Good morning class! I love typing that in, BTW. So most of you should be at least half way done with Fast Food Nation - and we really haven't yet talked about the book at all. This week's question is rather broad - what factoid or story line have you found to be the most amazing/horrifying so far? As stated in a prior post, mine is the story of McDonald's French fries - which, until I first read the story, was my favorite fast food purchase. In fact, I wouldn't eat anything else at McDonald's except their fries. I thought, "how can anyone mess up French fries? They're just potatoes, right?" Au contraire! (I just had to throw in a French phrase because I was talking about French fries.) But the book is packed with amazing/horrifying facts, so I'm sure we all have the facts that shocked us the most. I'm including an interesting photo for you all to check out as well.
Stay out of the heat and well hydrated.
https://www.facebook.com/GrowingOrganicEatingOrganic
The most horrifying factoid I found while reading the book would have to be the milkshakes. I love my milkshakes for sure, but after reading how Burger King makes them, I just can't get myself to think of them the same way or even want them. When you read how much chemicals are used just to make the typical artificial flavor such as the one found in Burger King's strawberry milkshake you wouldn't think all these chemicals can be found in just one plastic cup. You'd think the basic ingredients like strawberries and milk are used however what really makes the milkshakes are the following ingredients: "amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, amisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, etc" (the whole list can be found on page 125 in Fast Food Nation). Adding to Mrs. Fri's post about the french fries served at Mcdonald's and how it gets it's flavor, another fact shown on the very same page as the ingredients of the strawberry milkshake at Burger King's is rather disturbing in my opinion: "During one experiment in the early 1970's, people were served an oddly tinted meal of steak and French fries that appeared normal beneath colored lights. Everyone though the meal tasted fine until the lighting was changed. Once it became apparent that the steak was actually blue and the fries were green, some people became ill." If there's one thing I learned so far from reading this book would have to be that you can't trust fast food chains, even if it tastes deliciously good. I'd rather know what I'm putting in my body and fast food chains don't give you that knowledge because if you did know about how their food is made, fast food chains would eventually lose money and go out of business. In my opinion, the food served at fast food chains sounds more like a biology lab than a home ec recipe.
ReplyDeleteYES! Agree with Jenn. I just went to Taco Bell (i dont know why), and even though the Beefy Crunch Burrito is super good, I realized that it's just a bunch of hard to pronounce crap I'm eating. I felt so bad, I ate a salad after, but that not the point. But yeah, fast food is just like one big cabinet of chemicals you find in your biology class.
DeleteI definitely agree, Jenn! Milkshakes?! Are you kidding me?! A milkshake is one of the most simplest items on a fast food one can make easily with fresh ingredients, but instead, the fast food companies use the most unnecessary ingredients just to satisfy our taste buds and earn money. They believe in making food taste pleasant, but do not even consider the harmful effects that these chemicals are doing to our bodies!
DeleteI agree with Jenn! I find it disturbing how many of the foods we crave are not actually what we think they are. We believe them to be a nutritious, harmless treat but in fact they are made unnaturally from just chemicals. Might as well call it a science experiment, eh? Businesses will stretch as far as they want in order to gain profit, totally disregarding the well-being of the customers.
DeleteI've never really drank milkshakes from any fast food chains. I think I might've had one from In-n-Out once, but that's it. I would think they would use ice cream, milk, and maybe strawberry flavoring for a strawberry milkshake. I never knew that all those chemicals were needed to make one!
DeleteYes Milkshakes, I totally agree !!! It's mind boggling that companies are going to the extremes to create such a simple treat. They can go and cut out all of those chemicals, stick to the basics, and they will still create a milkshake that is on par. Profit is number one on the list of companies and if substituting chemicals instead of natural ingredients creates a profit then they are more than satisfied knowing that they are creating a profit.
DeleteI agree with Jenn mostly because you would not expect all of these things in a milkshake except for what Carlos said you know ice creme, milk, and if you want flavor then something like strawberry flavoring.
DeleteI completely agree with Jenn. I found the fact about milkshakes most horrifying. You would have never thought that a simple thing such as a milkshake contained so many chemicals that could eventually harm you and your body. What also shocked me was the fact that The Food and Drug Administration doesn't allow or require certain companies to uncover the ingredients of their additives just so they can maintain the secrecy of their formulas. They believe that as long as it is considered GRAS (Generally Regarded as Safe) then it is okay for usage. Reading this book has really opened my eyes and made me realize that I may be completely unaware of what I put into my body. We shouldn't trust fast food chains because they make their food taste delicious through certain chemicals and their manufacturing skills. This book has also allowed me to become more conscious and aware of what I eat nowadays.
ReplyDeleteGiven my taste for fast food and some of the knowledge of its effect on the American diet, I didn't expect to find any say in Fast Food Nation. But Eric Schlosser’s thoroughly researched and analyzed this book into the industry that has transformed eating patterns and agriculture was actually an eye-opener. To actually promote mass production and profits, the industry really must keep labor and material costs low. Mostly teenagers make up much of the fast food workforce, often under stressful and poor conditions. Turnover can be big, we and the companies profit from it. The workers that don't work for a long time as in short-term workers get few benefits and are less likely to organize. Schlosser recounts how McDonald’s and its similar industries have fought against unions, sometimes where it comes down to closing stores to prevent workers from unionizing to be one.Then there’s the food,Three companies grow and process about 80 percent of all French fries now served by fast food chains. “The multinational food companies,” writes Schlosser, “operate French fry plants in a number of different regions, constantly shifting production to take advantage of the lowest potato prices. The economic fortunes of individual farmers or local communities matter little in the grand scheme.” The same thing on what he just said are true in the ranching, poultry, and many other industries. And if industrial, the way chemical farming isn’t disturbing enough, Schlosser next reveals “why the fries taste good.” McDonald’s do things to its fries and chicken sandwiches with its characteristics that mimic beef tallow. We all love milkshakes! A milkshake’s strawberry flavor is more likely to come from a test tube than from actual fruit. Yet the list of volatile chemicals in artificial fruit flavors sounds good as it sound bad. This book opened up my thought on how some things are just made to taste good but aren't really good for you.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what Vanessa said about the Food and Drug Administration not requiring some companies to reveal the ingredients of their preservatives, because it shows that many fast food industries care more for their profits, than the consumers. They sell poor quality food products that have not been prepared properly, are not fully cooked, and in some cases, rotten. I find this very horrifying! I've learned a lot of interesting things from reading this book, even though there are some pretty disturbing facts. I feel better knowing the truth behind these delicious, but unhealthy foods so I can be more aware of what I eat and how it affects me. I don't think I can ever look at some fast food restaurants the same anymore after learning more about the small print.
ReplyDeleteMost companies only care about money, but I think another reason they don't reveal their ingredients in their preservatives because it might be a trade secret. Like KFC's secret recipe, they don't want to reveal it so others can copy it. Espionage and corruption have occurred in big companies such as fast food chains.
DeleteI agree with Carlos because if a secret ingredient gets out then some other company can steal their food and may even steal all of their business.
DeleteI have a few factoids from Fast Food Nation that were very interesting to me. The most amazing factoid, in my opinion, was the quote which stated that the fast food companies are in support of each other and their main rivalry is only for customers. The quote says that the companies are "aligned as a team to support this industry," before reading the Fast Food Nation I had assumed that one company's efforts to be better than another would be a priority in our competitive economy. Along with the minimal amount of rivalry between fast food chains, the massive metamorphosis that the fast food industry has gone through is quite amazing to me. Just thinking that McDonald's started as a small burger joint and is now one of the biggest companies in the world makes me feel awestruck. Another part of the book which was both intriguing and horrifying to me was the sentence which stated that Taco Bell only "assembles" their food rather than actually preparing it. Once I read that sentence I began to think of fast food as a product of a factory instead of real food.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with kris. It does make it surprising that fast food companies to team up just to get more customers and money.
DeleteI agree Kristopher! "Assembling" food? It's food, not a toy. Yuck!
DeleteI also agree with Kristopher. These industries know they are capable of influencing the public with their "delicious foods” and nothing matters to them other than the fact their alliance benefits them economically. The disadvantage is that the more they earn and the more people that are attracted to their restaurants, the more franchises will grow nationwide. This will make matters worse and harm our eating habits even further by easily giving in to their “food” everywhere we go.
DeleteYou know, many of these fast food founders have fairly recently passed away. Do you think their lack of education made them care less about the healthiness of the food? Or were those choices made due to greed?
DeleteMs. Fri, I don't think that the unhealthiness of fast food chains is related to the founders' lack of formal education. I do however think that the founders are indeed greedy and as long as they have customers, nothing else matters. Schlosser has given me the idea that the founders really just want to make the largest profit without spending much of their own money.
DeleteI agree with Kris, it makes sense for the founders to not spend much of their own money (hence the fact most of them weren't wealthy to begin with) according to most of the stories Schlosser tells us. Based upon that, the saying "money changes people" stands correct in this business. Most food chains want efficiency and easy money and to do that they have to lower the quality of their food in order to make profits (I don't think those profits are reasonable anyways).
DeleteI don't think formal education does't really have anything to do with how you cook and prepare a hamburger. The founders started off their business just like everyone else does. They were hoping to make a profit. They could not have imagined that their little burger joint would turn into a world-wide fast food chain. Their greed started becoming apparent when they did things that would make the food cooked faster and simpler. Nowadays, there are no short-order cooks that actually cook the burger. It's all operated by machine and the quality of food, it's gotten bad.
DeleteI agree with Kris because any food that is "assembled" and not actually is not real food. Most food that was made from scratch may take longer to make, but it will be better and healthier that one that is assembled.
DeleteKristopher read my mind, that is exactly what I was about to say. The fact that the food industries most major companies are as a team is mind blowing to me; even the most thorough explanation wouldn't allow me to understand how we (the customers) are in "rivalry" with one another. These companies are aiming for untouchable power and us as customers are giving them everything they need to achieve that, not only is it clever but it is extremely unhealthy. We are keeping these diabetic, sick, and degrading companies alive and we are fully aware of it, we need to take action.
ReplyDeleteWhat I found most horrifying for me in the book would have to be about the Chicken Nuggets from McDonalds. It's only because that's what I usually eat and order from and just to read how it's made makes my stomach upset and turn. It makes me disgusted because of the fact that I did enjoy eating it without knowing what is exactly inside or how it was made. It was because of Fred Turner who wanted McDonald's to sell a "chicken dish that wouldn't clash with the chain's sensibility." The chain's sensibility? What does that have anything to do with knowing what's healthy and important for the customers who are going to eat this stuff. I couldn't believe that I ate the stuff that was "small pieces of reconstituted chicken, composed mainly of white meat, that were held together by stabilizers, breaded, fried, frozen, and reheated." In the commercials, usually they'd say "Oh our chicken nuggets are fresh," when honestly they are not. And it disgusts me even more when I found out that the Chicken nuggets, found by a chemical analysis from Harvard Medical School, had their fatty acid profile closely resemble beef than chicken. "They were cooked in beef tallow, like McDonald's fries." I actually indeed like McDonald's fries too but hearing that it was exactly cooked with beef extract as well and making it contain twice as much fat per ounce as a hamburger because of the beef additives made me sick to the bone because I've been serving my body poorly by eating foods like this and not knowing what is in it. Just reading this book makes me want to stop eating all these fast foods but it's so hard to because I've grown up with it and it's hard to do it when it's easier said and done. Even though full aware, these chains of restaurants knew how to hide their secrets of manufacturing and producing so well that not a lot of people know or even want to know what's in our food, as long as it tastes good. That's an issue we have to solve - not only of people know what they're putting in their bodies. They only know that it's bad for them. And reading further, it says: Twenty years ago, most chicken was sold whole; today about 90 percent of the chicken sold in the US has been cut into pieces, cutlets, or nuggets. A company of Tyson Foods is now famous and the largest chicken processor in the world.. It sells chicken to ninety of the one hundred largest restaurant chains. It is a vertically integrated company that slaughters and processes chicken. It does not, however, raise the chicken.
ReplyDeleteIt is disgusting how we treat animals and how we just take them for our on flavor pleasure. It doesn't matter what's in the food or how the food is made or processed, as long as it tastes good right? It just boggles my mind simply because we'd eat anything that tastes good, as long as it tastes good, it doesn't matter what's in it. That's basically what restaurants are saying and proposing since they put all this junk into their food and expect it to be sold and ate by their own customers who will consume it because it will be delectable for their mouths.
I agree with April! Of course, people want their food to taste pleasant, but these ingredients are harmful to our bodies, creating health conflicts that the majority of people are unaware of. We want anything that tastes good and even though we know that junk food is unhealthy, we still eat it. That is sad.
DeleteI agree with Juanna and April, but the sad truth is a majority of the people that eat at fast food chains can care less about what's being put into their body. I mean if you were THAT hungry, you would eat anything to make yourself full. I know when I havent ate for a long time especially on a road trip I get hungry easily. My family would bring snacks, but then snacks eventually start not be enough. I tend to usually wait until there's a nearby In-N-Out but there was times my family and I settled for McDonald's. In Fast Food Nation, the bacteria that was just in one single patty (E. coli O157:H7) can affect someone's body even if a tiny particle was eaten. Who knows, that bacteria can still be spreading until now especially how Schlosser described the FDA's action towards it (only recalling unreasonable amounts at that time). What's worse is that people don't realize even if you had fast food a couple times, the food you had eaten could have been tainted with something just as dangerous for your body.
Delete(So my other post couldn't fit the whole thing so I separated it! Here you go!)
ReplyDeleteSomething, that was also in the beginning of the book, that rouses me is the fact that we, the United States, would spend more than 110 billion dollars on FAST FOOD. "Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software, or new cars. They spend more food on fast food than on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music - combined."
Think about it. For all you have lived, and your parents, and your parents' parents, how much money do you think you would have if you haven't spent it on fast food? Not to mention that we do spend it on fast food and it makes our country very obese. There's a reason for that and it's because our country loves these fattening foods; they want to stop but it's so hard because we're so accustomed to these types of food that we can't simply say "I'm going to stop eating these unhealthy foods" when it's all over the place - commercials on TV, billboards, on the freeway, there's the signs saying "1 mile ahead exit, there's a McDonald's/Taco Bell/etc other fast food restaurants. The best thing to do to help our people become more healthy and have healthy diet choices would be to close down the restaurants but that would never happen. So the most helpful idea is to try to make the food more healthy by not putting extra things to make it more "tastier" and to do it with the right ingredients that our bodies actually need to be healthy. I'm one of these people that love fast food but I can honestly say I am ashamed to be one simply because now I know what's in it and I wish to not have eaten it. It is downgrading to know that all these foods that I ate and what was put into my body makes me feel sick. To be honest, I wish that I lived thousands years before, like in the Roman Era so I could eat healthier than I would be eating today. Because of the fact that they made their own food by planting or hunting and did not process it like we do today.
I agree with April, because as we are surrounded with excessive food chains, we find it more tempting to satisfy our cravings by eating these processed foods. All the invested money we have spent on these synthesized products is outrageous, because people solely rely too much on these restaurants. If more people are aware of the dangerous effects of these foods, it can turn many people’s perception around to leading a more healthily intuitive lifestyle. We may be losing and these establishments may be gaining, but what we put into our bodies is our own individual choice and of our discretion, not theirs.
DeleteApril made an interesting point here, along with what Elefterie said cravings will always be something that triggers you to go into a fast food chain. From a previous post, I stated that as a kid I didn't develop a craving for candy/chocolate and just sweets in general. If you think about the majority of the people that go to fast food chains, the people are the lower class (hence that there really isn't a middle class nowadays), which does lead to the conclusion that the customers may have started young due to financial instability or advertisements shown in the media, growing accustomed to the taste in the food as well as the craving for it. When adults and children grow accustomed to the food, it becomes a habit, then unfortunately turns into an addiction. Elefterie said that people should be more aware, but the truth is like April said that the majority aren't and some don't even bother to care. I had a discussion with a couple friends during a hang out the other day and when I asked them if they cared about what was in fast food their automatic response was "NO! As long as it tastes good..." This brings me concern because people do think that way and die because of the thought that crossed their mind too much during their lifetime. What really is my main concern is that industries may be too selfish to care since they are well established and wealthy because of the business of luring in people with their advertisements as Sydney was saying. The industry may argue that they aren't solely the cause for obesity and other health concerns, but public health does say otherwise. When it comes down to it the United States is all about private property and business. Business is business, and as long as these entrepreneurs are making money everything else is secondary.
DeleteOmg, YESS!! I agree with April, Jenn, and Elefterie. If anybody's seen me in class, I'm always craving chocolate and donuts and a whole bunch other stuff. I am lower class, so of course I'm going to hop on my mom's car and go get whatever I'm craving, because it's cheap and its freakin good. And now I just feel hecka dumb reading this book because now I know I'm eating crap because I crave crap and then I buy more crap just so these businesses get money from people eating crap. I'm going to eat a salad now (or are those bad too???????idk)
DeleteAgain, I am in favor of April's opinion! I love her idea of the solutions for healthier lifestyles. Why can't fast food restaurants just use fresh ingredients? I guess they just care about money and making food "fast" but there are more important issues than that. Fast food restaurants are serving us chemically made items that look like food. In reality, their "100% beef" is more like 100% chemicals that are assembled to look like beef. It is so sad because when people do not have time to prepare home-cooked meals or want to save money, their first instinct is to get fast food, not realizing how dangerous the "food" is.
DeleteIf we started a petition for like McDonald's or Taco Bell for them to start using fresh food, maybe they'll actual listen. If every American knew what they were eating and we all just rallied together against every fast food restaurant for fresh food, they'll probably stop using chemicals.
DeleteI think you are going to become an anti-fast food activist, April. I agree with you, the biggest problem is that people don't really know (and they probably don't really want to know) what they are eating.
ReplyDeleteI find these "flavorists" to be the one of the most amazing factoid I read throughout the book so far. These flavorists create the flavors for the unhealthy food we eat by messing around with different types of chemicals. I guess we can blame flavorists for the American diet. However, this type of job seems fun since you're trying to make flavors for food people would enjoy. You get to smell a lot of nice aromas as well. And they make a good salary. A factoid I found horrifying is that each year up to 200,000 teenagers are injured on their job due to slips, falls, strains, and burns. This many employees shouldn't get injured just from working at a fast food restaurant. They don't get paid a lot for the injuries they receive. Another horrifying factoid I read is that each month 4 or 5 employees are murdered at their job which is pretty scary. I value my life more than minimum wage. Therefore, I will never work at a fast food restaurant.
ReplyDeleteYou are so funny, Matt! Please don't grow up to be a chemical flavorist....
DeleteI can tell you, as someone who worked at a Dairy Queen and at Arby's as a teen that the jobs can be dangerous. I almost sliced my thumb in half at Arby's and my boss was furious with me!
I agree with you, Matt. Every one should value their life more than minimum wage because it is a blessing to live on this Earth especially if they have the opportunity to challenge themselves for a bigger and brighter future. It's interesting to know the fact that 4-5 employees are murdered at their job each month, but I think now that the fast food industry has increased then im sure the chances of death have also increased. Although being a flavorist may be fun, would you be comfortable to have a job that has a big negative impact on the health of the American population?
DeleteI think a good portion of those injuries occur because there is a lack of formal training. All it seems that the employees do now, is push button and voila, a burger is made. Another reason for the those injuries is probably because the employees stop really caring for their job. They get listless and bored with the same old thing everyday and they stop being careful around hazardous machinery.
DeleteSomething amazing I read in Fast Food Nation was the struggles, ups, and downs Carl Karcher went through to strive and become successful. It amazed me because he dropped out of school during the eighth grade, worked on farms, go west for a job his uncle offered, to driving a truck for a bakery, to having his own hot dog stands, to opening "Carl's Drive-In Barbeque," then to opening Csrls Jr. in 1956, to having "Carl Karcher Enterprises." I'm just amazed how a farm boy with an eighth grade education can make it to the top.
ReplyDeleteA lot of the people who created these big fast food chains had humble beginnings, and like the book stated it is amazing that what these establishments started from (individuals going against the typical steps taken to reach success) is the complete opposite of what they are today (one format replicated throughout the country with no individuality at all). It makes you wonder how these pioneers feel towards what their dreams have turned into.
DeleteSydney, I was thinking the same thing, the currents heads of the fast food companies are probably disappointing the founders with what their serving now. lol gross.
DeleteAfter being presented a great amount of factoids in this novel, a lot was brought to my attention that I was never fully aware of. After a successful processed food boom in the aftermath of the Depression, a surplus of frozen foods had escalated throughout markets and were admired for being easily attainable and prepared. However, the factoid I found the most horrifying was the International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF) corporation’s tactic of implementing various substances into food in order to achieve a desired “flavor.” These companies have labs in which they conduct experimentation of various chemicals that create the flavors we enjoy. What I found shocking was that these flavors are the ones that are being used to create makeup products, perfumes, and hygienic products (such as deodorant, toothpaste, shampoo.) and that color additives being used in makeup are actually added to dishes and sweets we eat from these restaurants/chains. The aromas created that we find appealing are manipulative to our senses, as they are not what they naturally are. I learned that scientists have one substance of an overall flavor (one chemical could have the scent of a hamburger) and can be added to any food to taste like any food or even odor. In order to prevent havoc in our community, I learned that the FDA has a policy of not being able to reveal the ingredients of their additives, as long as they are “safe.” Their definition of safe really just means concealing their secret formulas. I also found that exotic bugs from islands are grinded up into pigment and is used to make pinkish dye in our candy, juices, and popsicles, appalling to read.
ReplyDeleteThe reason why major food chains are successful is due to collaborative efforts with other restaurants in their league. They must lure more customers using different strategies ranging from more effective advertising to more personal interaction, such as enthusiastic greets (when it is really persuasion to purchase more foods) , often using children as their main source. The marketing efforts made towards kids is a large demographic, whose aim is to benefit these growing franchises and corporations. Soon enough, the food culture had collided alongside the entertainment world, where both industries collaborated, creating a luring force against the public. Seemingly, these business goers seem harmless, but their ulterior motive of business over health poses a great threat to consumers through their chemically-based substances we refer to as “food.” This serves as a downside to our community (not just kids but even adults), because as we resort to fast food chains out of mere convenience, we feel reassured that the unhealthy food we intake is acceptable to our bodies when in reality, it is harmful. These facts had made me more prone to staying to a much healthier diet and to avoid resorting to these food choices.
I agree with you completely Elefterie. This book is making me feel like I've been a lab rat since birth! Companies need us in society to give them the feedback they need about each "food" product. If the "food" doesn't sell well then they need to rethink the "formula" they use. It also makes me think, what does the food really taste like without the added scent? Because smell is such an important factor in the way that we taste everything I wonder if we would be able to taste how unreal the food really is if we didn't have that blocking us.
DeleteKris brought up a fact that these food chains are teamed up against the customer. This fact bothered me. I mean it is easy to figure that a company’s main goal is to get money from customers, but the fact that they assume the customers are so dumb that they could feed them literally anything as long as it tastes good is definitely disgusting.
ReplyDeleteThis book has some shocking tidbits but it also mentioned other things that I was already aware of. The point that really resonated with me was the prospect of marketing directed specifically towards kids. I think it’s because I remember after reading that section I turned on my TV and saw the reported facts from the book alive and well, brightly colored advertisements, with adorably animated animals prancing around. It concerned me that advertisers prey on such young and impressionable minds. Although their representatives didn’t blatantly say it, clearly they were proud of discovering who their target demographic was. McDonald’s own marketing executive, Ray Bergold happily proclaimed that a top goal is to make sure that their advertisements let customers think of McDonald’s as a “trusted friend”. Bergold made it seem like customers are nothing more than walking wallets that will be easily persuaded by anything appealing. An even sadder truth is that in a way, Americans have fed into that stereotype, because despite the many news reports of the negative effects fast food has on one’s health, we still consume a large amount of fast food. I also feel like the companies continue to mislead their customers because there is no incentive for them to stop. If Americans stopped eating at these establishments, it would hit those chains where it hurts them the most: their bank accounts.
Happy Meals, anyone? And when there was a "good" toy, my boys would bug me to death to take them to Micky D's! Remember those little stuffed animals? Arrrgh!
DeleteI remember when McDonald's had those Polly Pockets in the Happy Meals when i was younger. Polly Pocket was my favorite aside from Barbie and Bratz (I know all dolls, lol) but even recently McDonald's had those Hello Kitty watches in their Happy Meals back in middle school and I swear EVERYONE had one and collecting them was the thing to do. Fast food chains really know how to lure just about anybody into buying food!
DeleteI swear, everyone wanted to own the actual "Hello Kitty" watch but everyone would get stuck with another character, hahah so they had to keep buying.
DeleteWhat I found about the flavor industry interesting. Aroma of food is 90% responsible for its flavor. Not only by smell but color can affect the taste as well. Scientist can make a chemical that can change a smell or color of a unhealthy foods into something any would crave. Thus making people buy unhealthy food and consuming it as long it taste good.
ReplyDeleteI really wonder how color can affect the taste. I mean you can tell when something is bad due to color but does it really affect taste?? And no wonder why vegetables are nasty, they have no smell!
DeleteVegetables are not nasty, Matt! I think you should give them another try. I personally think it doesn't affect the taste. Fast food places just have the color of the food changed so it looks more appealing to the eyes, which will attract more buyers.
DeleteI agree with all of you, That is an interesting fact. I can't believe how greedy these people are. They don't even realize how many people lose their lives for their products just for money.
DeleteA lot of people agree with Kris, and also I do. We'd all think that fast food restaurants were doing it for the money, but it's disturbing that they could feed us literally anything to get that money. I also found the section about the slaughterhouse industry... very gross and interesting. (Ok fast food is gross in general, moral of the book)
ReplyDeleteI was going to put that down for my answer but I also found something disturbing and actually quite helpful in my job selection for my life. Us teenagers, especially ones living in poverty, are trying to find jobs, and fast food businesses are making that easier for us. Almost every fast food restaurant has a "Now Hiring" sign, and honestly I do contemplate if I should go in and ask about it. But these jobs are almost as dangerous as working as a policeman (more restaurant murderers than policemen murders in 1998). I never realized that accepting a fast food business job offer would be like handing my life behind the cash register. The only available time for high school teenagers are late nights, which is one of the most dangerous times to be working behind a cash register. And some of the murders mentioned in the book sound like they came straight out of a horror movie. Colorado Springs, execution-style killings of teenage workers and a female manager at a Chuck E. Cheese? Nashville, fast-food serial killer? Vallejo, shooting of three shooting with the murderer laughing out the door? DEFINITELY, not applying to any fast food restaurants...
yes!!! I agree with Diego! I was horrified at the fact that fast-food franchises are dangerous to work in. I was completely unaware that crime scenes often took place in fast-food franchises. Because fast-food restaurants are opened 24-hours, robberies are most likely to take place during late at night or early in the morning, when they are unoccupied.
DeleteI definitely agree with Diego. You would think applying at a fast food restaurant would be a great opportunity, but it also poses one of the greatest risks for our safety. As young as we are, we are more vulnerable but we are also more drawn to these kind of jobs, which the majority of teenagers do have today, but it is in fact very dangerous. Reading about the crime rate was shocking to find out, especially hearing about local ones.
DeleteThis is unrelated to the question at hand for the week, but I think it is interesting that this book is from 2001 and the facts still reign true 12 years later. It would also be interesting to see how much worse (or maybe better) the food conditions have become, since the FDA has started to crack down harder on these undesirable ingredients due to recent law changes.
ReplyDeleteOoooh that is true Sydney! I wonder too, if the FDA will try and do something about these unhealthy ingredient habits since they didn't try the last twelve years and even if they did, their efforts aren't showing because of the fact that we are still, to this day, eating what was in the food twelve years ago or even more chemicals and whatnot than it was before. But I hope soon that there will be a big drastic change!
DeleteIt is quite upsetting, because as the years progress, more ingredients and efficient remedies of food production are being advanced. I hope the FDA sets new regulations on what is inputted into these foods, because if no changes are made, we will continue to remain at this harmful unhealthy state.
DeleteGood point Syd! How worse can it get?! The FDA seriously needs to change their food methods. It truly upsets me knowing that it is legal for fast food restaurants to normally serve lethally-made foods and people are oblivious to this issue.
DeleteWell, some changes were made. For example, MacDonald's (at least for a while) offered the choice of fruit instead of fries, and milk instead of soda. They also stopped advertising the toys in the Happy Meals. From TV advertising, it looks to me, like Taco bell has started offering food with a lot more calories - they seem to throw that fake cheese on everything these days. I'm not knowledgeable about Burger King. Anyone?
DeleteYou have a good point, Sydney! I hope the FDA starts to make changes to eliminate these harmful chemicals in our food. People eat at these restaurants to get a meal if they don't have time to cook, and it's quite unfortunate that they're being served food that is harmful to their body instead of getting the same nutritional benefits of having a home-cooked meal.
DeleteIt seems as if the FDA doesnt want to take action when it comes to what is made in the food as long as it is considered "safe" to them. Patricia is totally right about a reason people have to go eat at fast foods. I think it's even more ironic that people come and actually dine in at these places (especially McDonald's) and they order a whole truckload of food and don't even know whether an employee or rat has been in their food. Either way, what you eat is what you get at fast food places. Cheap and hence the word fast.
DeleteFor me it was milkshakes I never knew their were so many harmful substances that were in milkshakes and how much they could affect your body.
ReplyDeleteReading Fast Food Nation has really opened my eyes about fast food restaurants. I was aware that the foods served at fast food restaurants are unhealthy and made with dangerous chemicals, but I did not know how dangerous they were. So many foods that are offered in their menus seem pretty simple to make already, but they are made with the most difficult-pronounced chemicals that harm our bodies. Learning that the cooking process in Taco Bell is to "just add hot water" sickened me!
ReplyDeleteHowever, the most horrifying fact that I read so far in the novel was how dangerous working at a fast food restaurant can be. Apparently, there are so many crimes involved with fast food in America, which makes it unnoticed. This is horrifying because something dangerous can happen at fast food restaurants at any time and would not be considered a major issue. Another fact that caught my attention in the novel is how teenagers are basically handing their life to working at a fast food restaurant. At first, I thought how advantageous of an opportunity working part-time at a fast food restaurant to gain extra profit, but after reading this, I learned that many teenagers become depressed from working shifts too long and barely having any time to do after school activities. The majority of workers at fast food restaurants are teenagers, who end up dropping out of high school. The novel has made me mindful of not only how dangerous fast food is, but also how dangerous it can be to work at fast food restaurants.
Yes! I don't eat Taco Bell but now knowing how they make the food I won't ever eat there. Also they really do disregard the safety of their employees, when they should be creating more scholarship funds or allowing teenagers an easier way to promote, since they are the backbone of these companies. The employees are the real ones out there grinding everyday, while the executives just sit back while the money stacks up.
DeleteAnd also to know that one of the horrifying crimes happened in Vallejo is saddening in itself.
DeleteI remember that crime -- it was the MacDonald's by Target. One of the people who was killed had been a student of mine from VHS.
DeleteIt is also very dangerous to be a pizza delivery person - which is a fairly popular job for boys (primarily) once they are driving. There have been a multitude of armed robberies and at least one murder of a pizza delivery person in Vallejo.
I wasn't aware of how fast food jobs were dangerous as well. I've always thought that these jobs were simple and anyone can do them to get easy money, but now I know that fast food crimes are unnoticed. It's sad how executives don't consider their workers' safety, they just see those employees as someone they can easily replace.
DeleteI think all of us had our fair share of contemplating whether we wanted to work at a fast food place. But once you hear about all these gruesome crimes you would work at anywhere BUT fast food. Most of us know that we would only accept the job if we were desperate for money, and truth is a lot of us are even if some of our families are financially stable. That's probably what saddens me the most, kids our age get into a job and don't necessarily need the money then don't realize that their boss doesn't care whether they are killed or not for it.
DeleteI agree with Jenn and Juanna. Most teenagers are out looking for a job to earn an extra buck. They don't look into the whole picture though. Getting that extra spending money has no comparison to one's life. In addition to Jenn's post, many families are financially unstable and with the kids constantly seeing the hardships that their parents are going through, they will do whatever they can to give a hand to helping their parents.
DeleteWhile reading this, all I wanted to do was rewind and never eat or drink anything that was produced in a fast food restaurant. It's so disturbing to find out the harmful, nasty, and sickening things that are put into the foods and drink that we consume.
ReplyDeleteThe most disturbing thing that I must've read was how food is prepared and how the ingredient in the food are instant and are all frozen and that fact that they have just anything in them. I feel for the workers who do such hard work and are put in such dangerous conditions. That's why, I said will never work in a fast food restaurant. When you think of it, they say, for instance McDonald' s "I'm lovin' it" it's more of death wish. Love it all you want, eat as much as you want but in the end when you get sick or get diabetes and such will you still love it? These people, the managers who own these fast food restaurants only want money, and they don't care what they feed you to get money. The sad thing is that the people who started these companies probably genuinely wanted to feed people good food that was easy and affordable but now, it's all about money and they don't care about the health of people because it's our choice to eat it so why not just get the most out of it.
I agree, I feel bad for those workers and I also wouldn't want to work in a fast food restaurant because I would never work to give people stuff I wouldn't eat and I feel like I'm sorta "killing" them slowly because of how bad the food is.
DeleteHahaha I agree with you on "I'm lovin' it" being more of a death wish! I eat McDonald's a lot, possibly once at least once a week. Once you get diabetes, you'll regret all the unhealthy food choices you made. Then you're eventually going to have to eat healthy to stay healthy!
Delete@Jessica I agree with you too! I refuse to work at a fast food restaurant because i don't think I can handle the experience that goes on behind the cashier.
DeleteYou're definitely right Tiffany. Fast food joints are our death wish. The more we consume we increasingly sign our death notes. I feel as if the companies don't particularly care about our health as long as money is being made, and to be honest that's the unnerving truth.
DeleteI agree with Kristine and Jessica about the not working at a fast food joint. We'd be adding to the problem by serving people all this garbage. Even if i needed a job, I would not apply at a fast food joint if that means working in a nasty environment.
DeleteThe most horrifying fact that I have read in Fast Food Nation was learning about how these foods are actually made and what they are made of. Like my classmates have said, reading about how much chemicals a simple milkshake contains and how Taco Bell workers "just add water" to cook their food (just to name a couple of processes) disgusted me. Learning that the food I am consuming is chemically treated to look and taste good has made me more aware and cautious on what to eat. These fast food branches make so much money, but they can't even serve costumers real food with real ingredients in them. In addition, I agree with Sydney's comment on how the founders of these fast food chains had a different vision that how the industry is today. I think it's saddening to learn how their dreams have turned into businesses that care only about making money.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I go inside a Taco Bell the very first thing I notice is the disgusting scent and aroma that comes from the kitchen. If you go to the one in Admiral Callaghan, do you notice that too? It doesn't smell very well. It smells like synthetic things to me.. Also when you're ordering your food there, you can kind of see the way they make it already. It seems as if the meat was just there waiting to be served and all they do is warm it up for you. Taco Bell does have good things on their menu, but I know it's not my favorite place to go for fast food.
DeleteYou're definitely right Patricia that the founding father's of fast food envisioned something different than today. Now it's all about making money to stipulate our growing needs to be the best country. Fast food industries are not concerned about our health at all, but the green in their pockets!!
DeleteYou are totally right Patricia. It's really sad to see how the dreams of these founding fathers has gone so down hill. They had a dream to bring food conveniently to the public without the stressful lines, and waves of people gathering to buy food. But now it has come down to unnecessary chemicals and no care for the customer's safety.
DeleteAs i was growing up i was always told to stay away from junk food because they contain many chemicals that will later harm our bodies. However, I was never fully aware of all the chemicals that fast food restaurants put in their food. Like a simple milkshake, it never occured to me that it would take all the chemicals listed in the book to make it. As well as taco bells workers who "just add water" to cook their food, it makes my stomach turn. Has it really become such a hassle to cook food without chemicals and make the food more organic. Restaurants care more about the taste and smell of their dishes because that is what people rely on when they taste something for the first time. When poeple eat something they like, they usually continue eating the food. By doing that our bodies get used to the food or chemicals we process and ask for more like a bad habit. That allows restaurants to make plenty of money the easy way. If fast food restaurants took the time and effort to make real food they would lose plenty of money. However, is money more important than the health of the population? I dont think so. Either way nothing is really healthy anymore. You can buy vegetables, fruits, and all those healthy things but they are still being processed with pesticides, fungicides and other chemicals that we are not aware of. Those chemicals will sooner or later harm our bodies as well. Just because the FDA approves something it does not make it safe to eat.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness, the Taco Bell thing got to me too considering these past few months I've been eating there more than usual. Also with the return of the Beefy Crunch Burrito, hahah. The word that stuck out to me the most was the "assembling" of the food rather than actually preparing it. Reading how their guacamole is not made fresh and how their beans are cooked when you "just add hot water", reading these statements made me uneasy. Going off of what Renee posted above, I was also told to stay away from junk food(even though the family business was a hot dog cart and food truck) but these warnings were very general and were not closely looked into. Because as almost everyone was told to stay away from it, I'm pretty sure that none of us ever researched into the "making" of the fast foods we all have enjoyed and craved in the past. Ms Fri,as we all read how the majority of fast foods are prepared, reading this book may have steered us clear from it for a long time. :)
ReplyDeleteI had completely forgot about the Taco Bell thing! For the longest time I had friends and family tell me that the taco meat wasn't really meat. I'm not sure if that part is real or not, but I'm still going to stay away from it. I'm going to miss the Beefy Crunch Burrito hahaha
DeleteI knew that mc donalds were very bad for my health but i can't stop eating their food, now i realized what chemicals they put in their food to make you crave them. Also, I can't believe they add so many "unnecessary" chemicals to milkshakes? I honestly believe that milkshakes don't need anymore experimenting. They're good with just fruits itself and milk or something. & hamburgers have shit in it. it's so hard to avoid fast food chains especially because its so much cheaper and easy to reach. But after reading the book, it's been stuck to my head that they actually put the crap on their meat.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Ms. Fri about the fries because that's what I thought too. I thought it was just potato but no they actually put chemicals in it just to make it taste better. And I also would just go to Mcdonald's for the fries or a drink. Now I'm starting not too. I don't really go to much fast food restaurants this past year. The ones I only go to are either Taco Bell or Mcdonald's. I loooove Taco Bell. But since the stuff they told me in the book about Taco Bell of how unfresh they are and how they "assemble" it rather than preparing, makes me kinda sick. I agree with Kristina with her post because it's true how some of us actually never researched the making of fast foods but I'm glad I've been reading this book because it's teaches us all to look deeper in our food. Now about Mcdonald's..oh gosh...milkshakes. Yea I'm sure everyone knows about the milkshakes how they put chemicals that are unnecessary. I guess I was gullible into thinking it WAS fresh.. but no. -_- Now I'm just gonna stick with my juicing. The hamburgers I'm not too surprised because I knew there was obviously something bad in it. I'm sooo glad I've made the switch to no burgers this year. I feel safe. And trust me you guys I think you should all make the switch too it may seem hard but just think of the unhealthy stuff. But of course I can't make you I'm just helping.
ReplyDeleteThis book really does teaches us to look deeper into our food. I wonder if even a fast food restaurant's salad is bad for you too... I'm surprised that fries are made out of chemicals as well. That's why some fries taste nasty to others. Good job on the burger diet too!
DeleteActually Matthew, if you look at the calorie content at McDonalds' their so called "healthier alternative salads" actually have a higher calorie content then some of the burgers. & this is because of the dressing & the chemicals put into the salad.
DeletePersonally, I'm disturbed by the fact that many of the fast food restaurants use chemicals to make their food taste good and that really bothers me in the way that restaurants can actually harm the people by feeding them these harmful chemicals and the fact that they restaurants could literally put anything inside their food and the food would still taste good. It really bothers me in the way that the FDA doesn't do anything to stop these unhealthy chemicals from being put into foods. I was really disturbed in the way that many foods say that they have a natural favor but the flavor is actually produced chemically and sometimes has more dangerous chemicals than an artificial flavor. I agree with many of classmates in that these chemicals are unhealthy for people and the book has helped see that many of these restaurants only care about money and bringing back the customers so that they can sell their food.
ReplyDeleteIt's difficult to turn down the convenience and shiny-packaged picture of fast food restaurants. In the book "Fast Food Nation", it states that, "Behind them lies a simple explanation for why eating a hamburger can now make you seriously ill: There is shit in the meat." This is what horrified me the most. Upon knowing that this is happening, we as consumers of fast food, are getting food poisoned. As of what most said, the food may taste great and satisfying, but there are harmful chemicals added to flavor the burgers, fries and milk-shakes, to add to their attractiveness. For instance, fast food restaurants are frying potatoes in fat that is 7% soy oil and 93% beef tallow and McDonalds' fries gained their flavor not from potatoes, but from chemicals harvested in New Jersey. Obesity is the second leading cause of death behind smoking and fast food is simply ruining individuals, communities, work and family life. Another horrifying topic is how fast food places are where most crime scenes happen. More fast food workers were killed in 1998 than police officers. It's bad enough that the employees are not in a safe working-environment, but they're also surrounded by the harmful food and working there will just tempt them into eating those unhealthy foods.
ReplyDeleteWhenever I go to a fast food restaurant, like McDonald's, I see their nutrition poster and see very small letters warning us that their foods are cancerous. We are simply warned, but not enough to know the hazardous effects because companies are so caught up on trying to make money through their "fake" food.
I agree with all of my classmates.The looks in the fast food can be deceiving. I have never realized it before because all of the temptation that the fast food products bring. Their food looks tasty and good. But, in other cases they are just unhealthy. I haven't realized that they put chemicals in their food to make them look and taste very good. I find this disgusting and interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think individually we'll all find something disturbing from the book but what disturbs me is everything and if you think of each thing individually and put it together it almost seems like a classic horror movie. Many of my classmates makes the point that there should be healthier choices but in reality, there are many healthy choices already. The problem is it's your own choice no matter how much a person can argue that it's "pressure" it's someone forcing me. We forget we have options and are able to make our own choices. OUR BODY OUR CHOICES. You can't ask a cooperation that makes billions of dollars to change because it won't. It's the sad reality but truly it won't. From a business perspective, they'd forget the feelings of a person so these companies simply care for the revenue they will receive or, what's the most cheapest way to get them the most money. Asking or saying they should change for us is sadly a Utopian idea. These companies have organization morals much like we have you think asking/telling them to put "healthier" food will change anything. The problem is also kids refuse the healthy choices. When you think about it, you constantly say you want to change your lifestyle but the second you see something remotely healthy you say "Mom can I have McDonalds instead?" What we should do is acknowledge the healthy choices that are already in front of us. It's not like these fast food problems have just been appearing out of nowhere. It's been here and developing for YEARS. Like I have argued before it's our own ignorance our own choice to disregard the fact that this food is bad. The book tries to send a way that isn't to make these companies "HEALTHY" but to disregard these companies. Buy from your local vendors because, they have the healthier choice, educate yourself on what is healthy and what is bad, realize the cheap way out is never going to work, and when we fully accept the reality of what we are eating and try to change for ourselves and not say "I'm going to change!" When we all know some of us are simply saying this to keep ourselves content but to truly stop eating at these corporations because once we do they will change or they will simply disappear. We forget the people have the power and within the people is an individual and that individual makes up their own choices, their own decisions. Am I saying I'm perfect not even the slightest because, hey you may just see me chowing down at McDonalds, I'm just making the point.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Rizalyn on how kids refuse the healthy choices. That pretty describes me a lot. I'm such a picky eater and my parents always complain to me about that. I would eat healthier but junk food just tastes better. If scientists can create a way to make food healthier and taste good, the world would be more better.
DeleteWOW, Rizalyn. Your paragraph actually made me push myself to read the whole thing. You sound like you're in a debate. Anyways, I agree with you about what you said in the above^^. Companies will not change for us because in all honestly, they don't really care about our health and what we consume. I think they mostly care about how much money they can rack up in the end of the day. Also, I think that everyone does crave some sort of fast food once in a while, but to eat it everyday is a different story.
DeleteAlso Matt, because I personally know you more than others do on here, you better change your eating habits before it's too late!
DeleteI totally agree with Rizalyn. If you truly think about this from a business perspective, they are just doing their job. They don't expect everyone to eat fast food, but with economy the way it is, and how quick you can have fast food for a meal it's just an easier alternative. Especially if you have a busy lifestyle and aren't able to make the best choices for your health. It's really not the companies fault. We have always had healthy food, we just never took time to see how easy it to stay healthy and eat these foods.
DeleteI agree with Rizalyn. It may seem like we don't have choices, but we do. We say we do want to change, but we don't work for it. It's our our own fault if you think about it.
DeleteWow! This is a really goood post. I agree and disagree at the same time. Many teens know how unhealthy McDonald's and fast food places are and choose to ignore it. The part I don't necessarily agree with is the "buisness is buisness" mindset. Money is what is causing these companies to shove whatever flavorful chemicals they can into the food to make it irresistible, but that sure doesn't make it okay. A lot of information on what the food contains is easy to skip over if you don't look hard enough. And the prices of fast food versus organic food is ridiculous. But then again, we do have the power to change if we really want it.
DeleteYeah Adrielle, I agree that adding those chemicals to all those foods to make them taste better is not okay. I just don't think it'll ever change due to that fact. Those people who are already at the top with all the money and power will not change their ways due to people's demands. Sadly, they're just money hungry and will not think about people and how they end up. At the end of the day it's all about how much money they've earned.
DeleteAnd I agree with Kristine, you should change your eating habits unless you are asking for a slow death wish or some disease!
DeleteI agree with Rizalyn. This book was published to inform the public of all the wrong doings of the fast food industry and how misleading they are. This book was not meant to steer people to a healthier lifestyle but to steer them away from the fast food industry. In response to Matt's post, if they made healthy foods taste better then that would be similar to the flavorists that figure out how to make the fake food taste like the real thing.
DeleteA lot of things that were stated in this book surprised me. However, what really amazed me was the part about the bugs used to color different types of food. In the book it said that for some products such as yogurt, juice, candies, and more they use a certain type of bug to color the products. It says that the companies dry and ground the bugs to get the pigment in it to use it to color their products. They use the bugs to color their foods to make it look tastier. Now that I found out what these companies use to color their products it makes me not want to eat it. Companies use bugs to color their products just to make it look appealing. However, the fact that they use bugs in items that we consume is not appealing. The color doesn’t make the products taste any different. Therefore, I think they shouldn’t use bugs just for its color.
ReplyDeleteReading about that really grossed me out! I remember one day I was about to order a strawberries and creme frappuccino from Starbucks and I wanted to check how people thought it tasted so i searched online about it. What I found out was that SB used bugs, just like how the book talked about to make the drink much more appealing to the eyes.
DeleteWhat?! I got that last week! Knowing that even SB uses this tactic to color their products with bugs is stomach churning. I agree with Catalina, that although the color makes the food product look tastier, it does not have a true role in the taste of the product. Although it looks good, does not necessarily mean it tastes good.
DeleteI agree as well that this book really opens your eyes into acknowledging the disturbing behaviors of these so-called restaurants. The most horrifying factoid that really rocked my world was McDonald's french fries. Being a Muslim, I try to stay away from hiram (not grass grown quality food) and try to stick to halal food. So when I was reading about the french fries it really destroyed my thoughts of what was necessarily "fresh food".
ReplyDeleteMcDonald's french fries was my vice and to find out that it's chemically produced sickens my stomach. It being coated with chemicals and animal fats really disrupts my cultural way of eating. I can no longer trust any particular fast food joints in fear that it will be hiram and ruin my temple like body
I agree with Rochelle. I think that restaurants should at least notify their customers of what REALLY is in their food. Especially if it disrupts their religious eating preferences.
DeleteI agree with Rochelle and Gabriel. I am sure many others can relate to Rochelle's situation. These restaurants should be up-front with their customers and tell them like it is. Especially since the restaurants are being misleading with what they are actually serving to their customers.
DeleteIt is never tolerated to be misleading about foods being served to customers, but it is horrific to think this can affect a person's religious diet. This is something I never thought about, thank you Rochelle.
DeleteOut of all that I’ve read, I think that the artificial flavors versus the natural flavors information horrified me the most. In my mind, when I see the words “natural flavors” I think NON-ARTIFICIAL. But it doesn’t even mean that! I try to avoid artificial flavoring as much as possible because I know the damage it can do to your body. If “natural flavors” aren’t actual natural flavors then what are? The fact that it takes about 50 chemicals to make the artificial taste of strawberry both amazes and horrifies me. All you need for a good healthy dose of strawberry taste is the fruit itself.
ReplyDeleteHere are some of the chemicals in strawberry flavoring and their alternate uses/reactions
>Amyl butyrate- used as an additive in cigarettes.
>Amyl valerate- used as a sedative in the medical field.
>Butyric acid- used as a weapon against abortion facilities in 1992 because of its vomit-like odor and damage repair costs
>Diacetyl- many cases were reported of this chemical causing bronchiolitis obliterans, a lung disease, when workers inhaled it for long periods of time
I’m sure it would take excessive amounts of these chemicals to do real harm to our bodies, but the fact that it is possible and that it harms us in even small amounts makes me want to avoid them. Also while typing this up, I heard a commercial about Nutella that promised no artificial flavors but made no promises against so-called “natural flavors”. This makes me wonder if foods promoted as naturally flavored are ever really what they say.
I agree. But think about all the foods with artificial flavors that we've consumed throughout our whole lives. I know we're not super old yet, but still. Foods like animal crackers, hot dogs, pringles, gum (I looked at the ingredients label), and so many more foods contain artificial flavors. So pretty much everything wrapped contains some kind of poison.
DeleteI thought the story about the soda amazed me. The average soda consumption of teens astonished me, because I honestly don't even drink soda unless it's a holiday, so it made me think how worse it could be for me, if I couldn't control what I drink. I agree that the habits we start off as children, determine how we end up in the future, so I think it would be beneficial if parents controlled what their kids eat at a younger age to TRY and help start a healthier lifestyle for them.
ReplyDeleteIt is astonishing how much soda teens drink. Thank goodness I don't like the taste of soda though. I guess since my parents didn't really give me soda and I never really begged for it I never acquired a taste for it. But I do have a taste for chocolate...we all should just be careful especially those whose families have diabetes.
DeleteYou're right Gabe. That story amazed me too. I was really astonished to see how much soda teens drink. I mean, personally I don"t think I drink a lot of soda. Only from time to time, & during special occasions really. & you are totally right. if the parents just control the consumption of soda as kids, they won't drink as much as teens. I think that's what my parents did to my sisters and I. & really if you look at us all right now, we probably consume more water then any other drink.
DeleteThe soda consumption oh gee. It is getting to a whole new level now. Parents need to know that they are getting their children what is basically a large cup of sugar. I saw a kid come out of Mc Donald's with a Large fountain drink and the darn thing is as big as his head.
DeleteI agree with Gabe because would never imagine that many parents allowing their kids to drink all of that sugar with it being unhealthy. I do not not drink much soda and when I do, just about every time, the soda is diet.
DeleteI agree with gabe because yes teens drink alot of soda but it also depends on if they are accustomed. As for me I usually drink at least 3 or 4 cans of soda a month. I am a fan of soda but I tend to only drink water and natural homemade juice because I was raised by my parents that way.
DeleteThe fact that teens drink alot of soda is absolutely correct, it really applies to me considering the fact that i drank 2 cans of mountain dew today.
DeleteThe most shocking passage that I read in the novel, was the one about Kenny Dobbins. The meatpacking industries had abused his trust and just used him. Even after countless injuries, Kenny still did all the work that they asked of him. The poor man suffered from horrible things, yet he continued working for the meatpacking industry and they abused his trust. The part that shocked me the most was when Kenny was told to clean the factory with chlorine after a problem with Salmonella contamination. He went in with only a paper dust mask and his street clothes on. He was SUPPOSED to have protective gloves, safety goggles, a self-contained respirator, and full coveralls. His supervisor gave him a PAPER DUST MASK, which quickly dissolved. At the end of it all, his heart is permanently damaged, his immune system is gone, and every so often coughs up blood. Geez, I can't comprehend the amount of betrayal and hatred he has towards the Monfort company. I feel bad for him. No one should have to go through that. The last paragraph of this section gave me chills.
ReplyDeleteYeah this is just another example of how cruel, careless, and greedy come people can be. These meatpacking industries should be sued for millions of dollars. That's so messed up how people can take advantage of others and get away with it.
DeleteWhat makes it even worse is that the FDA and USDA do not have the man power to place and enforce the regulations they had set up. The only real way to get the meat packing industry to promote better safety, is if a big corporation like McDonald's or Burger King want something changed.
DeleteThere were so many stories I found disgusting in Fast Food Nation. In one chapter it talked about when they were experimenting with fries they added sugar.to me that is just gross. How could they even think of adding sugar to something that is already so unhealthy? As some of my classmates have said the milkshake story was horrifying to me as well. Not just about what they put in it but also the amount of things they put in it. I mean as I was reading the list kept going on and on of the ingredients they added. I think companies will add whatever they have to to make something taste good.
ReplyDeleteYou're right companies indeed will put whatever they can in foods to make it taste good. Reading about how they put some kind of beef juice in the McDonald's chicken mcnuggets was so odd. Beef in chicken? They're so desperate to make money that they'll add beef juice to their product and call it chicken.
DeleteThe IFF is one crazy company. I found it so amusing how foods that we purchase from fast food joints and even packaged at the grocery store contain chemicals with names I can't pronounce. When the author wrote about his visit to one IFF facility, it was interesting how foods were chemically engineered to taste good - just as good as something cooked fresh. For example, since fruits like all foods can't stay fresh forever, there is an artificial strawberry mentioned in the book. This strawberry contains so many chemicals (which again I had trouble pronouncing) with not even one ounce of pure, natural strawberry. Another thing I found very disturbing was that red dye, used in many processed foods, is made from the dead body of an insect! I wouldn't touch a cochineal, let alone put it into my mouth even if it is dead. It's so messed up how companies don't really care about the consumer's health just as long as it they're making money. Also, the FDA is supposed to protect us from harmful chemicals approved in our food, some of which are banned in other countries. Through this book, a lot of secrets regarding the food industry have been revealed. I now second guess eating gushers, cereal, and everything else wrapped in plastic.
ReplyDeleteThis reminds me of what you have said during lunch earlier. You were complaining about the strawberry artificial flavor used in the chewy snack. I didn't really even expect you to check the ingredients used for the product. It was also very surprising because you didn't even want to eat it anymore after finding out what was in the product such as carrot extract and what not. That's so weird. Knowing you, you eat a lot.
DeleteYes, I do like to eat. But come on, the ingredients label said something like purple broccoli and I didn't even know a vegetable like that existed, unless it's some kind of chemically engineered vegetable. Well nowadays I guess you'll never know.
DeleteWhat I found to be truly interesting in this book is how e.coli really affected the meat used for the fast food industries in the late 1970's. A six year old girl once died a few days after Christmas due to eating a hamburger from a local Jack in the Box in San Diego. The meat used in that hamburger was infested with e.coli which caused her to suffer through terrible pain and three heart attacks. There was also once an incident having to do with hamburger patties. 35 pounds of ground beef was once recalled because something in the meat was causing others to go to the local hospital. Although it was recalled, it was too late because already 25 million pounds of the ground beef had already been eaten.
ReplyDeleteThat poor little girl.. To make matters worse, the animals used to make the nation's ground beef were worn-out cattle. The animals were most likely to be diseased and contaminated with antibiotic residues. Also we think that we can give animals dirty food and dirty water, but what they consume will have an effect on us once we have them for dinner.
DeleteThis book was a lot to take in. Anyway, one of the factoids that I found pretty interesting was the one about E. coli O157:H7. (E. coli O157:H7 is a virulent and potentially lethal foodborne pathogen. Pg. 199) E. coli is not harmful until it releases a powerful toxin, “verotxin” or “Shiga toxin” which causes hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). The HUS can lead to kidney failure, anemia, internal bleeding, and destruction of vital organs. E. coli was found in hamburgers. Can you imagine dying just because of a burger you ate? Thousands of people became ill because of this and hundreds people even died. What affected me the most was how a six year old girl died after Christmas. She went through a lot; she suffered terrible pain, and had three heart attacks. This makes me not want to eat at any fast food place again. I don’t want to die just yet.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to die yet either. That's really sickening though how careless people are to not give a hoot for what other people eat just as long as they make money for themselves. I know there will always be people like this, but the FDA seriously needs to eliminate these corporations for the sake of our health, and not their earnings.
DeleteI think the one thing that surprised me about fast food and pre-packaged food are the chemicals they use in order for food to appeal to customers. Now I knew from the start that these foods did contain a lot of chemicals. But I didn't know they use food coloring, and chemicals to make the food a certain color or taste a certain way. By tasting a certain way, I mean that I did not know that certain grilled products are injected with just the gas that tastes like it was grilled. That surprised me a lot in fact. But I also did not know that in order for us to enjoy McDonald's French fries that we were subjected to food colored fries. I mean I guess I always knew the fries were a little bit more yellow then usual fries, but I did think it was because of chemicals. But I must say, I did in fact know that bugs are used in certain foods. & really I have no problems with that factor because the bugs aren’t dangerous, and my dad says all the time “extra protein.” Just joking. But I think this is issue though really attracted me because I was very intrigued by the test they conducted with the appeal of food color on humans. How they had blue meat and green fries. & by just the color the people became appalled, even though they seemed to enjoy it when it was the usual brown and yellow color. I guess I’m just saying that I’m very disappointed that lots of foods, especially ones that are consumed daily are full of unnecessary chemicals that our body doesn't need.
ReplyDeleteI agree indefinitely with you on the fact that our community is not well informed of the uncertainties in the food that we feed ourselves from these Fast Food chains. You would think that calorie counter and pamphlets would include the ingredients and such rather than just the nutritional information. That would make such a tremendous difference if they did have the ingredients on the boxes or packaging. Then the public would really know what they're putting in their mouth.
DeleteThe factoid that caught my attention was the E. Coli stories in the chapter What's In the Meat. This is quite the interesting topic since a man by the name of Lee Harding experienced symptoms of a E. coli O157:H7 infections. This is quite shocking that frozen hamburger patties have the potential to carry diseases like E. Coli (Well back in the day, maybe even today). I hope that this factoid is extremely shocking for everyone who read this book. If one patty manufacturing plant has a slip up where the meat gets tainted then the whole nation could gradually get infected. A mass distributing plant that instead of shipping out food, aids in the spread of a deadly disease. I would think that there would be certain regulations and safety procedures to follow to prevent this from ever happening but it happened in 1997 with the Hudson Foods. I hope that this never happens in the present day industries as well as the future, because if this actually did happen then it would be devastating.
ReplyDeleteWhat schocked me the most about this book was obviously the milkshakes. As i have said before, I usually eat fast food because i don't really care what i put in my body. However, that changed as i started reading this book. I agree with juanna because how are you going to put so much chemicals into something that is so easy to make? Milkshakes are supposed to be healthy, but apparantly fast food places think they shouldnt. As for the fries, I always knew the were extremely unhealthy because of my mom constantly telling me, and the amazing taste which now i know forsure is all chemicals. Fast food places really arn't the same anymore.
ReplyDeleteWhat gave me the creeps were the stories from the slaughterhouses; all the "ok" deaths and injuries and how the women employees were treated. I mean think about it, there are possibilities of humans being unknowingly ground up into cow meat that is packed and shipped to our grocery stores, it just gives me a Sweeney Todd feel to the idea of slaughter houses. Now the stories of how the women employees might have got to me because I'm a female but come on! Sexual activities involve fluids and we obviously have read that sanitation is not really important to those who run the slaughterhouses... So who knows if any of these people wash their hands after these events? Handling the meat that is served in our meals. It all just gives me the creeps.
ReplyDeleteWhat also makes it worse for us, is that there's a protein in human flesh that causes damage to your nervous system, It makes people who eat human flesh, as in cannibals, shake. The certain protein only affects humans.
DeleteI was shocked about the Subway story and how the book reports that Subway currently has some of the worst franchising particles. This surprised me because I grew up believing that subways was very healthy for you. this has definitely changed my perspective in all fast food restaurants no matter what they say or what is advertised.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way, especially since Subway is sponsored by Olympic athletes, like Michael Phelps. I actually thought Subway was a better choice for food than going to Mcdonalds. I now know that Subway doesn't want us to eat fresh.
DeleteThat is exactly what I thought after reading this book when I saw the commercial. How are you going to have professional athletes saying the stuff is good for you and then do that to us. Thanks for replying Carlos.
DeleteI certainly agree with Patricia because most fast food restaurants are doing a great job in terms of speed and convenience, but definitely not in the quality of the food itself and its cooking process. In some cases, E. coliO157:H7 is present in meat patties and it may lead to kidney failure, anemia, internal bleeding, and the destruction of vital organs., especially if undercooked. As good as the food may look and taste, all people need to come to the realization that it will hurt them and their wallets sooner or later. Adding to what Sydney has said about the founding fathers, America just wants more money. We as fast food buyers are affected because fast food corporations are thirsty for some cash and are never satisfied. They believe that they need to make new, delicious meals and drinks for customers to come back to them. With that happening, people cannot resist the temptation of artificial ingredients.
ReplyDeleteSo I've probably only had about 6 or 7 times ever ate at McDonalds because my parents thought that it was unsafe and unhealthy to eat there, since they watched news reporting that there was rats inside the meat and other things. In Fast Food Nation probably the storry that horrifies me most are the way they cut and process meat at slaute houses. It frieghtens me that the slaughter houses are not safe and unsanitary or just that the meat is not safe to eat because it could contain e coli or salmonella. How can they just feed us this meat and not feel guilty that it could possibly kill someone? I realize that they are just businessman trying to make profit, but if you only slowed doen the process both the workers and meat would be better. Another story that I just found horrifying is that they are feed cattle to cattle. I find cannibalism very wrong and disgusting. A story that caught my interest was on page 87 where they talk about how such low pay and not satisfying employees and their complaints can cause them to steal or even murder. Interesting how they mention a former employee of Mcdonalds here in Vallejo shot 3 women, killing one and left the restaurant laughing.
ReplyDeleteThat story on page 87 made me realize that the employers really don't care about what we feel and all they want is the money.
DeleteThe factoid that I have found to be the most horrifying is the description on what and how cattle (that is later turned into beef) are fed in feedlots. Growing up in a traditional Hindu home, I have never tried beef (or red meat for that matter) and have always had the stigma that it is something that I should absolutely expunge out of my life. For years, friends have always told me to just try it because they say it tastes so amazing and can help me put on weight, and of course, most Americans love beef. However, after reading about cows being produced surrounded by feces and eating the waste of other animals, it has absolutely secured my mind that I do not and will not try to eat beef. Everyone has their own choices and I am sure that outside of the content of this book, there has to be some type of pure beef that's not so gruesome to eat, but I just prefer to stay away from it. The simple fact that cattle are fed disgusting remains of sheep as the novel says makes me absolutely want to stay away even more from eating such a meat. I respect if anyone else feels differently but that should be mutual as this novel has secured how much I do not want to eat beef. The endless possibilities of e-coli getting into the meat just makes me nauseous typing this up, and in many senses, it is almost like eating a mystery meat since it is filled with so many other things. The novel even goes into detail how the pathogens are not only found in the feedlots described above, but even the slaughter houses where the meat is literally...well slaughtered and in hamburger grinders. Growing up and even to this day, people look at me like I hail from another planet because the idea of eating the all-American hamburger grosses me out, but this novel justifies it all so very well. Call me crazy but I prefer to actually know what is going into my body, and one thing that's for sure is that red meat will never be.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Elyse. I think the amount of chemicals that go into our fast food purchases is disgusting. It's really surprising to know that fast food places use food coloring to make the items appeal to customers. If the food was natural they wouldn't need to color it. It's so gross thinking about how many chemicals you've consumed unknowingly over the years.
ReplyDeleteThe factoid most horrific to me was definitely about the McDonald's French fries. I'm sure many people like Mrs. Fri are a fan of McDonald's solely because of their crispy, golden fries, but these little guys have a lot more to them other than potatoes, oil, and salt. When people think of American Food, they instantly think of a classic hamburger and fries. And McDonald's. (most of the time) So many people consume large amounts of these fries every day and little do they know what is in it and how this can affect their health greatly. If you are not on top of making sure you know what you're eating, like most of America, these fries can contribute a crispy golden death.
ReplyDeleteWhat is really crazy to me is all the chemicals that go into the foods that we eat at a fast food restaurant. I understand that a few chemicals are needed to disinfect the meat or other stuff but when you add so much stuff to a simple milk shake I think it's unnecessary. This book has really opened my eyes about the fast food restaurant and also scared me a little bit.
ReplyDeletethe most horrifying factoid to me, was about the french fries only because french fries are my favorite! when people would tell me "fast food is really bad for you!" i didnt know it was this bad. is it really necessary to add so much chemicals into the french fries? im pretty sure its not that hard to make them fresh like how In N Out Burger does. also, their french fries are just as tasty as McDonald's french fries in my opinion. like c'mon McDonald's!! get it together, haha. i also read that they fried them in beef tallow? i didnt know what it meant so i looked it up and ew! thats adding way more fat than needed. its already bad enough that they soak up oil while being fried. all i thought when i read this factoid was "how could you mess up something so simple and easy to do?"
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with you Ms. Fri. The truth behind the french fries we're pretty disturbing. That's usually what my mom and I look forward to when we do eat fast food. All I thought about french fries were that you cut up a potato and fry it and add salt, not all those unknown chemicals! I did what Krysten did and searched up the mentioned beef tallow and gagged at the big white gobs of fat they put in our beloved french fries. I already knew that potatoes take a while to digest, but imagine all the chemicals with it!
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