Food, Inc.

Food, Inc. examines how a small number of large corporations dominate food production in the United States, from the farms where crops and livestock are raised to the restaurants and supermarkets where the resulting products are sold. The documentary looks at the relationship between these companies and the agencies meant to regulate them, and at the effects of industrial farming on the environment, on animals and on the people who work in the system. Interviews with ordinary Americans about what they eat sit alongside commentary from food experts such as Michael Pollan, while footage shot inside large processing plants shows practices that the industry generally keeps out of view. Eric Schlosser, author and activist, narrates.

Robert Kenner directed and produced the film with Elise Pearlstein, and wrote the screenplay with Kim Roberts and Pearlstein. It is the first of two films he has directed, followed by Food, Inc. 2 in 2024. Among those appearing as themselves are Pollan, Schlosser, Richard Lobb of the National Chicken Council, and growers Vince Edwards and Carole Morison. Made for about 1 million dollars, it took roughly 5 million dollars worldwide, a strong return for a documentary of its size, and it reaches a wide audience on home viewing. On IMDb it holds 7.8 from around 53,000 votes, with a critics' rating of 7.8 from 113 reviews; on TMDB it stands at 7.4 from far fewer votes.