“Every day in the United States, roughly 200,000 people are sickened by a food borne disease, 900 are hospitalized, and fourteen die.” This is an alarming statistic for a nation that prides itself on technology and standardized production habits. Ironically, it has been the centralization of the food system that is causing food-related illnesses to spread faster than ever before. The meat-packing industries have adapted to the demands of the fast food industry by supplying massive amounts of uniform ground beef so that all of McDonald’s hamburgers would taste the same. One hamburger from McDonald’s may contain beef from several different cows from regions all across the United States. The E. coli bacterium is a newly emerged pathogen whose spread has been helped by the rise of huge feedlots, slaughterhouses, and hamburger grinders involved in U.S. food production. When grain prices are too high, cattle are fed dead remains from other livestock as well as their own manure. These production habits are all in the name of American capitalism, hiding the real costs of these ‘cheap’ foods. Our current food system is responsible for the high rates of obesity, diabetes, food poisoning, and malnutrition all across America.

“Pull open the glass door, feel the rush of cool air, walk in, get on line, study the backlit color photographs above the counter, place your order, hand over a few dollars, watch teenagers in uniforms pushing various buttons, and moments later take hold of a plastic tray full of food wrapped in colored paper and cardboard.” The fast food industry employs more teenagers than any other industry in America. Approximately two-thirds of fast food employees are under the age of twenty. This industry is reliant upon part-time, de-skilled workers who are willing to accept low wages to maximize profits. A factory’s throughput is the speed and volume of its flow; it is all about technology, automation, and getting a small number of workers to operate with full efficiency. McDonald’s has an operations manual that contains instructions on machinery use, cookin

Some topics in this essay:
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