Guest guest Posted January 15, 2001 Report Share Posted January 15, 2001 http://www.usnews.com/usnews/issue/010122/fast.htm Science & Ideas 1/22/01 How McNuggets changed the world The story of fast food: Yes, you are what you eat By Spake Fed up with carhops, broken glassware, and rowdy teenage customers, and Maurice Mc opened Mc's restaurant in 1948 at the site of their former San Bernardino drive-in. To attract families driving California's new freeways, they topped their building with eye-catching golden neon arches. Hamburgers, cheeseburgers, french fries, milkshakes, and sodas, sold in paper wrappers and cups, were the only menu items. Each 15-cent burger came with ketchup, onions, mustard, and two pickles, and food preparation was divided into simple, repetitive tasks. One worker grilled burgers, another put on condiments, one wrapped food, one made fries and shakes, others took orders. With the principles of the assembly line added to the commercial kitchen, fast food was born, and with it a new way of life. " Fast food has had an enormous impact not only on our eating habits but on our economy, our culture, and our values, " says Schlosser, author of Fast Food Nation, out this month. On any given day, about one quarter of U.S. adults visit a fast-food restaurant. The typical American now eats three hamburgers and four orders of french fries each week. Thirty years ago Americans spent about $6 billion annually on fast food; in 2000 they spent over $110 billion, more than on higher education, personal computers, or new cars. Let's eat! Mc's, of course, primarily owes its success to Ray Kroc, who showed up at the Speedee Service selling milkshake mixing machines in 1954. Kroc had a vision: a Mc's at every corner in every town in America. Soon, he made a deal to franchise the eateries. Low labor costs became his key to keeping prices down. " Mc's pioneered a sector of service employment-part-time, low-wage jobs, offering no benefits, " says Schlosser. Today, fast-food workers typically quit or get fired every three to four months. The industry pays most of them minimum wage, and companies benefit from federal programs that reward them for creating jobs for the poor. " American taxpayers in effect subsidize the industry's high turnover rate, " Schlosser adds. In more recent years, success has come from innovations like the " Chicken McNugget, " created by a chicken processor at Mc's request. Made from pieces of reconstituted chicken breast that are held together by stabilizers, breaded, fried, frozen, and then reheated, McNuggets were introduced in 1983. They became wildly popular among young children and those adults who believed them to be healthier than burgers. (In fact, McNuggets contain twice as much fat per ounce as hamburgers and are fried in hydrogenated vegetable oils containing high amounts of trans fatty acids, a culprit behind heart disease.) The impact has been enormous. Before McNuggets, most chickens in the United States were sold whole. Today, 90 percent of chicken is cut up, much is precooked in oil, and chicken companies, like beef producers, have turned to low-skilled workers, many from Mexico and Guatemala. With an injury rate several times higher than the national average, medical care for this low-wage, uninsured workforce is covered through taxes and in higher medical bills, another " hidden cost " of fast food, says Schlosser. " Like the increase in E. coli 0157:H7 and other foodborne pathogens which paralleled changes in beef production resulting from the chain's demand for hamburger-the inexpensive appearance of fast food is an illusion. " Still, Mc's recent agreements with animal rights activists may lead to improvements in conditions for laying hens and chickens. Mc's agreed, for example, to purchase its 2 billion eggs only from ranchers who subscribe to their animal-welfare guidelines. Even apart from the McNugget, fast food's most clever marketing has been to kids. Every month, 90 percent of American 3- to 9-year-olds go to a Mc's. The company mascot, Mc, is more recognizable to youngsters than any character except Santa Claus. Many chains have tie-ins with Disney, Fox, and sports leagues, but Mc's 1997 promotion of the Teenie Beanie Baby, free with each Happy Meal, is a classic. In 1997, Mc's was selling about 10 million Happy Meals per week. Over a 10-day period, sales of Happy Meals with Teenie Beanie Babies, aimed at 3- to 8-year-olds, jumped to 100 million per week. Still, it may only be a matter of time before consumers force fast-food chains to tame their marketing talents and come up with healthier recipes, says Schlosser, who believes promoting fast food to kids should be banned like cigarette advertising. " Obesity is second after smoking as the leading cause of deadly illness, " he says, " and childhood obesity is rising. " He points to In-N-Out Burger, a small, California-based chain, as a sign of the future. The chain uses fresh ingredients and healthy oils for frying, " and they treat workers well, " Schlosser adds. And as at Mc's 50 years ago, the lines outside In-N-Out Burger grow longer every day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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