Swindled: From Poison Sweets to Counterfeit Coffee - The Dark History of the Food Cheats

Fine

eye opener

I read this over a couple of days while laid up in bed with a snapped ankle ligament. It makes fascinating - and deeply worrying - reading for anyone interested in the history of food, and also for those who care deeply about the quality of the food we eat. It proves that from ancient times we have been at the mercy of individuals, big (and small) business and politicians regarding the quality of our daily bread and practically every other item of food that we have put in our mouths over the centuries. Along the way, the careful reader will find out such interesting snippets of information to drop into the dinner table conversation as why Double Gloucester cheese is described as "double" (the milk used has to come from two milkings made on successive days rather than just from one milking) and the origin of the giant's "Fee, fi, fo fum" speech in "Jack the Giant Killer" - the 1792 wheat harvest was particularly poor and millers were accused of adding ground bones to the flour to increase its bulk. Of perhaps greater relevance is the explanation of why modern "bread" is so disgustingly tasteless and flabby and how lucky we are that individuals and organisations have campaigned in the past and continue to do so against food adulteration and sharp practice.Wilson writes that we suffer from "food scare malaise" - almost every day we read or hear about some new claim that this or that foodstuff is bad for us or good for us, and so eventually we stop taking any notice. Part of this book's problem is that, once the modern era is reached, we've heard it all before. I have personally read many of the books that Wilson quotes from (Fast Food Nation, SuperSize Me, etc) and so I have heard many of the stories before or broadly similar ones, and must admit (proving Wilson's Food Scare Malaise theory beyond all possible doubt) that as a consequence my interest began to wane once the historical aspect was dispensed with. "Swindled" went (for me) from being an interesting historical examination of food adulteration to yet another "food scare" book. This is not the fault of the book, however, more a symptom of Food Scare Malaise itself. Other readers may not find this a problem if they have not previously read some of many other "horror stories" already in print. From the historical perspective, however, this is a fascinating and extremely readable book.

Excellent read. Enlightening and entertaining.

Don't often put reviews on amazon for books I've bought elsewhere but so impressed with this book that I had to. Fascinating to read and you learn masses. Well worth getting in any format if you are interested in food and care about its quality

Buying Swindled is a smart move for your health. Especially if you are a parent.I bought this book for educational purposes, but actually, I couldn't put it down. Swindled reads like an alarming thriller, and will have you frightened and outraged in equal measures.Who should buy it?Every family. Every food writer. Every chef. Every cook. No. Every one.Food piracy is a massive industry (I'm writing this in the wake of the horse meat scandal). Wilson chronicles a lot more than your supermarket burger. Hers is a voice worth listening to. The book shares her research and helps to inform us about the perils of highly processed food and the desperation of food 'adulterers.' Pretty haunting stuff.

Obviously well researched, but the organization of information lacking. Information ping-pong made an irritating read!

Bee Wilson writes well, the research is thorough and the subject fascinating (albeit a few pages come across as a bit boring). A very interesting book, and sound advice for consumers.

the history of food adulteration laid out in an easy to read, well researched non fiction that reads like a novel. If one has any interest in the garbage we ingest, this book is a must read.

Bee Wilson hat sich ein ungewöhnliches Thema ausgesucht: Die Geschichte der gefälschten und gestrecktem Lebensmittel. Dabei beginnt sie im London des 18. Jahrhunderts, als so ziemlich jedes Lebensmittel, dass man in der Stadt gekauft wurde, "Zusätze" enthielt, um frischer auszusehen oder weil es gestreckt war. Und wir reden hier über Bonbons, die mit Bleifarbe bemalt waren, saure Gurken, die in Kupferlösung eingelegt wurden oder Essig, der mit Salpetersäure gestreckt wurde. Etwa zwei Drittel des Buches befassen sich mit dieser dunklen Periode (außer um England geht es dabei auch um die USA), zum einen vermutlich, weil es so spektakulär war, zum anderen aber auch, weil es die Zeit war, als Lebensmittelgesetze auf den Weg gebracht wurden. Sehr sorgfältig beschreibt sie, wie und warum es zu den jeweiligen Zuständen kommen konnten, wie sie aufgedeckt und schließlich beseitigt wurden.Auf den letzten 100 Seiten schlägt sie den Bogen über Kriegsersatznahrung zur heutigen Zeit. Dabei versucht sie ein detailliertes Bild der momentanen Lage zu beschreiben, auch geht sie darauf ein, warum es schwierig ist, heutzutage zu bestimmen was Zusätze und was Zutaten sind und was wirklich gesundheitsschädlich ist. Hält sie sich im ersten Teil vornehm im Hintergrund, neigt sie hier ab und an zu predigen - aber dennoch alles in allem eine gelungene Zusammenfassung. Abschließend geht sie auf die aktuelle Lage in asiatischen Ländern wie China ein, die durchaus mit der Zeit in London um 1800 vergleichbar sind.Insgesamt ein gut recherchiertes und lesbares Buch zu einem ungewöhnlichen, aber wichtigem Thema!

If I can write a one word review: fascinating.