Watch an episode of the show “Food Unwrapped,” also found under the name “Food CIA.” (this is NOT the show “Unwrapped” with Marc Summers. If you’re not hearing English accents, you’re on the wrong show). Each episode consists of, generally, 3 interspersed segments on how products came to be available at the British Supermarket.
Updated on sources:
It is available through HBO Max, YouTube, (Links to an external site.) Apple TV+, and Dailymotion. There may be others, please share them with me so I can share them with the class.
For YouTube, important: be sure to get FULL segments ~6 minutes
For Dailymotion (and other internet options), best to Google “food unwrapped s0Xe0X” s=series and e=episode; s0X is replaced by s01-s16 and e0X is replaced by e01-e16 (most series have less episodes)
Selection:
Don’t use the specials for this assignment.
An episode guide can be found here: https://www.channel4.com/programmes/food-unwrapped/episode-guide/ (Links to an external site.)
Pick an episode that most interests you.
Submission
After watching the episode/segment, write a research paper through the lens of the topics discussed in the course. Be sure to note what episode you watched in your assignment in your references.
After reading your paper, your audience should have a clear understanding of the issues and opportunities surrounding the product at the retail level and its value to consumers.
Your paper needs to include a minimum of 4 references , including at least 2 library resources (e.g. Mintel, Edge, Passport) as references. Your paper should be written in business appropriate font and size, be 1-1.5 spacing, and have a length between 3-4 pages, plus references (i.e. references are not counted against page limit).
Some questions that may be useful to answer (though not all topics lend themselves to all questions)
As the show covers the UK supply chain, how does the supply chain differ in the US?
If it is a processed product, how do the ingredients and labeling differ in the US?
If it is an unprocessed product, how is this product used further downstream in the supply chain?
Are there are any biases or alternate viewpoints to the material presented in the show?
Is there anything that the show is not showing you about the supply chain?
Are there issues around sustainability and food waste that should be considered?
How has the product that you are discussing evolved in its sourcing over the years? (This may be interesting if you are using an older episode)
Again, this is not meant to be an exhaustive list of all potential questions that you can write about but it is meant to be a jumping off point in discussing the product. However, it is important to go beyond the content that is in the episode itself.
Peer Review
You will also be responsible for providing peer review and comments on another person’s paper. Therefore, do not write your names on the papers. Peer reviews should include both comments and a grade out of a 100. Be sure to consider both writing, style, and research components.
