02/23/06 Monitoring the media

One aspect of the Food Forethought Foundation is to act as a media monitor for the agriculture industry. Our staff is aware that it critical to stay abreast of how and where consumers get their facts fears and phobias. One startling example of the liberty Hollywood takes to fuel fear regarding specific agendas occurred on an recent episode of Law and Order involving hormones and milk. The program was about a sexually precocious teenage girl who committed a murder. Detective Munch commented that the teen shouldn't be held accountable for her actions because she drank milk! Thus dairy farmers were the ones to blame for the murder because they allowed hormones in the milk that forced this poor girl into early puberty. This outrageous mistruth subtly fed to the masses, does a terrible disservice to the whole agricultural community. I am proud of my association with a group like Food Forethought that works to dispel myths and enforce accountability. I'm Susan Allen and this is Food Forethought.