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Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
This book was on the New York Times Bestseller list and has had quite an impact on the fast food industry. I found this book fascinating from the beginning with the history of the first fast food restaurants in California. One of the pioneers stated that finally a ‘family could dine out’ when referring to a McDonald’s!
The author goes on to talk about the meat packing industry and the problems with E. Coli 0157:H6. You may remember some of the Carl’s Jr. hamburger places along the west coast having customers who became extremely ill and some who died as a result of the contaminated meat.
Ever nibbled some raw cookie dough?
There is a movie “Fast Food Nation”
The author is one of the writers for the movie. It has an ‘R’ rating so maybe you can find an edited version. But the story is based on the ideas from the book.
After the scary information about slaughterhouse conditions and possible contamination many have decided to become vegetarians. Do you know there are multiple types of vegetarians? Some eat NO meat or animal products (no milk, no eggs), and some just don’t eat red meat. There are religions which encourage the followers to follow specific diets for health reasons and some even document reduced rates of some cancers!
One concern of the medical profession about the vegetarian diet is insufficient protein. If you think you want to quit eating meat be sure to research how you can get enough protein into your diet. But, some of you may be thinking…eating animals is inhumane. What about plants? They are living beings too!!! Do some research and investigate how you can eat a healthy diet.
Food preparation is vital for a healthy diet. The Fast Food Nation addresses some of the concerns for people eating food that may have to be recalled. School lunchrooms buy food in bulk and can have a huge impact if they are sold contaminated meat or produce.
What do you think the economic impact might be when food is contaminated? Who pays for the hamburger that gets recalled? How can we prevent contamination and keep our nation healthy? Would our food supply be a good way to control our country?
Although, I didn’t read every word of this book…it is easy to get started and it has lots of chapters so even if you skip around you get lots out of it. I would love to hear your comments.
