Chapter 5. "Why the Fries Taste Good"

Who is J.R. Simplot? What connection does J.R. Simplot have to the fast food industry?
-J.R. Simplot grew up in Idaho working hard on the farm his father bought. At fifteen years old, Simplot dropped out of high school and left home. At the age of sixteen, he become a potato farmer. He learned how to grow potatoes from his landlord named Lindsay Maggart. After selling things and leasing land for about a decade, Simplot became the largest potato shipper in the West and operated thirty-three warehouses in Oregon and Idaho. After World War Two, Simplot began investing in frozen food technology. He began selling the frozen french fries in 1953 and over time, he began selling them to McDonald's. The author says, "Indeed, french fries have become the most widely sold foodservice item in the United States." (page 115)

How have the potato farms in Idaho changed in the last 25 years or so?
-The potato farms in Idaho changed in the last 25 years by the farmers facing enormous pressure to get bigger. Idaho has lost about half of its potato farmers. Family farms are now being made into corporate farms and the farmers who were driven off the land are now hired to manage the farms.

What makes McDonald's french fries taste different from the french fries of other fast food restaurants?
-McDonald's french fries taste different then other fast food restaurants because McDonald's cooks their french fries in a mixture. The mixture contains 7% cottonseed oil and 93% of beef tallow. This mixture is what gives McDonald's' fries their unique flavor. The mixture also has more saturated beef fat per ounce than a McDonald's hamburger alone.









(After reading this chapter I'm not so sure I will ever be able to eat another McDonald's french fry again!)

Introduction

How does the amount spent on fast food compare with the amount spent on other things in our society?
-Much of society's money is being spent on fast food rather then other things in society. In 2001, Americans spent over $110 on fast food. This money was being spent on fast food rather then education, computers and computer software, and even cars. Also, far more money was spend on the unhealthy fast food rather then bo0ks, movies, videos, magazines and recorded music combined.

What are some of the observations about McDonald's made by the author?
-The author says that McDonald's is responsible for having 90% of the country's jobs. He also said that today, McDonald's operates about 30,000 restaurants worldwide and continues to open about 2,000 new ones each year. McDonald's is responsible for being the nation's largest beef, pork and potatoes purchaser and advertises and markets more than any other brand.

According to the author, why did he write this book?
-According to the author, Eric Schlosser, he wrote Fast Food Nation because he believes people should know what is really behind what they are eating. He feels people rarely consider what they are putting into their mouth.