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Netflix's ‘Rotten’ Exposes Waste, Fraud, Corruption in Food Industry

The food industry is in transition, with new technologies, programs and initiatives targeting everything from food waste to resource efficiency and traceability emerging almost daily to nudge the sector towards greater sustainability. Though symbols of progress, these advancements are just a drop in the ocean. Many consumers are still unaware of the issues affecting the global food system, which poses a considerable challenge to progress.

The food industry is in transition, with new technologies, programs and initiatives targeting everything from food waste to resource efficiency and traceability emerging almost daily to nudge the sector towards greater sustainability. Though symbols of progress, these advancements are just a drop in the ocean. Many consumers are still unaware of the issues affecting the global food system, which poses a considerable challenge to progress. With its new series, "Rotten," which launches on January 5, Netflix is gearing up to put these problems in front of millions of viewers around the globe.

Produced by Zero Point Zero Productions, makers of "The Mind of a Chef" and the hit Anthony Bourdain series "No Reservations" and "Parts Unknown," "Rotten" takes viewers into the underworld of food production to expose the corruption, waste and real dangers behind our eating habits.

While sitcoms, dramas and reality shows are Netflix’s bread and butter, this latest series isn’t the site’s first foray into the world of human health, sustainability, climate change and animal cruelty — the network previously explored these topics in the series "Bill Nye Saves the World," and the features Okja and Chasing Coral, all released earlier this year.

Though far from easy viewing, "Rotten" has the potential to spark conversation and affect change in the way food is bought and consumed.