www.jsonline.com/enter/books/feb01/fast20021901.asp
Overdahl Eric Schlosser talks about his book, "Fast Food Nation," at the Pfister Hotel on Monday. Consumers can have it their way, he said, but they should make informed decisions based on factors such as how the growth of fast food has influenced conditions in slaughterhouses. Schlosser maintains that a nation's diet can be more revealing than its art or literature. He said fast food has become such a big part of pop culture that only Santa Claus is more recognizable to children than Ronald McDonald. In any given month, more than 90% of American children eat at McDonald's. If you chart the rise of obesity in the United States, it neatly parallels the growth of the fast food industry, Schlosser said. The increase in childhood obesity is particularly disturbing, he says, alleging that super-sized sodas and Happy Meals are among the contributing culprits. In fact, Americans now spend more money on fast food than on higher education, personal computers, computer software or new cars, Schlosser said. But the ads for burgers and fries rarely mention the ingredients, Schlosser said. Fast food has been carefully designed to taste good, Schlosser said. In fact, one of the biggest surprises in his research was a visit to International Flavors and Fragrances in New Jersey, one of the world's largest flavor companies. The legendary "subtle something" that makes McDonald's french fries a cut above the competition used to come from frying the fries in beef tallow. But when McDonald's switched to vegetable oil in 1990, it wanted to maintain the subtle beef taste, so the company added a "natural flavor" made at a flavor factory, Schlosser said. He gets most riled up when he talks about fast food marketing aimed at children, who are still developing their tastes and eating habits. McDonald's could introduce a healthful Happy Meal six weeks from now, if it wanted, Schlosser said.
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