There are several ethical issues that pertain to the Food and Beverage Industry.
One of the main ethical dilemmas in the food industry is what is called the Delaney Clause. The Delaney Clause prohibits the use of additives in foods in order to prevent any risk of cancer and other sicknesses. This clause, however, might lead to the production of foods that could cause other sicknesses due to the lack of additives that protect the food. This is a main concern to the meat, fruit and vegetable industry because productions of those products contain a lot of additives and preservatives that might lead to cancer. On the one hand, organizations that promote green production might imply pressure to these industries. On the other hand, companies want to make a profit without adding the risk of being the reason of killing their customers. The concept of food safety is brought upon the table when talking about additives, but companies have failed to address this dilemma in a well mannered way.
Another ethical dilemma facing the food industry, as written in the Guardian, is advertising for junk food for kids. Advertising helps a company sell their product. If the product is junk food, which many teenagers eat, the advertising can affect the teenager's mind very much. According to the Guardian, "advertising junk food to children has become socially unacceptable". The ethical dilemma is whether or not to advertise because a company who advertises junk food is in the long run, harming teenagers and increasing the obesity rate. If they advertising, they are harming their customers, but if they do not, they are not able to make as much profit as they could be.
As for the beverage industry, alcohol advertising has been controversial in how much and how can the alcohol industry advertise. In The Ethics Council of the Alcoholic Beverage Industry in Quebec, there is a certain code of conduct advertising must abide to. There is some controversy on whether or not there should be regulations because consumers have a mind to themselves that can allow them to decide how much or what they drink. Deciding what the right thing to do here is hard.
Sources:
http://www.conseilethique.qc.ca/pdf/en/code-of-ethics.pdf
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/oct/15/lifeandhealth.health
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/26567/1/24010012.pdf
One of the main ethical dilemmas in the food industry is what is called the Delaney Clause. The Delaney Clause prohibits the use of additives in foods in order to prevent any risk of cancer and other sicknesses. This clause, however, might lead to the production of foods that could cause other sicknesses due to the lack of additives that protect the food. This is a main concern to the meat, fruit and vegetable industry because productions of those products contain a lot of additives and preservatives that might lead to cancer. On the one hand, organizations that promote green production might imply pressure to these industries. On the other hand, companies want to make a profit without adding the risk of being the reason of killing their customers. The concept of food safety is brought upon the table when talking about additives, but companies have failed to address this dilemma in a well mannered way.
Another ethical dilemma facing the food industry, as written in the Guardian, is advertising for junk food for kids. Advertising helps a company sell their product. If the product is junk food, which many teenagers eat, the advertising can affect the teenager's mind very much. According to the Guardian, "advertising junk food to children has become socially unacceptable". The ethical dilemma is whether or not to advertise because a company who advertises junk food is in the long run, harming teenagers and increasing the obesity rate. If they advertising, they are harming their customers, but if they do not, they are not able to make as much profit as they could be.
As for the beverage industry, alcohol advertising has been controversial in how much and how can the alcohol industry advertise. In The Ethics Council of the Alcoholic Beverage Industry in Quebec, there is a certain code of conduct advertising must abide to. There is some controversy on whether or not there should be regulations because consumers have a mind to themselves that can allow them to decide how much or what they drink. Deciding what the right thing to do here is hard.
Sources:
http://www.conseilethique.qc.ca/pdf/en/code-of-ethics.pdf
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/oct/15/lifeandhealth.health
http://ageconsearch.umn.edu/bitstream/26567/1/24010012.pdf
Is alcohol advertising different in America as compared to the Middle East and/or Europe?
ReplyDeleteWhile looking through all these posts it's becoming very obvious that the whole food and beverage industry is moving towards healthier foods. People are starting to favor less additives and more organic foods. I predict this will be a hard change for people with lower incomes because currently all organics are more expensive (for example, whole foods and trader joes). However, maybe the changes in the food and beverage industry will cause a decrease in obesity?
ReplyDeleteMy first thought when reading this post was how McDonald's advertises to youth by using the happy meal. I know that in San Francisco an organization attempted to ban the inclusion of toys in happy meals unless the meal met particular health standards. It would be interesting to find out what states have particular laws concerning youth advertisements/junk food and what states do not and look at obesity rates.
ReplyDeleteone last thought....I wonder if this plays into CSR at all..? Thoughts?
ReplyDeleteI think it does play into CSR because if a company that sells junk food is seen by the public as targeting kids to essentially get them "hooked" on the company's product, then it may lead to the company having a poor image in the public's mind. A possibility for the junk food section of the market could be to add in a warning line "eat responsibly" or "Should be eaten in moderation." This would be similar to what the alcohol companies do when they say "drink responsibly" and could lead to a better view in the public / better CSR maybe?
ReplyDelete