I have a dilemma. I want to be informed, yet I do not want to add to the hysteria of contributing to the readership drama. Anyone else ever feel this way? I am hoping I can rely on my readers to help me through this one. What would you do – or more likely, what is it that you are choosing to do?

What am I talking about? This week was the release of “Poisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food” on Netflix. If you have not heard about it, then you will. It is based on the book by Jeff Benedict “Poisoned: the true story of the deadly E. coli outbreak that changed the way America eats.” It is not solely focused on meat and poultry, but rather the entire food industry, and is supposed to make us question the safety of our food supply. I prefer to call it drama rather than fact.

However, I am going to come clean and say I haven’t watched it. Based on the headlines I have read, which include such things as “this documentary unwraps the stomach-churning flaws in America’s food industry” and “it explores the broken social contract between food supplier and consumer,” I refer to it as drama more than fact.

My phone blew up on Aug. 2, the release date, with friends and family and coworkers asking my opinion of this docu-drama. I had not seen it, so that was my only comment.

I haven’t decided if I am going to watch it or not. What are your thoughts? Part of me wants to watch it to see what is stated and how much fact versus fiction there is – aka how much truth exists versus how much is scare tactic, especially considering the Salmonella framework just around the corner. It would be educational to watch it so I can carry on any conversations related to this documentary.

On the other hand, I haven’t watched any of the other docudramas that have been released in the past, either. I know our industry and I know how to defend it when it is being threatened by drama. Do I need to watch it to defend an industry I have dedicated a career to for the past 25 years?

I am not sure what I will do, but I am probably not going to watch it. I do not want to be part of the readership drama. I know my industry and yes, I know we have the safest food supply. If you don’t believe me, travel to some of the places I have traveled to and worked.

What are your thoughts?

To watch or not to watch? That is the question

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