The Chain

On the production line in American packinghouses,there is one cardinal rule: the chain never slows. Under pressure to increase supplythe supervisors of meat processing plants have routinely accelerated productionleading to inhumane conditionsincreased accidentsand food of questionableoften dangerous quality. In The Chainacclaimed journalist Ted Genoways uses the story of Hormel Foods and its most famous productSpam—a recession-era staple—to probe the state of the meatpacking industryfrom Minnesota to Iowa and Nebraska. Interviewing scores of line workersunion leadershog farmersand local politicians and activistsGenoways reveals an industry pushed to its breaking point. A searching exposé in the tradition of Upton SinclairRachel Carsonand Eric SchlosserThe Chain is a mesmerizing story and an urgent warning about the hidden costs of the food we eat.