Introduction
Eric Schlosser is the author of the book «Fast Food Nation», which includes many articles on the fast-food industry and its many influences. In the United States, it is remarkably lucrative and has a significant impact on the country’s economy and its citizen’s lifestyle and health. This essay will summarize Schlosser’s article titled «What We Eat» and discuss its main points on fast food in America.
The Beginning of the Fast-Food Business
Fast food has taken over the manufacturing industry in the last free decades. According to Schlosser (2012), what a nation eats reveals more about it than art or literature. As the hourly wage began to decline in 1973, more women began to seek work outside of their households (Schlosser, 2012). With female employees having less time to dedicate to cooking, American workers turned to restaurants offering cheap and filling meals. Thus, the industry answered the nation’s needs, and fast food quickly became the staple of the country’s cuisine.
“The McDonaldization” of America
McDonald’s is one of the most famous fast-food restaurants in the world. It provides the country with thousands of new jobs every year and hires more people than any other organization in the United States (Schlosser, 2012). The restaurant chain has contributed significantly to the food supply in the country becoming standardized. Schlosser notes (2012) that McDonald’s is the largest purchaser of several products, including beef and potatoes, leading to the corporation’s standards being adopted by the suppliers to accommodate their biggest client. Other businesses adopted the McDonalds model, investing in opening identical stores and cafes with the same menus, leading to many small companies being bankrupted (Schlosser, 2012). The uniformity of restaurant chains is another factor that has contributed to their success as it presents the customers with easy and well-known meal options. Overall, McDonald’s’ success significantly changed its economic landscape and contributed to the food supply becoming more standardized.
Fast Food Ingredients
The growth of the fast-food industry and the success of McDonald’s, along with other restaurant chains, resulted in the diet of an average American citizen substantially changing. Hamburgers and fries became “the quintessential American meal” due to the constant promotion (Schlosser, 2012, p. 6). However, the preparation of these foods raises many questions about their nutritional value. According to Schlosser (2012), vegetables, considered to be the healthiest part of the industry’s offerings, are delivered to restaurants frozen or dehydrated, having little nutrients. The meat used in fast foods is designed to taste good, with various artificial ingredients added to enhance its taste and smell (Schlosser, 2012). Moreover, the conditions in the meat processing plants are far from optimal. Many transient workers suffer injuries that are not reported, and the sanitary violations led to the introduction of the E. coli 0157:H7 bacteria into the meat supply (Schlosser, 2012). Therefore, the ingredients found in fast food offer little nutritional value and might be unsafe for consumption, especially in large quantities.
Conclusion
Schlosser illustrates the impact the fast-food industry had on the USA, its economy, and its citizens. It significantly grew over the last 30 years, affecting the country’s economy by offering thousands of new jobs and leading to the bankruptcy of many small businesses. The industry also impacted large food processing corporations, which adopted new standards to cater to the growing number of restaurants. However, there are few nutrients in those foods, and some of them can be unsafe, affecting the health and well-being of the customers of the fast-food chains.
Reference
Schlosser, E. (2012). What We Eat. In Fast food nation: The dark side of the All-American meal (pp. 3-10). Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.