I need there to be an updated version of this please. I need to know what has happened in the 15 years since this was published. If you know of a book that does this please let me know!

Another title for this entertaining book could have been "Our disposable society: How our utter disrespect for our selves, each other and our environment created the world we live in today."

The automobile's destructive force on American life was been well documented in other works. But Schlosser extends that work specifically as it relates to the food industry. Not just fast food. But the entire food industry. And it's scary stuff.

Bottom line: we're killing our selves. Yes, fast food is bad for you. But its not just the crap they serve at the chains. The influence of fast food is so pervasive that it effects all aspects of our nation's food supply. And it does so adversely.

Our nation's food supply is now a full blown public health crises. Food poisoning is epidemic. Food supply recalls from corporate farms, meat plants and canneries are a weekly occurrence. Each episode worse than the previous.

Schlosser doesn't offer solutions. He sounds the alarm.

Intellectual synchronicity: I recently listened to a Marketplace report on education, economics, and an interview with  Kelly and Zach Weinersmith on augmented reality (although that latter part could have been in a Freakonomics podcast), coincidentally shortly on the heels of finishing Fast Food Nation. Each source resonated strongly with Trevor's synopsis of Global Auction, which conveniently popped up in my email inbox around the same time.

In reviewing the dilemma of higher-ed economics (ever-rising tuition costs, ever-lowering degree utility and value, etc.) Trevor points out that "the whole point of capitalism is to find ways to drive down costs and to simplify work processes to the point of banality for the vast majority of workers." In that vein, I would consider the recent augmented reality enhanced construction helmet referenced in the  Soonish author talk as an example of productivity-accelerating/expertise-displacing new technology. The helmet makes use of graphic how-to overlays to give the worker realtime communication intended to reduce error, minimize injury, and thereby speed the construction process.

Now Schlosser's book has this whole chapter on how the industry custom-built some idiot proof kitchen technology, initially to ensure consistency of its output from one location to the next, but ultimately because doing so resulted in a fabulous side-effect, namely, that it enabled franchisees to eschew training costs in favor of a disposable, and in many cases [English-]illiterate workforce... in turn keeping labor costs low and deterring unionization. In effect, by moving the kitchen expertise from the staff to the equipment, McDonald's and their fast food fellows could reduce the workforce to meat robots.

While the Weinersmiths weren't asked to make the connection with fast-food industry kitchen automation in the interview, I think the implications of the technology to the need for a skilled workforce are clear. The more repetitive and consistent the tasks/problems, the easier it is and more sense it makes to replace people with algorithms to address them. Look, you could use nanorobots to collect nectar and mass-produce honey on an industrial scale, but why would you? Bees are an existing, inexpensive, renewable resource. What's the point at which that becomes true of people? And what becomes of education, then?

This is a practical concern for me right now as my kids are rapidly approaching college age. What's the best use of our collective investment of time, effort, and money to safeguard them from obsolescence? How much should go toward whatever constitutes practical expertise and how much toward signifiers of class and networking to cheat (er... fully participate) in the system?

If Schlosser's work offers any indication, we might start off by steering clear of the fast food industry and those businesses with which it is in vertical alignment. Line workers are overworked, underpaid, and untrained. Managers frequently find themselves in the line of fire of armed robberies. Franchise owners are exploited by greedy, unscrupulous franchisors seeking to milk the most money from each territory. Suppliers scrape for the microprofit residuals of repeated bidding wars and requirements contracts, and their sad sack workers struggle as much for survival as for survival wages -- especially in the slaughterhouse and meat packing industries, whose dysfunctional, unhygienic workplace abuses have barely changed since  the Jungle days of Upton Sinclair. Add to all this the uglification of America contributed by the fast food industry's contributions to the negative feedback loops of urban sprawl, widespread obesity, and rampant, cookie-cutter, consumerist culture, and well… obvious efficiencies aside, left unchecked, highly industrialized, assembly-line practices rarely present a pretty picture.

On the other hand, they have resulted in a darned tasty french fry. The secret? Beef fat flavoring. (Originally, beef fat itself, but the imperatives of market outreach to vegetarians and Hindus lead to more indirect approaches.) The peek inside flavor biochemistry makes a fascinating rest stop along the highway of enterprising depravity the author travels. Schlosser's book is mostly journalistic dynamite, with only thin slices of nonsense. Cherry-picking one exception to his otherwise even-handed text, chew on Schlosser's introduction to the wondrous workings of Willy Wonka's laboratories (author's metaphor, not mine):

The New Jersey Turnpike runs through the heart of the flavor industry, an industrial corridor dotted with refineries and chemical plants…. The [International Flavors & Fragrances] plant in Dayton[, NJ] is a huge pale blue building with a modern office complex attached to the front. It sits in an industrial park, not far from a BASF plastics factory, a Jolly French Toast factory, and a plant that manufactures Liz Claiborne cosmetics. Dozens of tractor-trailers were parked at the IFF loading dock the afternoon I visited, and a thin cloud of steam floated from the chimney. (pages 120-1)

While settings are important to a narrative, this description appears to me to be an attempt at guilt by association, an irrelevancy fallacy. For example, I'm a big fan of the work done at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, notwithstanding that their campus sits just down the road from a shooting range in an industrial park across the street from a strip mall packed with seedy eateries and a dry cleaners.

I consider myself a futurist, a person right at home with the idea that -- as the author is quick to observe -- technology is neutral. The innovation that feeds delicious, ready-to-eat burgers to time- and cash-strapped college students can, but need not also bleed corruption. The author offers a solid 30+ pages of ways forward toward a cleaner, healthier, humane and pathogen-purified product, the entirety worthy of serious consideration (heck, the implementation of only a few helped take down an e-coli outbreak). Schlosser's epilogue alone is a must read for its optimistic, constructive, and practical suggestions to curb the darker aspects and influences of fast food industry and culture. Taking into account the fact that this book has been in print for a full generation, I would not be surprised to learn that some of these reforms are by now well under way. Yet until I can be certain of that, I'll think it best to steer the kids away from all the scary clowns.

Fast Food Nation was an interestingly revealing read. Instead of focusing solely on the food, Schlosser wrote a lot about the fast food industry itself and how people are being consummately sucked into buying their food. Some of the parts pertaining to the business aspects of fast food lost my attention - however, the tidbits on the working conditions and the ingredients of the unhealthy indulgences made me want to read more. I usually do not visit fast food restaurants, so this book has not drastically changed my eating habits. Despite this, I felt like I learned a lot about how the corporations and businesses work.

This book was written at the early rise of fast food culture and corporations in the early 1900s hence a lot of stuff may no longer apply in existing practices of junk food industry, but it's still quite informative if one's interested in learning how they came to thrive. Behind each hamburger consumed was a whole lot of drama about toxic capitalism, working class struggles, children exploitation and poor practice of food security. But people were barely aware about it. Eric spent 3 years writing this book and he was successful in providing detailed narratives, interviews and research to draw a whole picture of what 'elements' contributed to a McDonal's beef hamburger, even though his writing is more or less a presentation of chronological events rather than a captive storytelling.

The tales of how the very first grandfathers of fast food industry built their own empires were very inspiring and full of entrepreneurial spirits. Once came into power however, those corporations focused itself on making profits at the expense of children's health and immigrants' working conditions. Advertising was used as a manipulative tactic to allure American children into consuming more junk food, resulting in the US having the highest rate of obesity ever. Meanwhile low-skilled immigrant workers were found to work in horrendous working conditions in meatpacking industry, sacrificing their blood and flesh to make sure the hamburger one ate was charged at lowest cost.
The book also mentioned the extinction of American rangers, who were found to be the victims of malicious businessman working in junk food industry.

Fast food consumers probably barely contemplate on the behind-the-scene production of a hamburger. And it is eye-opening to see how a beef hamburger could be a pinnacle of an unjust capitalist society

Very interesting - good perspective on all sides of fast-food

This book was sooo tasty I might buy another

This classic about the fast food industry is now 20 years old and a bit dated. But the conditions it describes haven't changed much.

Wowwwww.

By the time you finish reading this book, you will strongly consider becoming either a vegan or a hard-core local eater, or both. I took a tiny bit of comfort in knowing that I eat vegan about half the days in the year; still, the book really scared me. It's hard, factual journalism with a huge section of footnotes in the back. As much as I'd love to dispute some of Schlosser's claims, I look around me and see evidence to support what he says about the amount of cheap food we eat and what it's doing to us.

Contrary to popular opinion, this is not a book that vilifies fast food. Chains like In-N-Out Burger are extolled for using fresh, safe meat and peeling their own potatoes. Nor does it vilify carnivores. The gist of the book is that, in our relentless demand for a cheaper, more efficient system, we have neglected the human element of each phase of food preparation, from farm to plate. Something has gone horribly wrong.

The author avoids what could be a smug, glib attitude in favor of an urgent, prodding tone: it is clear he believes we are in a crisis, and he is probably right. It's hard to go back to your favorite restaurant and order a hamburger after reading "What's in the Meat," or to complain about work after finishing "The Most Dangerous Job." Serious stuff.

I do think Schlosser comes down way too hard on conservatives in the book, and he admits in the epilogue that to be fair, many liberals are guilty of the same sins. For instance, the Clinton family has close ties to the poultry industry in much the same was as the Bush family does to the beef industry (which is the primary subject of his research.)

Finally, I applaud his conclusion, which is a very pragmatist (and even capitalist) approach: in a free market, we vote in dollars spent. If, through our purchases, we demand safer meat, fresher produce, and fair pay for food service industry workers, we will get what we want. It's a simple matter of doing research before we buy, of supporting small farms who do things the old, slow, respectful way.

Well, I'd say "enjoy" . . . but I read it too! I gave it three stars only because I couldn't justify saying I "loved it" when it consistently made me want to skip dinner. But I'm glad I read it. You should read it too.

Kyrie eleison!

A very comprehensive book about industrial farming and its consequences. Both for our health, for the farmers, the workers and animals that are served on our table. It's quite shocking in places. Particularly how IBP abuses illegal immigrants and low-skilled labor in dangerous jobs with no benefits. The turn-over in a year is 100%. As in the "Ominvore's dilemma", my main conclusion is that we do not pay anywhere close the real price for the meat on our tables. It's the middle men who run away with most of the profit and the cost of everyone else. The farmers are up to their necks in debt and with few options. Eat what you want, but do consider the real cost of it, and the risk to your health.

Gaya penulisan seorang jurnalis iaitu menyuguhkan maklumat yang agak banyak dan padat dalam setiap perenggan bukanlah satu bentuk penulisan yang menarik perhatianku. Mujur, Eric Schlosser berjaya mengadun topik yang hangat mengenai industri makanan segera ini menurut perspektif sejarah, budaya dan sains dengan cukup baik.

Secara keseluruhannya, penulis ingin membawa pembaca melihat sejarah perkembangan industri makanan (KFC, Buger King dan khususnya McDonald's) yang bertambah bilangannya bagai cendawan tumbuh selepas hujan, diikuti dengan proses pembuatan daging-daging burger tersebut yang mengorbankan ramai orang dan banyak perkara serta kesan-kesan industri ini terhadap pekerja, pelanggan dan masyarakat yang menggunakannya.

Saya menyarankan anda untuk menonton filem Modern Times lakonan dan arahan Charlie Chaplin mengenai kesan Revolusi Industri terhadap pekerjanya. Walaupun ianya agak klasik dengan warna hitam putih dan dialog yang amat tipis, ia berjaya melakarkan secara kreatif dan sinis akan kesan Revolusi Perindustrian di Barat terhadap buruh-buruh di kilang. Dengan kewujudan mesin-mesin dan teknologi canggih, nilai-nilai kemanusiaan sedikit demi sedikit terhakis dan manusia mula menjadi robot. Keselamatan pekerja banyak dikorbankan demi melunaskan sesetengah pekerjaan yang berada di luar batasan kemampuan pekerja tersebut.

Ini jugalah yang turut digambarkan oleh penulis apabila beliau menceritakan dengan cukup ngeri akan penyembelih-penyembelih yang terluka jarinya setiap tiga saat, pekerja-pekerja yang dibancuh oleh mesin pengisar, penggunaan pisau tumpul yang memberi kesan kepada tulang belakang mereka dan seumpamanya. Di sini, penulis sangat bijak dalam mencipta hiperbola walaupun ianya benar.

Daripada sudut sains, penulis menggambarkan bahawa sesetengah syarikat makanan meletakkan rasa ramuan yang terkandung dalam pewarna lebih daripada rasa daging atau makanan itu sendiri kerana deria bau pada hidung manusia sangat sensitif dan kompleks. Manusia normal biasanya mampu menghidu ribuan bahan kimia yang berbeza-beza ketika menghidu bau kopi dan daging panggang. Begitu juga dengan bau strawberi yang datang daripada interaksi lebih daripada 350 bahan kimia.

Daripada sudut sosiologi pula, bagaimana syarikat-syarikat ini mampu mereka menarik pelanggan untuk melariskan jualan mereka sehingga menjadi cukup terkenal di seluruh dunia? Di sinilah fungsi media massa khususnya televisyen dalam mengiklankan produk-produk mereka walaupun ianya tidak baik untuk kesihatan sehinggakan sesetengah iklan mereka diharamkan daripada penyiarannya di kaca televisyen.

Apabila kanak-kanak tertarik dengan produk mereka, maka banyak cara yang akan kanak-kanak ini gunakan untuk mendapatkan makanan yang mereka hajati sama ada dengan cara:

1. Memujuk (pleading)
2. Kekal bertanya dan meminta (persistent)
3. Memaksa (forceful)
4. Protes dengan cara menangis, tidak mahu meninggalkan kedai tersebut (demonstrative)
5. Memuji atau mengampu (sugar-coated)
6. Mengancam ibu bapanya (threatening)
7. Merajuk (pity)

Cara-cara ini mungkin berlaku serentak tetapi kebiasaannya kanak-kanak ini akan menggunakan satu cara sama yang diyakini berkesan kepada ibu bapa mereka. Bukankah kita semua pernah mengalaminya?

Hal ini tidak terhenti di situ. Apabila hati kanak-kanak tersebut berjaya ditaut, secara automatik syarikat tersebut mendapat dua lagi pelanggannya iaitu ibu dan bapa kanak-kanak tersebut.

Ini terbukti sejak awal pengasasan McDonald's (sekitar 1920) itu sendiri apabila Ray Kroc yang merupakan pengurus syarikat tersebut menyasarkan kanak-kanak sebagai salah satu sumber pelanggan mereka apabila melihatkan kadar kelahiran bayi di Amerika yang mencanak naik pasca Perang Dunia Kedua. Selain itu, dia juga turut mengupah freelancer untuk menulis di dada-dada akhbar. Ketika itu sebagaimana kelazatan rasa makanan itu begitu signifikan bagi sesebuah syarikat, begitu jugalah pengkomersialan terhadap kanak-kanak itu begitu signifikan. Katanya,

"A child who love our TV commercials and brings her grandparents to a McDonald's gives us two more customers."

Dan seperti yang dijangka, penulis menyeru pembaca untuk memboikot industri-industri yang berasaskan keuntungan ini - sebagai langkah paling minimum kerana kuasa beli akhirnya terletak kepada pelanggan - dengan mengajak pembaca memikirkan semula sisi-sisi gelap industri tersebut. Kongres yang membantah pengiklanan produk-produk yang tinggi kandungan gula dan lemak terhadap kanak-kanak juga harus digiatkan kerana pada setiap bulan, 90% daripada kanak-kanak di Amerika bertandang ke McDonald's.

Kongres yang membantah pengiklanan rokok di corong-corong radio dan skrin-skrin televisyen pernah diadakan dan membawa keputusan yang positif terhadap statistik rakyat yang merokok di negara mereka.

Akhir sekali, piawaian keselamatan terhadap makanan harus diperketatkan dan pekerja-pekerja perlu mendapat kawalan keselamatan dan perlindungan daripada kerja-kerja bahaya dan melibatkan kecederaan serius.

I feel like I have to disagree with the author here that a problem created by rampant capitalism can be controlled and/or fixed by more capitalism. This book is an indictment of both the capitalist form of economics and conservative American politics (personified mostly by the Republican Party). Fast Food is not the issue. Convenience is not the issue. The issue is a society which is entirely driven by greed, maximizing profits, and a complete disregard for Human life. The author never criticized Ronald Regan, although Regan's drive to deregulate the food and agriculture industry directly led to the death of children through tainted meat. The author seems to think that we, as consumers, can just simply demand McDonald's change, and they will - just like that - even though he spent pretty much the entire book talking about how corporations lie, manipulate facts, present false data, and otherwise do everything in their power to ensure that we are kept in the dark and know nothing about anything - and that they will sue to ensure it remains that way, as well as ensure that the right politicians stay in power.

Capitalism will not solve any of these issues.

Anyone who reads this book and still walks away a defender of the capitalist system (like the author) completely misses the point.