Title: The Spectacular Origins of the EU Horse Scandal Author(s): Siobhan Watters Source: Graduate Journal of Studies, Vol. 2, No. 2, (Sep. 2015), pp. 6-17 Published by: Graduate Association for Food Studies

©Copyright 2015 by the Graduate Association for Food Studies. The GAFS is a graduate student association that helps students doing food-related work publish and gain professionalization. For more information about the GAFS, please see our website at WWW.GRADUATEFOODASSOCIATION.ORG. GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 6 [value] beyond thoseforms thatMarxoutlined:accidental, must appear. Thespectacle isa“theoreticalextension of which istheformin abstract substance theory asitspointofdeparture, particularlythevalue-form, produced anddistributedfoods. commodities andobscuresthepotentialdangersofmass- arguing thatthisopacityaddstothespectacularnatureof of itsscaleandthesourcehorsemeatcontamination, spectacle; and(2)theopacityofsupplychaininterms about informingtheconsumerandmoreproducing commodity anditspackaging,arguingthattheseareless theory ofthespectacle,thisarticlefocuseson(1)food the other. UsingMarx’svaluetheoryandGuy Debord’s unnoticed. OnlyDNAtestingcouldsortonebeingfrom of animals—allowedthehorsemeattominglewithbeef ground up,distributed,andreassembledfromthousands to later)inwhichmeatisproduced—disassembledand (a phenomenologicaltermIwillgive greaterattention contamination extremely challenging.Theproportions number ofsuppliers—madeinvestigating thesourceof of thesupplychain—itsextension inspaceandthedizzying in theEUwerefoundtocontainhorsemeat,butscale Europe madethisvery clear. Nearly200beefproductssold outputs acrosstheglobe.The2013horsemeatscandalin cannot fullycaptureallthemovements ofinputsand quality control,foodinspection,sensortechnologies) proportions. Even ourmediatedformsofoversight (e.g., of industrialfoodproductionthathasreachedinhuman keywords meat scandalposedtoEuropean beef-eaters. the horse far morefatalthananyconcern to risks prone chain leavesus andthesupply price, ofpackaging, the spectacle that I conclude on thespectacle. form thebasisofDebord’stheses as thecommodityandexchange-value such concepts mediate various levelsofcommodity The article circulation and also consumption. draws on Marx’svaluetheory, for how appearances for discussing framework conceptual a useful as itprovides Guy Debord’stheoryofthespectacle, the other.Tofrom being one could sort DNA testing unnoticed—only beef identity, Iuse analyzethiscaseofmistaken in whichmeat is producedallowed the horsemeat the proportions to minglewith extremely challenging.Moreover, chain made meat, investigating thesourcefound tocontainhorsebutthescaleofsupply oftheadulteration sold intheEUwere and retailers.Nearly200beefproducts chain, includinggovernments actors inthefoodsupply abstract of theEUHorseMeatScandal The SpectacularOrigins SIOBHAN WATTERS Debord’s theoryofthespectacle usesMarx’svalue INTRODUCTION | |

This article discusses the implicationsof2013EUhorsemeatbutall scandal, This articlediscusses not onlyforconsumers, spectacle, horsemeatscandal,Debord,supplychain,commodity

We arecurrentlyfacedwithascale value

and explain why itissuchan apttoolforunderstanding Following this,Iintroducetheconcept ofthespectacle surrounding thediscovery ofthehorsemeatadulteration. first provide atimelineanddescriptionofthe events chain andintoourbodiesunnoticed. imagine whatotherinvisibles couldpassthroughthesupply unobserved anduntested acrosstheEU, thenonecanonly can miximperceptiblywithbeeffleshandbedistributed story: Ifsomethingsoseeminglysubstantialashorseflesh had beenoffended.Butthereisyet adarker liningtothis of foodcrimeandthatonlythesensibilitiespublic well. Inthisinstance,itwasjudgedthatanexample it wasanissueoffraud aloneora risk tohumanhealthas adulteration reachedgovernment officialswaswhether bodies. Oneofthefirstconsiderations whennewsofthe they aredistributedthroughthesupplychainandtoour on onesideoftheglobeandincreaseinmagnitudeas its effectsextend tothebody, effects thatmay begin of commodityproductionbutalsotoacknowledgehow is striking:itallowsustoseeariftinthespectacularveil goes muchfurther. Thatiswhy thehorsemeatscandal advertising, andpackaging. of theinvisible worldofvalue,typicallyassociatedwithfilm, the pointwhereitbecomesimage.” spectacle, accordingtoDebord,“iscapitalaccumulated imperceptible and,withoutaform,nonexistent. The concrete formofvalue’s appearance. Value isotherwise expanded, general, andmoney,” The argumentofthisarticleproceeds asfollows:I Though spectaclebelongstotherealmofsight,itsreach 1 money beingthemost 2 Itisavisibleaffirmation 1,000 tonsoffood.” than 4.5million processedproductsrepresenting atleast DNA. which producedanother110positive testsforhorsemeat 7,951 testswerecarriedoutin asecondroundoftesting, the thresholdofwhatisharmful tohumans. rate oflessthan1percent,which isconsideredtobebelow Sixteen productsshowedpositive traces ofbute,butata more thantrace amountsofhorse DNA(thatis,above 1%). of beefproductsontheEUmarket werefoundtocontain tested positive forhorse meat DNA.Putanotherway, 4.66% of , alsoknownas‘bute.’ 193products presence ofhorsemeat,and3,115testedforthe is. Ofthenumberoftestsdescribed,4,144testedfor phenylbutazone, withwhichhorsesaresometimestreated, not consideredharmfultohumanhealth,theantibiotic seven memberstatesoftheEU. and more. Poland, Italy, Germany, Greece,theNetherlands,Austria, the weeksfollowinginitialdiscovery, includingSweden, of countriesalsoreportedfindingsadulterated beefin Romania werenamedofteninthescandal,butalonglist 80-100 percenthorsemeat. . Tests oftheComigelproductshowedittocontain time frozenbeeflasagnasuppliedby theFrench company UK hadalsobeensellingadulterated beefproducts,this that theBritishcompany andfrozenfoodbrand Findus February, areportwasmadetotheEuropeanCommission products, tenwerefoundtocontainhorsemeat. supermarkets. Atthattime,oftwenty-seven tested meat infrozenbeefburgersbeingsoldIrishandBritish 2013, whenfoodinspectorsinIrelanddiscovered horse beef-eaters. any concernthehorsemeatadulteration posedtoEuropean the supplychainleaves uspronetorisksfarmorefatalthan subsequently argue,thespectacleofpackaging,price,and creating ablindspotwithdangerousconsequences.AsI in today’s foodsupplychaingoeslargelyunrecognized, Debord’s theory, Iarguethattherolespectacleplays spectacular natureofthecommodityformiscentral to adulteration anditsfar-reachingconsequences.Whilethe in creatingtheconditionsforthissingleinstanceoffood (arguably, aformofpackaging),andthesupplychainplayed analyzing inparticulartherolethatfoodpackaging,price of commodityproductionthatcontributedtothescandal, the scandal.Ithenbreakdownspectacularelements Initially, 7,259testswerecarriedoutacrossthetwenty- THE SCANDAL 9 Overall, “thehorse-for-beef switchaffectedmore 6 3 10

The scandaldatesbacktoJanuary 5 TheUK,Ireland,France, and 7 Whilehorsemeatis 8 Afurther 4 Inearly previous anxietyinEurope. encephalopathy, alsoknownasmadcowdisease,asourceof heighten theriskoftransmission ofbovine spongiform had agreaterchanceofcontainingbonefragments, which mechanically separated muttononitspremises,becauseit another instance,Spangheroisalsosaidtohave banned of horsemeatasbeefover aperiodofsixmonths. that Spangheroknowinglysoldapproximately 750tons it, andshippeditoutasbeef. French authoritiesallege consensus isthatSpangheroreceived horsemeat,relabeled suppliers ofitsbeefmeathadcommittedfraud, butthe these arrests,SpangheromaintainedthattheRomanian same facilities, and thus,therewasanimplication thatsuch contamination. Beefandpigmeatmay beprocessed inthe (FSAI) lacked thehorror associatedwiththehorsemeat chief executive ofthe Food SafetyAuthorityofIreland came tothepigmeatcontamination, thereactionof tested positive forpigDNA:twenty-threetotal.When it broke ofhorsemeatcontamination,farmoreproducts error. Oftheinitialtwenty-seven testswhennewsfirst the halalmeatscareswereconsideredanissueofhuman these discoveries. Unlike the horsemeatscandal,however, investigation andcircuitoffinger-pointing followedon of aLondon schoollunchprogram. Asimilarlabyrinthine about -contaminatedhalalsausagesserved aspart positive forporkDNA. Muslim prisonershadbeenserved halalmealsthattested horse meatscandal,reportsemergedfromaUKprisonthat with cultural ordietaryrestrictions.Intheearlydays ofthe for riskoffood-borneillnessorcontaminationbutthose were purposively adulterated. that they aremislabeled,containunintendedingredients,or products failauthenticitytestingtosomedegree,meaning 2014 articlein in foodadulteration intheEUandaroundworld.A horse meatscandalonlyrevealed whatisalready atrend insists furtherthatafoodcrimeunitbeestablished,asthe its pronenesstoincidencesof‘foodcrime.’ the opaqueanddistributednatureofsupplychain Elliott arguedthatgreaterattentionneedstobepaid government inresponsetothescandal, theauthorChris consumer confidence.Inareportcommissioned by theUK arrest ofeightmanagersinSeptember2013. fraud andmislabelingoffoodproducts,culminatinginthe has sincebeeninvestigated onchargesofaggravated meat camefromtheFrench supplierSpanghero,which adulteration, theFrench company Comigelsaidthehorse Overall, thescandalwasconsideredacrisisof Originally targetedasthemainculpritof The Guardian 16 Following that,reportsweremade 13 statedthatone-thirdoffood 15 Thisisaconcernnotonly 14 Indeed,Elliott 11 Priorto 12 In

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 7 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 8 debated labeling regulationsintheEUsuggest that little otherchoice. view, consumers constrained by thewagerelationaregiven only interestedinprice,” and fromthisauthor’spointof as oneBritishbutcherstatedso succinctly, consumers“are been thecasefollowingBSEoutbreakinBritain. their previous purchasing habitsonlymonthsafter, ashad Drescher etal.’s findings,consumersstartedtoreturn in theimmediateaftermathofscandal,consistentwith Indeed, whileBritishbutcherssaw freshmeatsalesincrease factors suchasincome,workschedule,andeducation. decisions, whicharedeterminedmoreby socioeconomic be loworhigh,donotultimatelyaffectoverall purchasing levels ofconsumertrustinprocessedmeat,whetherthey of 9,000Canadianhouseholds,Drescheretal.showthat of agricultural trade.” that processedfoods“are thefastestgrowingcategory identified asimportanttoconsumers”andconsequently “convenience infoodproductionhasbeenclearly processed meat,LarissaDrescheretal.showthat one another. to exist: Thesecontradictory regimesshapeandstabilize In away, Food fromSomewhereneedsFood fromNowhere in animport-heavy economy isnearimpossibletoachieve. and, particularlyintheUK,foodssourcedBritain,which efforts ofsupermarkets tostockFoods fromSomewhere itself tobeoperating atfullstrengthdespitethelatest scandal. Indeed,thehigh-input,lowcostparadigm revealed Nowhere reareditsugly, equineheadinthehorsemeat regulation isconsideredtobestrongest,Food from like such asMichaelPollen, EricSchlosser, anddocumentaries standards andrepresentedinthemainstreamby authors Somewhere” regime. in theemergenceofsubsequentlytermed“Food from crises relatingtoobesityandmalnutritionhave culminated recently, foodscares,adistrustofscience,andso-called techniques complicitinlow-costproduction. relations, geographic scale,andquestionableprocessing from Nowhere” tendstoobscuretheexploitative labour agriculture andanemphasisoncheapproduce. which ismarked by high-input,outsourced,industrial for ittomake itsway accidentallyintothesupplychain. food intheUKandIreland,sothereisnoplausibleway was ananomalyonlybecauseitisnottypicallyproducedfor accidents areboundtoandclearly Reports produced inthewake ofthescandalthat Despite increasingconsumerskepticism around The scandalepitomizesthepost-warfoodregime, Food, Inc . Nevertheless, even intheEU, wherefood 21 25 20 22 Thisistypified by EUlabeling Moreover, using anationalsurvey do happen. 19 17 More 18 Horsemeat This“Food 24 For, 23

further exacerbated by theglobaldivisionoflabor. alienation ofhumansfromtheproductstheirlaborand reality oftheirproduction,andwhichisaneffectthe among allcommoditieswhichobscurestheconcrete The commodityfetishisasupersensuousrelationship as themeansby whichwe may attaineverything welack. fetish, valorizingtheprocessofexchange andpresentingit it totheimagesthatdraw usfurtherintothecommodity takes Marx’sdescriptionofthecommodity andextends to sourcemeatfromlocalfarms,consumerswereclearly as retailersendeavored tomake goodontheirpromises in years previous tothescandal,a3%decline. wallets, purchasinglessredmeatinvolume thanthey had scandal, itwouldappearthatconsumersvoted withtheir costs oflabeling. labeling, consumerswereprojectedtobear91%ofthe transmitted totheconsumer.” producers, whileabout88%oftheextra costs[wouldbe] the extra costsforlabeling[wouldbe] transmitted tothe it wasreportedthat“on average intheEU27about12%of published areportonimproving porkcommoditylabeling, global commodity production,i.e.thespatially dispersed horse meatscandal doisreveal the divisionsthatunderlie society andasameansofunification.” spectacle appearsatonceassociety itself, asapartof supply chain.Debordstatesfurther inThesis3that“the virtual collapseofdistancesthat markourglobalfood subject throughappearance aswellparticipates inthe becomes thatwhichunifiesthealienatedanddivided logical development ofthecommodityfetish,spectacle directly lived hasbecomemererepresentation.” an immenseaccumulationofspectacles.Allthatoncewas modern conditionsofproductionprevail presentsitselfas 1. Itreads:“Thewholelifeofthosesocietiesinwhich is adetournementoftheopeningtoMarx’s if notbigger, indeterminingconsumerbehavior. more), showingthatpriceplayed asbigaroleprovenance, consumers werepaying moreperpound(anaverage of7% beef purchasedin2013may have dropped,butBritish bearing thecostofheightenedregulation.Thevolume of producers orconsumers. transparency andtracking inthesupplychaineitherfallon desire indollarterms?Afterall,thecostsofincreasing desire andbehavior orsimplyaninabilitytopursuethat decisions. but thatsuchdesiresdonotfactorintotheirpurchasing consumers wanttheirproductsmarked withoriginlabeling THE SPECTACLE 26 Isthereadiscrepancyherebetweenconsumer 29 Notably, intheyear followingthe

Thesis 1of 27 WhentheEuropeanCommission 28 For poultrycommodity The SocietyoftheSpectacle 34 Whatevents like the Capital, 30 However, 31 32

Debord 33 vol. A invasion, itisnosurprisethatthenew campaign placed horse meatinTesco products wastoutedasaforeign Since thisaccusationproved tobetrue,andbecausethe “having adisturbingignorance ofitsownsupplychain.” was accusedby theanti-poverty group War onWant of production anddistribution.Previous tothescandal, associated withitsmovement throughvariousstagesof of acommodity’sproductionandthehistoryownership qualities offood,aswellprovenance, thatis,thelocation on pricetoamorespectacularmeditationthesensuous this campaign,Tesco moved away fromitsformeremphasis campaign, called“Love Every Mouthful”(Figure2).With indeed, Tesco respondedtothescandal withanewad horse meatscandalreveal tobepartialandseparate, and characterize capitalistfood production. glosses over themany divisionsanddeparturesthat or inthiscaseorigin,islost.Thisimmanentstateofarrival the effectof“arriving” atmarket. Thesenseofdeparture, it moves withouttheknowledgeofman andmerelyhas is producedatsuchdistances,andacrossdivides,that terms ofPaul Virilio’s conceptofarrival: may idealize. manageable supplychaintheEUorgoverning bodies like it found tocontainup100%horsemeat. F animal onitssurface. carcasses, butpresentingimagesofthewhole,unified nature ofitscontents—assembledfromnumberlessbeef frozen spaghettibolognese(Figure1)beliedthecomposite was adulterated. Thepackagingof, forexample, Tesco’s the dividednatureofmechanicallyseparated meatthat fraudulent labelingofhorsemeatasbeef, nottomention points ofproductionthattogethercontributedtothe igure The spectaclecanquicklysuturewhatevents like the The event alsounderminesany senseofaunifiedand 1. Packages ofTesco’s Everyday Value spaghettibolognesewere 35 Considerthesupplychainanditsopacityin P hoto : 36

The Guardian Thecommodity (UK) 37

negates thecontents ofthepackagethatare considered too to Debord,asthe packagingofafoodcommodity likewise adulteration. Thespectacleisthenegationoflife,according predominatelyimpacted by thehorsemeat plastic packagingofconvenience foods,like thefrozen packaging itself, especiallythevery opaque paperand also adescriptionofthespectacular natureofcommodity packaging forourimpoverished lifeundercapital;itis sense oftheword,and(2)supplychain. packaging andprice,whichisalsotosay valueinMarx’s will considerthisrationality fromtwopointsofview:(1) general glossthathidestherationality ofthesystem.I spectacle isaformofpackagingforthecommodity, a played inthescandal.Afterall,Debordstatesthat food thatwasthefocusofscandal. as beingatotaldeflection away fromthefrozen,low-price every picker, every baker” asoneofitsadsclaims—aswell that Tesco hascontrolover itssupplychain—”every farmer, “Love Every Mouthful”isanattempttoshowconsumers more emphasisonproduceofBritishprovenance. Ineffect, out asanaptstartingpointforadiscussionofpackaging: July 2013. F igure Here, Debordstatesthatthespectacleis Let usconsiderfurthertherolespectaclearguably PACKAGING ANDPRICE day society. objects, thespectacleischiefproduct ofpresent- the manufacture ofanever-growing massofimage- advanced economic sector directly responsible for gloss ontherationality ofthesystem,andas produced astheyare nowproduced, as ageneral 2. Tesco introduceditsnew“Love Every in campaign Mouthful” As theindispensablepackaging forthings 38

Debord’s Thesis15stands

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 9 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 10 physical form.Itrather comesintobeingthrough theactof however, does notissuefromacommodity’snatural, is, asanindicatoroftheproduct’s materialworth.Value, ($5.99 forafrozenpizza)asintrinsic totheuse-value,that to thecommodityfetish,wemistake valueinitsprice-form use-value, thoughpackagingmakes thismoredifficult.Due only perceive thesensuous object,thatis,thecommodity’s form oftheproduct.Duringmomentexchange wecan the truerelationsobjectifiedinnatural body orconcrete relation theconsumerbearstoaproduct,anditobscures form ofpackagingandanagentthespectacle.Priceis the illusionofintrinsicvalueincommoditiesbutisitselfa in [thecommodity].” “the money-name of thequantityofsociallaborobjectified is theconsumer-facingimageofvalue,or, inMarx’swords bodies inwhichvalueappears,itsvalue-form.Price,too, product). the principaldisplay panel(theforward-facingsideofa of thefood,andnetquantityaproductbeincludedon The FDA, forinstance,onlymandatesthatthebrand, name sides ofapackagenotimmediatelyvisibletotheconsumer. over nutritionallabeling,whichisalmost always locatedon product’s packaging,brand andimagerytake precedence than thecontents.Inhierarchy ofinformationona object becomesthethingdesired,packagerather part ofthisspectacularunity. “in themindofconsumer;”Iwouldaddthatpriceisa nature ofspectacularpackaging—“fuses” withtheproduct promise” and—inlanguagethatpointstotheunifying purchase. and, intoday’s retailenvironment, accelerate therate of store, packagingwassupposedtobea“silentsalesman” to establishprovenance. the brand orthenameofproduct’smaker, andintended communicative purposewasproprietary, thatis,displaying commodity, andtocommunicate.Historically, packaging’s unspoiled untilthetimeofitssale. commodity, solongasitispreserved intransit andremains to thenutritionalcontentorwholesomenessofafood for value.Thecapitalistasfoodproducermay beindifferent concrete form;theuse-valueisseenmerelyasacontainer to whatshapeacommoditytakes, thatis,itsuse-valueor other animals)butaboutprofit.Thecapitalistisindifferent production, whichisnolongeraboutfeedingpeople(and it glossesover therationality ofthesystemfood the circumstanceofitsproduction. banal oraretooopaquetocommunicateaswellnegating Both thepackageandcontentsofacommodityare The purposeofpackagingistoprotectandpreserve a 43 41 “Thepackagingdesign 44 Price,morethanpackaging,creates 40 Withtheriseofself-service 42 Increasingly, theimage-

… articulatesthebrand’s 39 Moreimportantly, objectivity ofvaluesupersedesany consideration ofthe from itsstiffandstarchy existence asabody.” the commodity’s“sublimeobjectivityasavaluediffers price beforeallelse,themiddlemandemonstrates how profit by substitutinghorsemeatforbeef. Byconsidering between meatcommoditieswhenhecanrealizemore price isalsowhatappearstothemiddlemanchoosing with. AsIwilldiscusswithreferencetothesupplychain, material expense ofthecommoditiesweareconfronted price ofacommoditymisrepresentthetruehumanand package ofacommodityanditscontents,sotoocanthe be atotaldivorce betweenwhatiscommunicatedonthe or theconditionsofitsmanufacture.Justastherecan circumstances whollyunrelatedtotheparticularuse-value on aconcrete,physical objectbutisdeterminedby phenomenon. Thepriceofacommodityisprojected with oneanother. exchange whentwocommoditiesarebroughtintorelation necessity, ortragedy of ourrelationshiptothesefoods can foremost option formealsinsidethehome. Americans, processedprepackaged foodshave becomethe precedence over metabolicreproduction.For 90percentof the caseoffoodslike these, capitalistreproductiontakes to theprocessesusedmake theproductshelf-stable.In consumed quickly, butwhichisalsonutrient-deprived due which canbeturnedover rapidly asacommodityand consider thepromotionofready-madeconvenience food, buy andpreparewhole,nutritiousfoods. their incomeorworkschedulesundercutabilityto have littlechoicebuttopurchaselow-priced itemsbecause particular, respondtolowprices.Minimum-wage workers that consumersingeneral, andlow-income consumersin such asTesco intheUKandWalMart worldwide,know the manufacturinganddistributionsectors. increasingly powerfulcomparedtotheircounterpartsin It haslongbeenacknowledgedthatretailershave grown retailers whoincreasinglysetthepriceonfoodproducts. the horsemeatscandal,andtodoso,wemustturn divided andutterlydisassociated. concrete andabstract innature,withthosenaturesbeing the commodity:tobebothqualitative andquantitative, or abstract sociallabor.” labor becomestheformormanifestationofitsopposite, implicated ineachproduct.Theuse-valueor“concrete any ethicalrelationshipbetweenthemyriad individuals their provenance, orregulatoryconsequences, letalone ontological-physiological differenceofthesesubstances, Value, accordingtoMarx,isasocialandabstract We candiscusswhatrolepricemay have played in 46 Thisisoneofthecontradictions of 47 49 Onemustalso 50 48 Thepopularity, Retailers, 45 The held assumption thatconsumerdemandstructures the power doesnot lieattheindividuallevel, despitethelong- applies aptlytothefoodsupply chain. moment shiftedfromthelocal tothegloballevel,” andthis infrastructure, wehave seen“thepivotal evaluative biases ofglobalITandthe distributionoftechnical this below).AlfHornborgstatesthat,duetotheinherent beef products,wereofthevery sameorigin;moreon (which, inthecaseofbrand-differentiated adulterated as relatestotheconstituentingredientsofthoseproducts sprawling heterogeneityonstoreshelves implies,especially food purchases,haslessagencythantheappearance of make purchasingdecisionsinavacuumand,thecaseof already madeinproduction.” spectacle isthe“omnipresent affirmationofthechoice realize profitquicklyandrepeatedly. Debordsays thatthe a low-costitemthatcanbeproducedenmasse,soasto low-income customers.Inreality, thesecompaniespursue and pricefocusarenotperformedoutofconcernfortheir human consumption. meat categorizedasfitonlyforanimalfeedispackaged unsanctioned suppliersoreven adulteration, suchaswhen could indicatethatitsjourney tomarket may have included Elliott suggests,alowerpriceforprepacked, mincedbeef of priceisrelevant inthesphereofproduction,aswell.As as wasthecasewithhorsemeatscandal.Theoptics their foodproductsthatultimatelyhave nefariousorigins, suppliers wherethey seekoutlowerpricesfortheinputsto may risetotheoccasion.Thismay createasituationfor under thoseconditions,butonecanimaginethatothers unit cost. requiring theuseoflow-grade meattoachieve suchalow asked asuppliertoproducethirty-pence‘gourmet’burger, of aninstanceintheUnitedKingdomwhereacompany successful. Inhisreportonthescandal,Elliottalsolearned priced frozenpizzaretailingatthetime. pound frozenpizza—fiftypencecheaperthanthelowest work withthesupplierNorthernFoods toproduceaone- grocery retailerintheUnitedKingdom,,wasableto during production.” in price-form,isoftenalready“taken intoconsideration it, aproduct’scharacter asavalue,orinthiscase,itsvalue their partnersinmanufacturingandsupply. AsMarxputs efficiencies requiredtoproducethatcheapaproductfrom they wishtooffertheircustomersanddemandthecost both thespheresofproductionandconsumption. be understoodasanaspectofthedeskillingthatpervades Tesco andothercompanies’cost-cuttingmeasures Retailers alsohave thepowertoconceive ofaprice 54 Thesupplierdeclinedtoprovide theproduct 52 For example, thesecond-largest 55

56 Theconsumerdoesnot 57 Decision-making 53 Thisventure was 51

filler andpreservative forprocessedfoodproducts;and source offeedinindustrialmeatproduction;serves asa for directhumanconsumption,ithasalsobecomeaprolific that is,asvariouscommodities. multiplying thepointsofexchange asasubstrate forvalue, production becauseitisparticularlyconvenient for of industry. Cornisubiquitousinthemarketplace and overproduced toprovide acheapinputforseveral sectors reveal moreaboutthe ‘negatives’ inprocessedfoods.” labeling initiatives thatmightmake foodcompanies an effortto“preempttheFDA’s front-of-packagingfood- Marion Nestlecalledthesevoluntary labelingprograms Food andDrugAdministration. circumvent stricterpoliciesbeingimposed onthemby the labeling systemsAmericancompanieshave adoptedto Wynonah Hauter’s unadulterated, healthy, safe,andtransparent products. producers having tobeartheresponsibilityofproducing only given achoice ofspectacles(commodities), rather than responsibility ofchoosinglieswiththeconsumer, who is focus ofthispaperiswhat out infactsandfiguresforthe eye tosee.Ofcourse,the righteously pointtotheirpackagingaslaying everything worth buyingisuptotheconsumer, andcompaniescan ingredients andprocesses.Whetherornotthesefoodsare choice betweenbrands andproductsmadewithvery similar conscious. to anew, value-addingtechniqueofwhichwewerenot have formedonourownwhen,really, weareresponding of countlessexamples oftastesweareledtobelieve we produce massamountsofmeatcommodities. that donotnaturally digestthesubstanceinorderto if itisavirtueinitself. Cornfeedwasimposed onanimals are presentedwithanattributeofcurrentfoodproductsas advertised “grain-fed” beef(or chicken, andnowfish),we is moreandproducedforbiofuels.Whenweare production. became, andremains,anear-universal commodityfor in recordyieldsofcornthemid-twentiethcentury, corn ubiquitous substance,corn. we may thinkisourpersonalchoice.Here,Irefertothat individual consumeragencyandcomestoinformwhat of howglobalindustrialagricultureinterestssupersedes retailer’s desire. manufacturers andsuppliersleftscrambling tofulfillthe market. Thechoice,today, oftenlieswithretailers, Packages becomebusy withweightsandmeasures of Choice atthelevel oftheconsumerisoften only a When advancementsinagricultural techniquesresulted 62 59

Itisacommoditycrop,like wheatorsoybeans, 58 Let usbrieflyconsideronesuch example Foodopoly not describesthevoluntary 63 60 seen onthepackage.The NutritionprofessorDr. Notonlyiscornaproduct 61 Itisone 64

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 11 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 12 F (Figure 3). mechanically separated meatusedtomake productslike it intended todo. of cowsonTesco’s horse-contaminatedproducts were in thepositive formofanimage,as,forexample, theimages divided nature;thespectacleresolves thosecontradictions Latour—that resolves thecontradictions ofacommodity’s form—a “presentabsence,” toborrowatermfromBruno total picture.Indeed,thecommodityfetishtakes anegative is merelyaphotonegative, anundeveloped glimpseofthe made andconvenience foodmanufacture;thepackaging of farm-fresh,butcheredjoints,andtheinputsready- between theconceptofbeef, theimagesitconjures up of force.Butthereremainsahugerepresentationalgap to thelimitsofmaterialbreakdown andtheimposition production, thatmediationisfarmoreprofound,taken it wasandthethingisintendedtobe.Inindustrialmeat imposed uponafoodobjectmediatebetweenthethingthat emphasized, theproducersandretailers. individual aportionisdesiredby theconsumeror, asIhave “beef,” andthento“steak”or“ground”whatever more hand andmouth,sothecowascategorygives way to of acertain“proportion” tobemanageableby thehuman being amongotherbeings. the proportionofanobjectdeterminesitsstatusasa From theimperceptiblylargetosmall, relationship totheway wedefinecategoriesofbeing. of Being”:Thereisaphenomenological,perceptual deter thecustomerfrompurchasingit. contents negateany qualityofitsproductionthatmight the spectacle,thesepositive attestationstoaproduct’s nutritional orharmfulthosecontentsare.Consistentwith constituent ingredients,butwithoutany context astohow igure THE SUPPLY CHAIN 3. USDA image ofmechanicallyseparated beef. 68 Comparethisimagewithanofthe

“Proportions arethelimit 66 Food objectsalsoneedtobe 67 Theproportions 65

retailers madeaboutthesuperiorityoftheirproduct,for products, breakingdownany claimsthatthevarious the substratum ofarelatively highnumberofcompeting mixing ofdiverse bodies,anddividedonceagain,became of adulteration. Thematerialthatwasmass-processed,a products inEuropeweretouchedby asingularinstance was broughttotheforewhenitbecameclearthatsomany packaging. Withthehorsemeatscandal,thishomogeneity qualitative homogeneityoffoodproductsaremasked by late.” of thepoverty ofitsproduction,standsrevealed too too. Atthispointitsessentialpoverty, thenatural outcome home by aconsumer—andhenceby allotherconsumers “evaporates intovulgarityassoontheobjectistaken to Debord,the“spectacularprestige” ofthecommodity pervades every aspectofthesupplychain.According of capital,andthevisibleformittakes asthespectacle, manufacturing toemphasizethatthedivisive nature consumption, it couldsellforatleastthreepounds fifty pound perkilogram, whereasifrepackagedasfit forhuman example, Category 3animalby-product would sellforone profit wouldbe very highfortheoffendingmiddleman. For products destinedforhumanconsumption. only suitableforanimalconsumption, makes itsway into instances whereCategory3food,whichtheEUstatesis instance ifporkissubstitutedforbeef. Elliottalsodescribes as cheapercommoditiescanbesoldathigherprices,for intervention occurred somewhereinthesupplychain, mislabeled foods,itislikely thatdeliberate human little like theanimalfleshfromwhichthey aremade. makes themripeforadulteration, asthey already lookso the sametime,stateofmechanicallyseparated efficiencies neededtoproduceatsuchalowcost. at setprices,makingthemresponsibleforachieving the puts adownward pressureonsupplierstoprovide products power ofretailersinsettingthetermstheircontracts acknowledges, asIhave described,thattheincreased and theorganizationofpowerinsupplychain.He rooted inthenatureofindustrialmeatproduction contributing tothehorsemeatadulteration thatare it toHongKong. at leastadozenEUcountries,theproductshadeven made Not onlywerehorsemeat–contaminatedproductsfoundin that thereachofcontaminationisvast,potentiallyglobal. distributed natureoffoodproductionandsupplymeans all oftheproductscontainedvery samemeat.The I meditateonthisclose-upofindustrialfood While somesuppliersmay bedupedintobuying In hisreport,Elliottoutlinedafewofthecircumstances 69 Theoftensickly, hyper-processed appearance and 70 72 Themarginof 71 At ingredients. There isalsosomethingtobesaid forproducts UK productsare adulterated orcontainuncommunicated and whoknowswhatelse.Asalready mentioned,athirdof had seenandpurchasedbeef, butthebodywasfedhorse— scandal makes clear. UnsuspectingEuropeanconsumers reaches insidethebodyaswell asout,whichthehorsemeat untested. labeling forgranted andprocessed itintofoodproducts, blocks, foodmanufacturersintheEUtookmeatsupply with meatbeingeasiertotestoncethawed fromthefrozen and chemicalrinsesatalaterstageintheprocess. of introducingbacteria-killingtechniqueslike irradiation at anearlierpointinproductionisdispensedwithfavor but alsofromatechnicalpointofview, whereinspection more inspectorsremoved fromfoodprocessing plants, extensively asacost-cuttingmeasure,seeingmoreand Point system.IntheUnitedStates,HACCP hasbeenused called HACCP: theHazardAnalysisandCriticalControl the supplychainwasdeveloped intheUnitedStates. Itis F wake ofthescandal. accounting andonlyturnedtotestingrealproductsinthe addition, theEUfoodsupplychainreliesheavily onpaper contents. They arealsooftenhandledmechanically, andin often wrapped inlayers ofplasticthatfurtherobscurethe very definitionofopaque,beingimpenetrable by eye and into themix. cheaper speciesoraddingredoffal,suchasheartandlungs, blocks appearhigherqualityby mixingthemwithmeatfrom easy tomake thelow-qualitytrimmeatcontainedinthese mechanically separated meatareshipped(Figure4).Itis opacity inthecoldstorage facilitieswherelargeblocksof the possibilityoffraud intheirproduct’shistory. commodity shouldalsoalertsuppliersanddistributorsto per kilogram. Elliottsays thatatoo-lowpriceonany meat igure CONCLUSION: CONSEQUENCES The systemtheEUusestomonitorandqualitycontrol Elliott identifiesanimportantsiteofpotentialfraud and 4. Frozen separated blocksofmechanically beef. 74 Theblocksthemselves, whenfrozen,arethe

75

The spectacle 73

76 Even business thatcontaminationsandproductrecallspose. events like thehorsemeatscandal.Oneisriskto products thatarethemosteasilyadulterated. food fraud orcontamination,sincethey areforcedtobuy that low-incomepeoplearemostoftenthevictimsof mass-produced andprocessedproduct—Elliottcommented meat scandal—andwecanseethisistrueforany cheap, masquerades asmorethanittrulyis.Intermsofthehorse associated withspectacularfood,whichistosay, foodthat victims, andnotonlybecauseoftheusualhealthrisks low-income peoplearethespectacle’s mostfrequent day canstillbeconsideredmalnourished.For thisreason, who isfedwithpackaged,processedfoodsthroughoutthe terms ofquantitybutnotinnutrition.Someone how peoplemay beabletofeedthemselves adequatelyin and abundanceoffoodstuffs,wemusttake accountof or poseharmfuleffectsforthebody. Despitetheubiquity that aremarketed asfoodandyet bearnonutritionalvalue in theseexamples andthehorsemeat scandalisthatlittle total of3,500different products. supplied 275differentcompanies, whichhadtorecalla had never beeninspectedpriortotheoutbreak.Theplant was traced backtoasingleprocessingplantinGeorgiathat in forty-threestatesandkilled ninepeople.Theoutbreak outbreakinpeanutproductsaffectedpeople of thousandscasesillnessnationwide. In2008,a traceable casesofsalmonella poisoning,withlinkstotens were recalledafterhaving causedatleasttwothousand 2010, 500millioneggsproducedinonlytwoIowafacilities crossed statelinesandaffectedthousandsofpeople.In an extensive listofoutbreaksintheUnitedStatesthat processed andrecombined.In commodities travel andthedegreetowhichthey are widely distributed,duetoboththedistancesthatfood single instanceofcontaminationoradulteration canbe supply chainposesthelargestrisktohumanbodies,asa ingest potentiallyharmfulfoodproducts.Thescaleofthe inevitable, ascontaminationisalreadyconsideredtobe. retailers toconsiderfraudulent labelingandadulteration as The horsemeatscandalhaspromptedfoodsuppliersand possibility intoday’s foodsupplychain,arenotstandard. again, isconsideredtobeanongoingandincreasing However, insurance assessmentsforfoodcrime,which, proven harmfultohumanhealthandmust berecalled. insurance tocover themininstanceswhereaproductis the UnitedKingdom,have riskassessmentprofilesand Retailers, especiallythoseaslargeTesco orAsdain There aretwokindsofriskdebatedinthewake of The otherriskIspeakofisthatposedtothosewho Foodopoly 79 Thestrikingconsistency , Hauterprovides 77

78

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 13 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 14 the humanin productionanddistribution ofproducts accelerating theway ofexchange whilenegatingtheroleof substitutes areenlistedinthe spectacle, smoothingand the benefitoftechnicalsubstitutes.” as expressed the fearthatweare“about toloseourstatus working inourbestinterest. trust thattechnicalsystemsaresuperiortous,benign,and told to“letthesystemwork.” these primarilypaperaccountingsystems,inspectorsare developed intheUnitedStatesupuntilscandal.Under United Kingdomusedthesamesystemof“oversight” The Americancontext isrelevant, consideringthatthe down productionlinesaswellopportunitiesforprofit. the discovery ofadulteration andcontaminationcanshut around inAmericandiscussionsoffoodinspections,as describes how“job-killing”rhetoricisoftenthrown most importantmaterialstooursurvival:food.Hauter rendering usinactive intheproductionofone The spectaclestakes aneven greaterclaimonthehuman, development thatcaterstoprofits rather thanpeople. radically reduced,replacedwithpaperaccounting,a rule. Debordsays, decline inoversight asthespectaclesecuresits the horsemeatscandalisthereaproportionate majority oralloftheproducthasbeenconsumed. consumers oftenarenotalertedtothefactuntil when testingdoesproduceevidence ofcontamination, in termsofstoppinganoutbreakfromspreading.Infact, to indicatehumanrisk,andthatitisoftentoolittlelate production, thata“sightless”systemlike HACCP istrusted or nooversight occursattheoriginalsiteofprocessingor eyewitness[es] Writing several decadesafterDebord,Virilio The human’s roleinoverseeing productionhasbeen What becomesevident asonelookscloserat activity isbanned. rationality ofproduction needs andresults; indeeditisitselfaproduct ofthe uneasy andworshipfulsubjectiontoproduction’s activity: itremains inthrall tothatactivity, inan is bynomeansemancipatedfrom productive of non-work,inactivity. Suchinactivity, however, leading edgeofthesystem’s evolution—into arealm principal workisbeingtransformed atlastthe associated inearliersocietieswithanindividual’s that fundamentalarea ofexperience whichwas of production, whoseproduct isseparation itself, Owing tothevery successofthisseparated system oftangiblereality, onceandforall,to 81

… withinthespectacleall 82 Asever, wearesupposedto 83 Suchtechnical 80

like theadditionofpackagingthatdefinitively advertised and facilityoforigin.Further manufacturingprocesses, the EU’sprotracted supplychainobscuredthecountry allowed horsemeattoeasilymasquerade asbeef, while become. Thepulverizing mechanismsofmeatprocessing opaque thenatureoffoodproductionanddistributionhas spectacular origins,isexemplary forshowingjusthow price andpackaging.Thehorsemeatscandal,withits that everyone, inasense,fallsvictimtothespectacleof risk inevents like these,thisarticlehasattemptedtoshow government andretailers.Whileconsumersbearthemost but forallactorsinthefoodsupplychain,including of theEUhorsemeatscandal,notonlyforconsumers and tasteaproductbeforepurchasingit. substitute fortheindividualconsumer’sabilitytosee,touch, with itspicturesandinformationpanels,becomesa merely ameansofcirculatingvalue.Even foodpackaging, which areforusthemeansofsubsistencebutcapital 6. Ibid. Consumers: Food, 5. EuropeanCommission,“Q&A onhorsemeat,” Healthand DNA foundinsomebeefburger products,” 2013. 4. Food SafetyAuthority ofIreland,“FSAIsurvey findshorse 2012), 143. Wynonah Hauter, continued useofrapid growthhormones inbeefproduction. US isfarlessstringentwithregulation,forexample, withits is interestinggenerally asafoilfor EUfoodpolicy, sincethe I alsodiscusstheAmericancontext inafewinstances,which Kingdom. Hence,IwillrefertopricesusingBritishcurrency. duction andsupplyand,even morespecifically, theUnited 3. ThisarticlefocusesontheEuropeancontext offoodpro 2008), 24. 2. GuyDebord, rell5_2.html. http://www.uta.edu/huma/agger/fastcapitalism/5_2/Wor Critical TheoryoftheSpectacle,” 1. MarkP. Worrel, “TheCultofExchange Value andthe ENDNOTES capital. inequities concretisedandreproducedby thetopologiesof The scandaltrulyliesinourcontinueddisavowal ofthe human folly, attributabletoindividualgreedorignorance. The irony isinourassumptionthatthescandalamarkof the contentsas“beef,” addedinsulttospectacularinjury. The pointofthisarticlewastodiscusstheimplications The SocietyofSpectacle Foodopoly Europa , 2013. (NewYork: TheNewPress, Fast Capitalism (Brooklyn:Zone, 5.2(2009), - - Michael Harris and RimmaShiptsova, “Consumer Demand Values Food IndustryandMeat Purchases,” 22. LarissaDrescheretal.,“Consumer’s StatedTrust inthe 21. Ibid.,317. 20. Ibid.,309. and HumanValues backs, andthe‘Food fromSomewhere’ Regime?,” Theory: Corporate Environmentalism, EcologicalFeed 19. HughCampbell,“BreakingNewGroundinFood Regime Elsevier, 2005). ed. Frederick ButtelandPhillipMcMichael(Amsterdam: gimes,” talism: SocialMovements andtheEmergenceofFood Re 18. HarrietFriedmann, “From ColonialismtoGreenCapi 17. Food SafetyAuthorityofIreland,“FSAIsurvey.” tion scandal,” prisoners foundtocontainporkinlatestmeatcontamina 16. LucyCrossley, “Halalpiesandpastiesgiven toMuslim 7, 2014. show thirdofproductsmislabeled,” 15. Felicity Lawrence, “Fake-food scandalrevealed astests ment oftheUnitedKingdom,2013. Food SupplyNetworks—InterimReport,” Elliott, “ElliottReview intotheIntegrityandAssurance of 14. EuropeanCommission,“Q&A onhorsemeat.” Chris March 20,2013. 13. “BannedBritishmuttonseizedinFrance,” 12. Ibid. September 10,2013. Spanghero managersover horsemeatscandal,” 11. RadioFrance Internationale,“French policearrest beef scamresponsibility.” 10. Ruitenberg,“Horse-meatsuspectSpangherodenies test results.” 9. EuropeanCommission,“Commission publishesEuropean February 15,2013. Spanghero deniesbeefscamresponsibility,” daily dose.” RudyRuitenberg,“Horse-meatsuspect tainted horsemeataday toconsumecloseahuman’s 8. “A personwouldhave toeat500600burgersofpure leases, test resultsonhorseDNAandPhenylbutazone,” PressRe 7. EuropeanCommission,“Commission publishesEuropean 29(2012):509. Onthispoint,Drescheretal. citeJ. Europa New

Directions intheSociologyof Global Daily MailUK , 2013. 26 (2009):311. , February 2,2013. The Guardian Agriculture andHuman Gov.Uk. Bloomberg The Telegraph

Development RFI English , February , Agriculture

Govern - , - - - - - , , ,

are likewise mediatedby thecommodityform. reproduce themselves (througheatingandleisure), which the wagelaborrelationbutalsoinways inwhichthey under capitalismaresubjecttocoercion,mostobviously in ceeds ontheassumptionthattosomedegree,allpeople 25. “Boomforbutchers,” July5,2013.Thisargumentpro bridge, Alberta. Conference (2004),Lethbridge CommunityCollege,Leth Value Chain:InsightsfromtheUK,” presentedtotheTiffin Fearne, “Post-bse ImpactsontheBeefIndustryand meat scandal,” 24. “Boomforbutchersdiesdownsixmonthsafterhorse 23. Drescheretal.,“Consumer’s StatedTrust,” 510,515. no. 1(September2006):149-160. styles withRegardtoMeatConsumption,” and KlausG.Grunert,“Future Trends andConsumerLife is, tobesold.Alongside theseevents, theincreasingspe humans began producing itemsforsomeoneelse’s use,that items fordirect,personaluse, to market economies,where living, wherehumansproduced foodandvariousother consistent withtheincreasing move away fromsubsistence possibly pinpointingthehistorical originsofthefetish,itis of theirlaborisahistoricalone. Whilethereisnoway of mans comeintoafetishizedrelationshipwiththeproducts the workplace,andasconsumers.Theprocessby whichhu subjects aroundwhichhumansorganizethemselves, bothin of thecommodityfetish,whereby commoditiesserve as lations betweenthings”(1976,166).Thisishisdescription but as not asdirectsocialrelationsbetweenindividualsatwork, ing thelaborofoneindividualwiththatrestappear, 33. Marxstatesin 32. GuyDebord, 31. Ibid. January 10,2014. results inslidesalesofredmeatBritain,” 30. Sarah ButlerandRebeccaSmithers,“Horsemeatscandal 29. Ibid.,9. 28. Ibid.,7. 27. Ibid.,7,9. Development, Goat Meat,” Directorate General forAgricultureandRural Mandatory OriginLabellingforPig,Poultry andSheep& 26. EuropeanCommission,“Executive Summary:Studyon Journal ofFood DistributionResearch for Convenience Foods: Demographics andExpenditures,”

… materialrelationsbetweenpersonsandsocialre Europa The GloucesterCitizen Spectacle Capital, , 2013:4. , 12. vol. 1that“therelations connect 38,no.3(2007):22-36; , July5,2013.Andrew Meat Science The Guardian, - 74, ------

GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 15 GRADUATE JOURNAL OF FOOD STUDIES 16 50. Hauter, 49. Drescheretal.,“Consumer’s StatedTrust,” 510,515. tics 48. Hauter, 47. Ibid.,165. 46. Ibid.,150. 45. Ibid.,144. 44. KarlMarx, 43. Ibid.,235. 42. Ibid.,40. 41. Ibid.,22,30. (Hoboken: Wiley, 2006),5. ing Design:SuccessfulProduct Branding from ConcepttoShelf 40. MarianneR.KlimchukandSandra A.Krasovec, expenditure ofhumanlabor-power”(Marx 1976, 160). common character it isthereductionofallkindsactuallabortotheir nature isexplicitly broughtout,namelythefactthat forms andusefulpropertiesofwork.Itsownpositive labor inwhichabstraction ismadefromalltheconcrete of commoditiesisnotjustpresentednegatively, as 39. “Inthismannerthelaborobjectifiedinvalues 38. Debord, 2011), 38. and RiseoftheSupermarket Chains 37. AndrewSethandGeoffrey Randall, 2008), 56. 36. Paul Virilio, (Philadelphia: Kogan Page US,2006),41. : ManagingChangeintheSupplyChain 35. Kerstin Gustafssonetal., 34. Debord, the commodity. commodities. Theirrelationshipthereforerevolves around may meetatthemarket, they dosoas buyers andsellersof especially trueintoday’s globalmarket. Even thoughpeople relationship tothosepeoplewhoproducedthem,whichis the productsofhumanlaboratmarket, bearingno to produce.Intheend,oneonlycomesintocontactwith useful things,except fortheoneitemthey wereemployed increasingly separated fromtheproductionofallmanner cialization anddivisionoflabormeantthathumanswere , 44. Foodopoly Foodopoly, Spectacle Spectacle Capital, Open Sky

… humanlaboringeneral, ofbeingthe , 16.Emphasisadded. , 12. , 66. 70. Gustafssonetal., vol, 1(London: Penguin, 1976),202. (London andNewYork: Verso, Retailing LogisticsandFresh (London: Kogan Page, The Grocers: TheRise Retailing Logis Packag

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such thingsdonotfactorintotheirpurchasingdecisions. want theirproductsmarked withoriginlabelingbutthat ed labelingregulationsintheEUsuggestthatconsumers 58. Reportsproducedinthewake ofthescandalthatdebat ciety the Cultural Foundations ofCapital,” 57. AlfHornborg,“Technology asFetish: Marx,Latour, and 56. Debord, 55. Ibid.,37. 54. Elliott,“ElliottReview,” 22. ing oftheontological natureofproportionfrom thefollow dimensions.” Virilio, is noobjectwithoutproportions. Thereisnomanwithout other ontologicalcategory, isamatterofproportion:“There 66. Viriliotellsusthatwhatwe knowtobehuman,orany 65. Paul Virilio, 64. Ibid. 63. Hauter, eral termusedby economists. not refertoMarx’sdefinitionoftheterm.Itis rather agen 62. “Value,” hereandinthecontext of“value-added,” does 61. Hauter, 60. Marx, 59. Hauter, to bear91%ofthecostslabeling.Ibid.,9. For poultrycommoditylabeling,consumerswereprojected extra costs [wouldbe] transmitted totheconsume.” Ibid.,7. be] transmitted totheproducers,whileabout88%of in theEU27about12%ofextra costsforlabeling[would pork commoditylabeling,itwasreportedthat“on average the EuropeanCommissionpublishedareportonimproving chain eitherfallonproducersorconsumers.Ibid.,7,9.When costs ofincreasingtransparency andtracking inthesupply ability topursuethatdesireindollarterms?Afterall,the between consumerdesireandbehaviour orsimplyanin Mandatory OriginLabelling,” 4.Isthereadiscrepancyhere European Commission,“Executive Summary:Studyon 53. SethandRandall, 52. Marx, rants. life inautomatedsettingslike factoriesorfastfoodrestau promoted by foodmanufacturers,andacommonqualityof cooking, attributabletothepressuresofworklifebutalso 51. Bydeskilling,Irefertothelossoftraditional skillslike 31, no.4(2013):14. Capital Capital Foodopoly Foodopoly Foodopoly Spectacle Grey Ecology , 166. , 293. Grey Ecology, , 13. The Grocers , 47. , 157. , 34. (New York: Atropos,2008), 34. , 48. 27. Itake my understand Theory, Culture andSo ------70. RadioFrance Internationale,“French policearrest 69. Debord, 189. ence Studies 68. BrunoLatour, only purchasedchickens whole. portions like thighsandbreastswhenpeoplehadpreviously McNuggets) influencedtheproductionandsaleofchicken how itsdemandforhand-heldfoodportions(i.e.chicken of McDonald’seffectonthepoultryindustry, particularly 67. SeeEricSchlosser’s the modernworld.” Virilio, amazing towhatdegreeproportionshave disappearedfrom man. Thisisunthinkable.Today, everything islike this.Itis meters. Ifamanmeasures20metersinheight,itisnot to beamanismeasurebasicallybetweenoneandtwo power ofBeing.AndnowI’llgive you avery clearexample: of theworld which reducestonothingorpractically nothingthevastness the space-timecontinuumsufferingatemporal contraction wecallreal-timeleadsto ing passageinparticular:“What (Cambridge: HarvardUniversity Press,1999),

Spectacle … Greatorweak,thisvastnessconstitutesthe Pandora’s Box: EssaysontheRealityofSci , 45. Fast Food Nation Grey Ecology, 27-28. (2005) forahistory - 80. Elliott,“ElliottReview,” 15. 79. Hauter, 14, 2013. ed totriggerinsurance claims,” 78. Sarah Veysey, “Europeanhorsemeatscandalnotexpect 77. Elliott,“ElliottReview,” 12. 76. Hauter, January 17,2013. the onlynastysecretinchillcabinets,” 75. J. Blythman,“Thereallybadnews?Horseburgersaren’t 74. Ibid.,38. 73. Ibid.,37. 72. Ibid.,36. 71. Elliott,“ElliottReview,” 15,22. Spanghero managers.” 83. Virilio, 82. Hauter, 81. Debord, Open Sky Foodopoly Foodopoly Foodopoly Spectacle , 91. , 21. , 137-8. , 123. , 129. Business Insurance Daily MailUK , February , -

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