well thought blog. You really showed how hard it is to make good decision about food if you want to save the world. And the research you did on the food choice you made, to find out if you were really saving the world is really interesting. I think it is something everybody should do, so the decision to save the world shouldn't have to be only on you. I also believe that people shouldn't have to sacrifice taste and preferences, so probably the best thing to do is to look at the bottom of the problem on how the food industries have become so insensitive and how eating food a natural thing has become so embedded in problems of politics, environments and ethics. You sound really concerned about saving the world and a little disappointed that the Boca Burgers aren't helping, but at least you are trying to do your part in saving the world and i hope you find a nice subtitute.