The author talks about one farmer who refuses to use the tactics other big ranchers use to fatten up their cattle for the biggest profits at the consumers' expense. He writes, "None of the cattle used in Lasater Grasslands Beef spend any time at a feedlot. The meat is much lower in fat than grain-fed beef, and has a much stronger, most distinctive flavor" (Schlosser, 2002, p. 257). If Americans are really concerned about the quality of the food they eat, they need to seek out businesses like these and others that the author profiles, and support them instead of the fast food outlets that support the mega-huge agriculture and packing facilities that are so unsafe for workers and animals. If more people knew the background behind the food they eat, they probably would not eat it, and they would call for stricter regulations, which are also necessary for food and worker safety. Many countries prohibit advertising directly geared to young children, and it is time for this country to limit these ads, as well. Marketing to toddlers creates customers for life, and the fast food giants know this. They want customers for life, no matter what it does to their waistline or bank account. It is time for the government to stop being swayed by industry lobbyists and to crack down on the industry and its business methods. That goes for employment practices and food quality, but it goes for advertising methods, as well. Schlosser sums it up. He says, "Congress should create a single food safety agency that has sufficient authority to protect the public health" (Schlosser, 2002, p. 264). Fast food advertising reels...

It is interesting that companies like McDonald's have huge operating manuals that detail every step of every preparation, yet they offer no guidelines for hiring or paying employees. They should adopt standards such as Starbucks has which reward employees with stock ownership, promote safe and healthy work environments, and support environmental efforts that make their coffee growers sustainable and eco-friendly. Starbucks is a huge chain and they can still turn a profit with their corporate responsibility, and the fast food chains could still make a massive profit if they became more consumer and eco-friendly. These companies are all about profits, but they should never put them before their customers and employees, and sadly, they do just that.
In conclusion, this book makes a number of valid and disturbing points. Americans eat hundreds of billions of dollars of fast food every year, and most of them have no idea what that is doing to their health and well-being. Fast food is convenient, cheap, and easy to eat on the run, which has made it extremely popular in today's lifestyle. However, it needs regulation, just like any other industry, because of the health and safety issues that surround it. The book shows that fast food rules the nation, and that some things need to change before it destroys it, too.

References

Schlosser,…