Fast Food Nation Chapter 5: Why the Fries Taste Good

1. Who is J.R. Simplot? What connection does J. R. Simplot have to the fast food industry?

J.R. Simplot, born 1909, was a self made entrepreneur who began to sell potatoes in Idaho in the early 1920s. As an eighth-grade dropout, he used his wits to turn a profit in several business transactions, thus allowing him to start his potato business. By the 1940s, "Simplot was the largest shipper of potatoes in the West, operating thirty-three warehouses in Oregon and Idaho". After World War II, Simplot began to experiment with frozen french fries, convinced that they would be the food of the future. In 1965, Simplot met with Ray Kroc, McDonald's chief executive of sales, to discuss his idea. They partnered, opened a warehouse used solely for the production of McDonald's frozen french fries, and by 1966, McDonald's began to sell J.R. Simplot Company fries. J.R. Simplot's fries turned an enormous profit for McDonald's and therefore helped them advance as a business, from 725 restaurants to 3000. He accelerated the growth of other fast food companies and contributed greatly to the industry as a whole.

2. What is the "fallacy of composition"?

"Fallacy of composition is a logical error- a mistaken belief that what seems good for an individual will still be good when others do the same thing". So, in Idaho, this directly relates to potato farmers. There are only a few multinational cooperations that handle potato production in the U.S. So, many potato farmers belong to the same company and earn their wages through that same company. The U.S. agriculture business employs specialized crops, advanced technologies, and an array of pesticides that makes our farmers the most profitable in the world. The only problem is, with more farmers adopting this lifestyle, many more "driven off the land". So, what is good for one person is not necessarily good for another whatsoever.

3. What are some of the similarities and some of the differences between "artificial flavors" and "natural flavors"? Where is the "flavor industry" located?

The only difference between natural and artificial flavors is the extraction process. Artificial flavors are made in a laboratory by mixing certain chemicals to get the desired smell. One might mix thousands of chemicals together in minute amounts to get the flavor of a marshmallow. Natural flavors, on the other hand, are directly obtained from the source. Amyl acetate, a banana flavoring is natural when you get it by distilling a banana in a solvent, but artificial when you get it by mixing vinegar with amyl alcohol. The flavor industry is mostly concentrated onto the New Jersey turnpike, where 2/3 of the United State's flavors are produced. Companies from around the world are based there.

Fast Food Nation, Introduction

How does the amount spent on fast food compare with the amount spent on other things in our society?

- Americans spent 6 billion on fast food in 1970. We spent 110 million on fast food in 2001. And now, we spent 145 million on fast food in 2009. This is more than we spend on movies, books, magazines, newspapers, videos, and recorded music combined, according to Eric Schlosser. This spending facilitates an incredible socio-economic trend that will inevitably take over the American life. If we spend more on fast food than higher education, technology, or cars, our already-failing industries will be run to the ground by the monopolization of our market through fast food.

Why is fast food worth studying?

- As I stated before, the socio-economic trend erupting from the impact of fast food on the American market is staggering. Fast food, with its massive resources, has seeped into every aspect of our lives, attempting to influence us from the day we're born to the day we die. It has become a fixated part of our lifestyles. Never before has food undergone such massive commodification, throughout history, and the impact on our entire culture is impressive. Therefore, studying the monopolizing commodity may help us understand our culture system. Fast food is the most noted part of our culture that we didn't steal from another culture, like many of our so-called "American cultural traits" such as football. It may help us predict the future of our economy and better prepare for it.

According to the author, why did he write this book?

- He wrote this book, because, " out of a belief that people should know what lies behind the happy, shiny surface or every fast food transaction." He did not write it to try and ruin the fast food industry, or endorse it, he simply wrote it to inform of the truths behind the industry. Fast food is such a broad, fascinating subject, and in reality, all we see, as consumers, masks the truth of the inner machinations of these titans of fast food. Where does the meat really come from? Why does it taste so good? And why is the marketing so effective? Eric poses and answers each of these questions, and more, to inform the American public of the fast food industry.