We often hear news reports of recalls on certain food products due to any number of safety concerns. It seems like most of the time, the food we consume is regulated with safety standards that make sure we are safe. But an upcoming Netflix documentary will take a look at just how safe we are and the potential pitfalls that could lead to a major outbreak.
The documentary film: “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food,” is set to make its world premier this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and Seal Beach resident and food safety expert. Darin Detwiler is headed to New York to be part of the premier audience.
Detwiler, who holds a doctorate of law and policy has become a well-known expert in food safety and policies governing our food service systems. He was contacted by the film makers years ago and eventually became one of the major contributors of research for the project.
“This is a long-overdue documentary about food safety,” Detwiler said.
One of the major outbreaks chronicled in the film is the 1993 Jack in the Box E. coli outbreak, a landmark case that changed the landscape of food safety and regulations. Detwiler’s son Riley was one of the children who died as a result of the outbreak. Detwiler began his input on the film by sharing the story of his son and eventually became a major contributor. His 2020 book, “Food Safety: Past, Present, and Predictions,” became a key source in the making of the film.
Detwiler said that the film has been years in the making. Challenges brought on by the pandemic also delayed filming. But while the film tackles the mistakes made in the past and the changes that have come from them, there are also new challenges developing with changing times.
“The playing field has taken on so many new dimensions,” Detwiler said.
Detwiler noted a 2015 study that showed that for the first time in history, Americans were spending more money on food prepared outside their home. And the pandemic altered things even more as people began getting more delivery of food and some from third-party delivery services. But the issue is also in the structure. Detwiler says that food safety regulations can differ from state to state and even county to county. He one of the questions the film seeks to ask is “How did we get to a place with 15 government agencies in charge of the country’s food, yet none of them can keep its citizens safe?”
Detwiler said that this film is likely to send a message to food industry executives. He said that we must stay vigilant in making sure food safety regulations are followed. Upton Sinclair’s book “The Jungle” brought an uprising from people that led to the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act. Since then America has been on a roller-coaster of sorts in food safety changes and regulations. As times change society moves into new lifestyles, we cannot afford a lapse in food safety. Everyone eats.
“It’s not food, unless it’s safe food,” Detwiler said.
