In the case of Masterchef, Coles is just a sponsor which is the way of commercial television these days. Not just content to have higher ratings for marketing their ad space but now even the public pays in the form of phone voting/texting and sponsors tag their name to programs.

I think food has always been politicised whether it be the politics of famine and economic inequity, debates about agricultural subsidies, joining the EEC, agricultural Co-ops, sanctions (Sth Africa, Iraq), free trade, oil-for-food schemes, AWB - you get the picture.

In modern times food health and safety and the return to backyards is in reaction to increased knowledge about pesticides and the like, and concerns about lack of government will to ensure consumers can make choices about what they eat. The trend of globalisation and free trade is also a relatively new phenomenon and cuts to the concepts of exploitation of labour, food security etc.

Food will always be politicised given it is an essential need.

Great article - I agree, food is political and real nutrition from our food a thing of the past. We the consumers, Mums and Dads who are trying to the right thing by our kids are the ones who end up losing out with poor immune systems compromising our health and a world around us that is becoming more damaged each day. Thanks Michael for getting the message out

Extending the metaphor just a little, this article is a bit of a dog's breakfast.

The theme, such as it is, wanders through concept of a "food movement", then seems to settle on the idea that [well, duh] "food is political". And the predominant source for this is a well-argued article in the New York Review of Books, duly referenced.

Looking at the latter, it is clear that our correspondent here does it very little justice.

The NYRB article's thread links US food economics...

"Americans spend a smaller percentage of their income on food than any people in history—slightly less than 10 percent—and a smaller amount of their time preparing it: a mere thirty-one minutes a day on average, including clean-up."

...with the reason for it...

"...the tremendous postwar increases in the productivity of American farmers, made possible by cheap fossil fuel (the key ingredient in both chemical fertilizers and pesticides) and changes in agricultural policies."

...and the health dangers...

"...obesity...mad cow disease... meat contaminated with E.coli 0157:H7... repeated outbreaks of food-borne illness linked to new antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria (campylobacter, salmonella, MRSA)..."

...as well as the environmental imperative.

"...the food system consumes more fossil fuel energy than we can count on in the future (about a fifth of the total American use of such energy) and emits more greenhouse gas than we can afford to emit"

It is a very important debate, with a discussion that encompasses everything from vegetarianism to GM foods, and from obesity to the starving millions in the Horn of Africa.

Which has very little, it needs to be said, in common with a food-based reality TV show that glorifies taste and good looks.

Nor, I'm afraid, is there anything substantial in the piece that justifies the parting shot... "The corporate conquest of our kitchens is still underway."

In fact, given the conclusions of the NYRB article, I'd say the opposite - less corporate control over our diet - is the more likely outcome.

Deary me, yet another cheap shot at the supermarket chains. If
you don't like them, don't shop there!

Given that close to 6 million incl. regional areas, watched the
final of Masterchef and politicians had to shift their debating
times, it tells us something about what Aussies think of politics
and what they think of learning to cook better!

I for one enjoyed the show, although I only got to see parts of
it. I think its great that a tv programme such as this has caught
on and is teaching many Aussies a bit more about fine food and
how to prepare it. Its been known in Europe for generations.

If politicians really want get involved in food, perhaps they
should start by doing something about trans fats.