When you mention “the politics of food”, most people look at you askance. Through no fault of their own, they have never been told about the crucial links of consumerism, politics or economics to food and its production.
They certainly know about the Thatcherite “hand-bag” economics. The ever-rising cost of food at the point of purchase is always a topic of discussion for the average consumer. But they will know very little about the real economics and politics of food, or their relation to any of the other vital sources of human existence: housing, health, water, clothes and so on.
Food and its production under capitalism is about profit. No more or no less. It has, increasingly little to do with nutrition and being fully available to all who need it at an affordable price. Food production and distribution is a world-wide, multi-billion pound business. In fact, only about ten multinational food companies control practically every food brand in the world. That alone speaks volumes.
One such multinational is the Irish company called the Kerry Group. This company operates in 30 countries around the world and has been, for years, heavily involved in food production. But in recent years it has sold off its direct food production resources and is now almost exclusively involved in the scientific manufacture of food additives. Apparently, this is a very lucrative part of the food business, according to Kerry Group’s chief financial officer.
Marguerite Larkin, quoted in the Business Post (20th April 2025) makes the claim that “consumers want more protein”, presumably in their food. And thus the company is looking to such new trends to find growth opportunities, in what is a flatlined food and beverage market. It seems a little odd that the food and beverage market, on the face of it, would be decreasing or would be even flatlined, when more than 11% of the world’s population or 800 million people are either starving or on the verge of hunger. And how many other hundreds of millions of people in the world are on very low nutritious food diets due to inequality and exploitation? Do these people need real food or do they need chemical ingredients, exotic and expensive flavours? Or is it simply much more accurate to say that they are the victims of food monopoly corporations, their increased sales and profits?
The other question is where did this so-called increased desire by the paying public for more protein come from? We could well ask what marketing companies or opinion formers out there created this desire? Is it possible that they have oblique links to the food industry? Why would people want chemically-derived proteins or additives for their body’s sustenance, when all they need is real, genuine, wholesome and affordable food? After many years of poisoning ourselves and our crops with artificial fertilisers and other chemicals to enhance profits, are we going to now start adding chemical ingredients to our foods at the food production stage? How long will it be until “science” discovers that all these chemically-derived flavours, proteins and other additives are found to be causing all sorts of diseases within the human body?
So why are chemically-derived food additives, created by the 800 scientists, no less, or more accurately chemical engineers, in the Kerry Group’s laboratories, even necessary in the first place? Does it mean that food growing, production and processing companies can actually make very poor quality, cheap food, become palatable? Does it mean that foods will become addictive and therefore sell more? Could it mean that Kerry Group could offer “personalised flavours and additives”, that would ensure their market share could be retained, if you can afford the taste? Kerry Group say that they have McDonald’s, Coca Cola and every food company in between, on their supply list. That’s a lot of food and beverages on a worldwide scale.
To ensure their monopoly and control, all of these chemical ingredients for food are patented and licensed by the Kerry Group, as indeed, many other plant and food companies around the world do as well. They are so powerful that governments and food regulation bodies apply the “light touch method”, when it comes to food regulations. Governments will use the excuse that such companies provide jobs, taxes and food: nutritional value, availability and affordability not-withstanding. And the odd donation to the most powerful political parties will ensure that their profits are secured as well.
Food is no longer food any more: it’s a heavily marketed product, to be bought and sold on the “free market” for the purposes of profit, and has nothing to do with the quality of livelihoods or the availability of food to those who need it most. While 50% of the world starves or just survives on nutritionally poor food, companies like Kerry Group and their “chemical engineers” continue to invent food additives to adulterate what we eat, just to increase their profits via consumerist inventions.
