Yes, you can tell a lot about a culture by the way that food is treated. Also, I think that people lose something by having such strict regulations regarding their food, though I understand that it has more to do with how food is distributed and how food production is managed. What I think people lose is an eye for quality. By putting that responsibility in the consumer's hands, the consumer is then forced to consider the things they are buying and otherwise consuming, considerably more. If you've ever bought live poultry for example, learning to choose a bird involves considering its general health and well-being at the time of purchase, rather than selecting one from a bin full of similar looking styrofoam trays, wrapped in plastic. The American way is cleaner, but I prefer the other way, even if it is dirtier (and stinkier).