NF

Appropriate reading for McDonald's customers. ( )

Would strongly recommend. Lot of great facts ( )

Fast food is fast, cheap and filling. It’s one of the best deals from a financial sense for the average American. However, we do not see the hidden costs.

The story begins with the birth of McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Burger King, and Carl’s Jr. Supported by the addition of the automobile to the American household, the fast food companies exploded. In efforts to expand, the entrepreneurs had to standardize the preparation and products of the franchise.

In the process they made the process so simple so that anyone – like someone off the street or a recent illegal immigrant – could do the job. This gives the employees of fast food companies little job security. Strangely, the fast food companies prefer high turnover of employees. With rapid turnover, it’s difficult to create a union. Benefits and insurance do not kick in until the employee has worked a set amount of time. Finally, the government subsidizes each new employee from low-income households to gain job experience. So, the perfect employee is the person in the first couple days – someone with no benefits and whose paycheck is subsidized by the government.

Looking into the innards from Eric’s point of view of the meat packing industry was more appalling than reading Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle”. The book gives a peek at the “flavor” industry. International Flavor’s and Fragrances (IFF) has $2 billion in revenue and finds way to mimic the natural aromas of Mother Nature. The processed foods we eat naturally taste the same … like Styrofoam but with some flavoring they can make anything taste like anything.

There is the environmental impact. There are places like Greeley, Colorado which is essentially the beef toilet for the world (I really have to visit there one day when I want to gross myself out).

Since 2001, I have probably ate at a fast food place less than 15 times. After reading this book I will cut down my visits even more. ( )

Thankfully I have restricted my fast food diet to In and Out and Chick-fil-A for the last few years. In and Out gets a fairly favorable review and Chick-fil-A wasn't big enough to critique when he wrote it. #votewithyourmoney His style isn't for everyone. Definitely a different take on the industry. ( )