Apple pie. It’s an American staple consisting of sweet, fresh apples sandwiched between two flaky, buttery crusts. Flour, butter, salt, sugar, water and apples—six ingredients. The food cost should hit around $3.00/pie, and yet I can’t think of a restaurant that sells a slice for under $7. Now, consider the individual Hostess Fruit Pies of your childhood. Maybe not so flaky or buttery, but they’re certainly sweet and oddly satisfying for $1.49 each. They boast a whopping 29 ingredients including algae, calcium sulfate (to help congeal the filling, yummy), unnamed artificial flavoring, and methyl parabens… an anti-fungal agent normally found in shampoo.
Logic says that the product with fewer ingredients, less additives, and less packaging would yield a lower price. Yet, this is not the case. Why? Blame corn! That little kernel that once brought our country together and saved the pilgrims from starvation is now to blame for an influx of pre-packaged “food.” From 1995 to 2004, corn drew $41.8 billion in subsidies. These subsidies provide motivation for farmers to continue to produce corn and use it to feed our cattle, sweeten our soda (high fructose corn syrup), and crisp our French fries (hydrogenated corn oil.) One of those little Hostess pies contains three different corn derivatives used to sweeten, bind, and preserve that sweet delight. With the exception of the apples and preservatives, corn is really the only other ingredient. No wonder it’s so cheap.
What does this mean for your restaurant? As the healthy lifestyle and green movements continue to gain speed, many ChefMod customers have inquired about organic and grass fed products. “Organic” and “grass fed” labels automatically carry a higher price tag, and as long as the system remains in place, it’s likely that whole foods will cost more than a pretty penny. Not to worry, ChefMod continues to leverage costs on these products, join forces with passionate vendors who aim to expand the organic movement, and bring in new items through our preferred vendors. So, if you’re looking for some organic Pink Lady apples or all-natural chickens, let us know. We know where to find them.
It’s too bad that more public attention isn’t focused on the negative effects
of the subsidies. In addition to the gastronomic effects you have written about, I think one could link the corn subsidies to both America’s rise in obesity, and, the difficulty struggling 3rd world farmers have developing their own business. Furthermore, where do you think the $ for the subsidy comes from..? All of tax dollars!