ABSTRACT
The large multinational corporations, known as Big Food, have come to dominate the global trade of food and beverages; in 2005, only 100 retailers controlled 40" of the total global grocery market. The Oostindisch Huis, located upon a picturesque canal in the city of Amsterdam, was once the headquarters of the powerful Dutch East India Company. Founded in 1602, it was the first multinational company to hand out shares, thanks to a lucrative food business. Butter exported from Ireland built the city of Cork into a powerful economy that dominated world dairy markets during the late eighteenth century. Kobe beef farmers hire workers to massage the backs of their cows, claiming that the soothing action relaxes the animals and tenderizes the meat. The Cornish Pasty Association, formed in 2002 by 50 pasty makers based in Cornwall, exists to protect the quality and the reputation of the popular snack.
