In Eric Schlosser and Charles Wilson’s Chew On This, the two authors discuss the upbringing and evolution of the phenomenon that is fast food, which much of American business thrives off of today. With nearly 31,000 McDonald’s spread across 120 countries, the habit of eating fast food has become a routine. Schlosser and Wilson examine everything from the birth of the industry, specifically circling around McDonald’s, to the aspects present today which have largely strayed from its original ideals. McDonald’s did not start off as a fast food joint, however. By 1940 the automobile was flourishing, and drive-in restaurants were created (beginning with Kirby’s Pig Stand); people would pull up next to these establishments and waitresses, or “carhops,” …show more content…
J. R. Simplot, a man vested in growing and shipping potatoes, first proposed the idea of frozen fries to Ray Kroc. Not much later, entire factories were built around this process and the procedure for making these fries was perfected by a handful of chemists, the goal being to keep them tasting fresh. The term “natural flavors” plastered on nutrition labels has been used as a cover-up for cooking these fries in beef fat, a process deemed unhealthy by nutritionists in the past. Further developments of artificial coloring and flavoring have grown since, and are present in nearly every product, both edible and not, thanks to the International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) company. The chicken McNugget, while developed because of the growing rumor that chicken was healthier than beef, was cooked in these same beef fats, unknown to the public. When they later switched to vegetable oil for cooking McNuggets and fries, both still contained more fat per ounce than a hamburger and a similar “beef flavoring” was added to keep this familiar taste. Schlosser and Wilson are not saying that fast food owners are bad people, but that they must be prepared to take responsibility for the consequences of their decisions. In the end, it is the consumer’s choice what he or she eats, and “Even in this fast-food nation, you can have it your