Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser

The book, Fast Food Nation, by Eric Schlosser exposes the "mysteries" of fast food franchises the processing of foods through business practices. He is appalled of what the "fast-food habit" has become today and how it has become a part of every American in some way. Almost ninety-percent of American children eat at McDonald's eating on the average, "three hamburgers and four orders of French fries every week." Eating at a fast food place around the corner has become a norm in American culture.

In the early 1960s, the fast food industry was at a peak. Their employees were paid well, the food quality was superior, and overall business practices were honest. Today, much of the food industry has shifted into more of a capitalist and cost-efficient business. The food ingredients have become very poor and before 1997; fast food companies were actually using the meat of cows that were fed the remains of other animal such as sheep and cattle and cows are herbivores! In fact, deceased dogs and cats were purchased from animal shelters to use as food. The foods we eat certainty still taste good but the synthetic content and chemical flavors are impalpable. Fast food chains continued to expand, for instance McDonalds; they had one-thousand restaurants in 1968 and in 1990 they had twenty eight thousand worldwide.

Schlosser begins to discuss the workforce and strategies these franchises are practicing. Nintey-percent of the country's new jobs are accounted by fast food restaurants, particularly McDonald's Corporation. These fast-food companies invest large amounts of money to streamline their processes that require less labor and skill. These same companies accept hundreds of millions of dollars from the government to train the poor and to teach them simple job skills.

As the book came to an end, many resolutions were presented. The book emphasizes the need for government regulation and banning alluring advertisements of unhealthy foods. He also stresses the need to develop a union for workers so they can actually acquire skills through training and firsthand experience.

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