Bitter Harvest: A Chef's Perspective on the Hidden Danger in the Foods We Eat and What You Can Do About It Hardcover - 2000

First line

The definition of the word sustain is concrete.

From the jacket flap

In this groundbreaking new book about the subtle connections between food, history, politics, and health, a renowned chef traces the path from America's widely agrarian past to our present era of bioengineered "Frankenfood". As she shows the ways big business and politics influence what we eat, Ann Cooper offers expert analysis of such recent controversies as the genetic engineering of plants and animals in the United States, the outbreak of "Mad Cow Disease" in Britain, and increasingly violent protests against food additives and imports in Europe.

Passionate, informed, political, and engaging, BITTER HARVEST is filled with cautionary facts and statistics that every consumer should know, such as:

-- Nearly 80% of commercially processed chicken is infected with salmonella.

-- Within ten years, nearly 95% of the food on the grocery store shelves may be consumed within twenty minutes of getting it home.

-- Research bears out that 40% of cancer cases are diet related and 80% could be prevented through healthy diet and exercise.

Throughout, Cooper argues that we must begin to change everything from the way food is shipped to the basic components of our diets and offers a comprehensive analysis of the issue of sustainability. In BITTER HARVEST, this knowledgeable chef emerges as a political voice to be reckoned with, and her manifesto is a must-read for anyone concerned with health, nutrition, and the future of our food.

Media reviews

Citations

• Kirkus Reviews, 06/15/2000, Page 853
• Library Journal, 08/01/2000, Page 141
• Publishers Weekly, 07/24/2000, Page 88
• Scitech Book News, 12/01/2000, Page 167