Fast Food Nation Eric SchlosserMajor themesProblem with the nation’s diet¼ of population on any day visit a fast food

restaurant

Fast Food Growth Driven by

Societal ChangesMany facets of life dominated by chains &

franchisesRise in Dual earner families—less time to

prepare foodLife in a “workaholic” societyVast differences in diets via SES

Keys to Franchise SuccessUniformityCheap labor--typically teens

High turn overLittle room for pay increase or advancementExtensive & expensive marketingDirect appeals to young children

Influence of MultinationalsHuge agribusiness & purchasing powerElimination of most small farms and ranchesDemand for uniformityMeatpacking no longer a good paying job—

now dangerous & employees unskilled immigrant laborers

OSHA Regulations & Fast Food Industrywww.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3108/osha3108.html

Nebraska's Meatpacking Industry Immigrant workers hold 80% of jobs. Meat processors at Farmland plant in Crete, Nebraska

Drastic Societal Changes that influenced Fast Food IndustryPopulation growth especially during the baby

boomer yearsMassive increase in highways across the nationMassive growth in the housing industry & move to

the suburbsIncreased car ownership and driving (car culture)Growth of drive-thru chains (food) & assembly line

production of foodMass marketing efforts to children—toys,

playgrounds, school advertising, etc.Increase in consumption of soda

Mc Donald’s Business ModelMcDonald's makes money by operating its

own restaurants and franchises to third parties.

Of its 32,278 restaurants around the world (September 30, 2009), 25,975 (80%) were franchises and 6,303 (20%) were company-operated.

Fast Food Chains in the U.S.Hamburger: A&W · Arctic Circle ·

Back Yard Burgers · Big Boy · Burger King · Burgerville · Carl's Jr. · Checkers/Rally's · Cook Out · Culver's · Fatburger · Five Guys · Freddy's Frozen Custard · George Webb · Hardee's · Hot 'n Now · In-N-Out Burger · Jack in the Box · Johnny Rockets · Krystal · Maid-Rite · McDonald’s · Nation's Giant Hamburgers · Roy Rogers · Spangles · Sonic Drive-In · Steak n Shake · Swensons · Original Tommy's · Wendy's · Whataburger · White Castle · Winstead's · Zippy's

Parody about the business practices of McDonald’s

McDonald's International RevenuesGeographic Region % of Total Revenues US 35%France, Germany, UK 21%Rest of Europe 14% Australia, China, Japan 8% Rest of Asia, Mid East, Africa 8%

Growth in “Liquid Candy”

From 1977 to 2001, Americans doubled their consumption of sweetened beverages—a trend that was paralleled by a doubling of prevalence of obesity

Influence of Suburban SprawlGrowth of suburban strip malls & large shopping

mallsSubsequent growth in fast food industry & strict

regimentation & standardization

90% of workers paid an hourly wage (low wage), with no benefits, scheduled to work only when needed

Workers subjected to numerous abuses, e.g. paid with food rather than wages for all hours worked

Fast Food Industry Strongly Anti-UnionPenalized for union organizing activities Website for union information http://www.unions.org/home/

Use youth & immigrants as workers—less likely to unionize—More likely to be injured on the job

Because of low pay & monotony of work most work only a short time—leave & move on to other low earning jobs

Worker VunerabilitiesInjury rate of teens 2X rate of adultsSubjected to workplace violence & victims of

robberiesMay 2000, 5 Wendy’s employees murdered during

a robbery attempt

Craig Godineaux was sentenced to five life terms behind bars for his part in the Wendy's Massacure of 2000

http://wcbstv.com/investigates/wendys.massacre.queens.2.481369.html

Most Popular Fast Food ItemFRIES! Frozen fries—low cost, huge profitsTypical American eats > 30 lbs. of frozen

fries yearly½ of potato farmers gone—now Corporate

FarmsFries cooked in vegetable oil—taste like beefAroma of food—90% of flavor—use of flavor

additives, chemicals

Rheology—”Mouthfeel”

Consolidation of RanchesOnly 4 top meatpacking firms—ConAgra, IBP,

Excel, National Beef—allowing mergers without anti-trust violations during Reagan era

Slaughter 84% of the nation’s cattleConcentration reduces prices for independent

ranchersSame thing happened to poultry growers—8

plants control the poultry industry in only 4 states—Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi > ½ of poultry produced

Largest Purchases of ChickenKFC & McDonald’sMcNuggets—resemble beef more than

chicken2X per oz of fat than hamburgerPopular among children

McDonald’s Chicken McNuggetsMcDonald's Chicken McNugget is 56% corn McNuggets also contain several synthetic

ingredients, quasiedible substances that ultimately come not from a corn or soybean field but from a petroleum refinery or chemical plant.

Most alarming ingredient is TBHQ, tertiary butylhydroquinone, an antioxidant derived from petroleum that is either sprayed directly on the nugget or the inside of the box it comes in to "help preserve freshness”

Status of RanchesCheated by large meatpacking giantsTraditional way of life of ranchers now destroyedSuicide 3X higher among ranchers & farmersTangible connection to the past now lost

Industrialization of Cattle-raising & MeatpackingCosts cut by meatpacking giants mainly

wagesTurned a best paying job to a low paying jobCreated rural ghettos—crime, poverty, drug

abuse, homelessness

Meatpacking Industry: From Urban to RuralPast: Cities like NY and ChicagoHistory of abusive practices—book, “Jungle,”

Upton Sinclaire led to safety legislation in 1906After WWII most jobs union—good payingFrom 1970s onward one by one they closed

downNew meatpacking plants now in rural areas—

Iowa, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, Nebraska paying wages up to 50% less than union wages

http://www.dailyyonder.com/immigrants-nebraska-pay-more-taxes-they-receive-services

Support from Reagan AdmReagan administration did not oppose

disappearance of hundreds of small meatpacking firms

Opposed using anti-trust laws to stop giant meatpackers

ConAgra#1 producer of french fries & largest sheep

& turkey processor Largest distributor of agricultural chemicals#2 manufacture of frozen food & flour miller#3 producer of chicken & porkLeading seed & feed producerSells food under 100 consumer brand names

Growth of ConAgraLargest meatpacker in the world &

foodservice supplier in North America

Examples of ConAgra Brand NamesHealthy Choice Hunt’sHebrew Nationl Reddi-WipSwiss Miss LaChoyOrville Redenbacher’s County PrideArmour Taste O’SeaKnott’s Berry Farm

Tax Shelters of Large Corporations

ConAgra influenced re-writing of Nebraska’s tax code

Lower taxes paid by large corporations & wealthy executives

Provided tax deductions for ConAgra’s corporate jets

Due to the 1987 legislation, IBP paid NO corporate taxes in Nebraska for the next decade

1997 IBP re-located to South Dakota with NO corporate or personal income taxes

From 1967 onward, IBP crushed labor unions

Changing Nature of Lexington1990, IBP opened new slaughterhouse, pop. 7,0001991, highest crime rate in Nebraska2000, # of serious crimes doubled & became a

major distributer of illegal drugsGangs, drive-by shootings appearedLatino inhabitants increased ten-fold, now 50% of

popWhite inhabitants left1 slaughterhouse responsible for such sudden

change, hardship, and despair

Most Dangerous JobCommon injuries: lacerations, tendinitis, back &

shoulder problems, “trigger-finger,” trauma, carpel tunnel syndrome, accidential stabbings of self & others

Meatpacking industry—1/3 higher than national average in industry

IBP directly responsible for many of the hazards due to the expectations of speed working the assembly line

Widespread methamphetamine abuseLate-night cleaning crew jobs also very dangerous

Rise in Foodborne IllnessesChanges in how food is producedIndustrialization & centralization of food processing

can lead to statewide or even national outbreaks Huge feedlots, slaughterhouses, hamburger grinders

allow for wide dispersal of food supplyAccording to the CDC, > ¾ of food-related illnesses &

deaths caused by infectious agents NOT YET IDENTIFIED

E-Coli Bacteria

E-Coli InfectionThe result of an infection may be as little as

a case of diarrhea.From 5 to 10% of people infected develop a

serious condition known as haemolytic uraemic syndrome (HUS), in which the kidneys are damaged.

HUS can lead to permanent kidney damage, requiring long-term dialysis treatment. Some patients die, with the very young and very old being most at risk.

Children becoming Ill & Dying> 500,00, mainly children, made ill by E coliThousands hospitalizedHundreds diedHerds of cattle became infected via being fed

livestock waste (dead sheep & cattle) until 1997 when the FDA banned such practices

However, allow cattle feed to contain dead pigs, horses & chickens

Also fed to cattle, waste products from poultry, including sawdust & old newspapers

Spread of PathogensSpread not only in feedlots but also at

slaughterhouses & hamburger grinders1 infected animal can contaminate 32,000 lbs

of ground beef1 fast food hamburger can contain meat from

dozens or even hundreds of different cattleReagan & Bush administrations cut spending

on public health measures & staffed U.S. Dept of Agriculture with officials more interested in deregulation than food safety

Meatpacking Allies in Congress1990s Congressional support thwart

modernization of meat inspection systemEven now, USDA cannot demand a recall—

just suggest that meat be withdrawnCompany under no obligation to inform the

public that a recall is taking placeRepublicans in Congress failed to enact

legislation that would demand meat recalls & impose fines on meatpackers (legislation introduced 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999)

Lexington, NERaces in Lexington:•Hispanic (51.2%) •White Non-Hispanic (46.3%) •Other race (30.8%) •Two or more races (2.3%) •American Indian (1.5%) •Vietnamese (0.7%) (Total can be greater than 100% because Hispanics could be counted in other races)

Dec. 2009 cost of living index in Lexington: 75.7 (low, U.S. average is 100)

Read more: http://www.city-data.com/city/Lexington-Nebraska.html#ixzz0onqcTAxW

What Kids EatIn 1980s & 1990s, questionable beef served

in school cafeteriasTypically sell the cheapest meat to schools1998, Georgia 11 year old seriously ill after

eating a hamburger at schoolTests of ground beef found that the facility

was so filthy, USDA withdrew inspectors, a highly unusual move

Next day, company’s owner committed suicide

Major Chains Outside the U.S.

Obesity as Major Health Problem

Fattest States in the U.S.

Obesity StatisticsObesity is the #2 cause of preventable death in U.S. 60 million Americans, 20 years and older are obese

9 million children and teens ages 6-19 are overweight

Being overweight or obese increases the risk of health conditions and diseases including: Breast cancer, Coronary heart disease, Type II diabetes, Sleep apnea, Gallbladder disease, Osteoarthritis, Colon cancer, Hypertension and Stroke

Obesity Among ChildrenDiabetes, hypertension & other obesity-related

chronic diseases prevalent among adults, now more common in youngsters.

% of children & adolescents who are overweight & obese is now higher than ever before. Poor dietary habits and inactivity are reported to contribute to the increase of obesity in youth.

Today's youth are considered the most inactive generation in history caused in part by reductions in school phys ed programs & unavailable or unsafe community recreational facilities.

Costs to Society

Obesity in America

Increase in Obesity

The Future Of FoodSee video at,

http://www.thefutureoffood.com/