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by Michele Simon
"Fast Food Nation: The Dark
Side of the All-American Meal"
by Eric Schlosser
Illustrated; 356 pp.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company; $25. |
Finally, a well-researched and trenchant exposé
of the fast food industry is causing many people to sit up, take notice,
and perhaps even rethink their unhealthy eating habits. While several
worthwhile books have been written in recent years about the broader
social implications of a meat-centered diet (Erik Marcus's "Vegan:
The New Ethics of Eating," Gail Eisnitz's "Slaughterhouse,"
and Howard Lyman's "Mad Cowboy," to name a few), none has
been greeted more warmly by the mainstream press than Eric Schlosser's
"Fast Food Nation." The book has been reviewed in every
major American newspaper, and the author has been interviewed on numerous
national and local radio programs.
One reason for all the attention is that Schlosser has an impeccable
reputation as an award-winning investigative journalist for the Atlantic
Monthly. Also, he cannot be accused of harboring any ulterior motives
or hidden vegetarian agendas. (Schlosser reports that he ate much
of the food he writes about while researching the book.)
The material is thoroughly researched, much of it stemming from the
numerous first-hand accounts and interviews that Schlosser conducted
while traveling around the country from the flavor factories of New
Jersey to the slaughterhouses of Nebraska. Equally impressive is how
accessible the material is. The author's writing style is always compelling,
mixing personal stories with well-documented and interesting information.
Schlosser lays bare, in all their gory detail, the behind-the-scenes
processes involved in creating Happy Meals, which it turns out, aren't
very happy at all. He devotes much of his attention to McDonald's,
the company whose pioneering food processing techniques gave rise
to the modern fast food industry. Today McDonald's is the country's
largest purchaser of beef, pork, and potatoes, and it's the second
biggest purchaser of chicken — which you might expect. What you
may not know is that it's also the largest owner of retail property
in the world and that it operates more playgrounds than any other
private entity in the United States. Even more telling for its impact
on young people, Ronald McDonald was found to be the most recognizable
fictional character among a group of American schoolchildren, second
only to Santa Claus.
The statistics are truly staggering: In 1970, Americans spent about
$6 billion on fast food; in 2000, they shelled out more than $110
billion, more than they spent on higher education, computers, or new
cars. McDonald's operates about 28,000 restaurants worldwide and opens
2,000 more every year. French fries are the most widely sold food
service item, with the typical American eating more than 30 pounds
of them each year. The 3.5 million fast food workers are by far the
largest group of minimum-wage workers in the world. Last year, ConAgra,
the largest food service supplier in North America, enjoyed more than
$25 billion in revenues. Fast food chains collectively spend about
$3 billion annually on television advertising, most of it directed
at children. Meatpacking is the most dangerous job in the U.S., even
with many of the injuries going unreported.
What I appreciate most about "Fast Food Nation" is the author's
attempt to cover a broad range of social issues and show how they're
all connected. For example, he ties the industry's incredibly rapid
growth to the development of the nation's highway system. He also
reveals how industry infiltrates schools and forms strong partnerships
with companies like Disney and other media conglomerates, all in a
clever and very successful effort to get children to clamor for its
products.
Schlosser also dedicates a significant portion of the book to an issue
that doesn't tend to get much attention: labor. He covers the plight
of the unskilled restaurant workers, as well as the fate of those
suffering under horrific conditions in the slaughterhouses. In addition,
he draws attention to the some of the latest food scares, including
those caused by E. Coli and other microbes, all the while explaining
how a mammoth and powerful industry is keeping improved government
oversight at bay.
The one issue clearly missing is the plight of the nine billion factory-farmed
animals killed each year, largely for the fast food industry. While
this is an odd omission, even for a non-vegetarian author, the book
is still extremely worthwhile and sure to open anybody's eyes, even
those already knowledgeable about the subject. "Fast Food Nation"
is a damn good read, and I highly recommend it.
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Fast Food Nation:
The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
by Eric Schlosser |
 Buy
this book |
About the reviewer: Michele Simon is founder
and director of the Center for Informed Food Choices, a nonprofit
organization based in Oakland, California dedicated to teaching people
how to transition to a plant-based diet. To learn more about the organization,
visit www.InformedEating.org
or send email to info@informedeating.org.
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