Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal

Eric Schlosser

Study Guide

You should do well on the test if you can answer the following questions. Remember,
this is a guide and is not intended to be an advance copy of the questions on the quiz or
the test.

• Introduction
o How does the amount spent on fast food compare with the amount spent
on other things in our society?
o Why is fast food worth studying?
o What are some of the observations about McDonald's made by the author?
o What does the author say about independent farmers?
o What does the author say about the political clout of the meat packing
industry?
o According to the author, why did he write this book?
• Chapter 1, "The Founding Fathers"
o What restaurant chain did Carl Karcher start?
o Why did General Motors want to buy trolley systems throughout the U.S.?
o What was the "Speedee Service System" and how was it different from
what other fast food restaurants were doing?
o What were some of the characteristics of the men who started the fast food
industry?
o What were some of the other fast food restaurants that were inspired by
McDonald's approach to food service?
• Chapter 2, "Your Trusted Friends"
o What are some of the parallels between Ray Kroc and Walt Disney?
o How does the author describe Walt Disney and Ray Kroc's involvement in
politics?
o What is synergy in marketing and what are some of the ways that fast food
companies practice synergy?
o Why, in the 1980s, did companies start marketing to kids and what were
some of the ways in which they did this?
o How successful have efforts been to limit advertising aimed at children?
What does the author say about marketing fast food products in the
schools?
• Chapter 3, "Behind the Counter"
o In what ways is Colorado Springs today much like southern California?
o What new businesses have moved into Colorado Springs in recent years?
o What type of business is the largest private employer in the state of
Colorado?
o How does McDonald's decide where to build new restaurants?
o Why are so many fast food employees teenagers?
 o What is "throughput?" Where did the term come from and how does it
apply to the fast food industry?
o What is meant by "McDonald's English?"
o What is the average job turnover rate in the fast food industry?
o How has the "real value" of wages at fast food restaurants changed over
time?
o How has the fast food industry responded to efforts to unionize its
workers?
o How many workers at McDonald's in North America are unionized?
o What are the benefits and costs of having teenagers work after school?
o What is the impact of the Fair Labor Standards Act and of Colorado state
law on the hours that kids in Colorado Springs work at fast food
restaurants?
o What does the author say about robbery and murder in fast food
restaurants?
o Who is often responsible for committing robberies of fast food
restaurants?
o How has the fast food industry responded to efforts by OSHA to reduce
workplace violence?
• Chapter 4, "Success"
o What was different about the way McDonald's franchised businesses?
o How does the cost of a McDonald's franchise compare with the cost of a
franchise from other fast food chains?
o How does the failure rate of franchises in general compare with that of
other businesses?
o Among franchises what is "encroachment?"
o What are some of the disadvantages of running a franchise?
o What fast food chain is considered the worst in its treatment of
franchisees?
• Chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste Good"
o What connection does J. R. Simplot have to the fast food industry?
o How have the potato farms in Idaho changed in the last 25 years or so?
o What is PGI and how successful has it been at organizing potato farmers?
o What is the "fallacy of composition?"
o What makes McDonald's french fries taste different from the fries of other
fast food restaurants?
o What are some of the similarities and some of the differences between
"artificial flavors" and "natural flavors?"
• Chapter 6, "On the Range"
o What are some of the problems facing cattle ranchers?
o What impact has the consolidation of the meat packing industry had on
cattle ranchers?
o What are "captive supplies" of cattle?
o What was the impact of the Chicken McNugget on the poultry industry?
o What are the conditions or terms of business under which most poultry
farmers operate?
 o How does the nutritional value of a McNugget compare with that of a
hamburger?
o Why would small independent cattle ranchers be afraid to speak out
against the practices of large meat processors?
o Which type of cattle rancher is currently facing the greatest economic
difficulty?
o How does the suicide rate for ranchers and farmers compare with the rate
for U.S. citizens in general?
• Chapter 7, "Cogs in the Great Machine"
o What changes did IBP introduce to the meat packing industry?
o Why were newer meat packing plants located in rural areas rather than in
cities?
o What were the links between IBP and organized crime?
o What has been the relationship between labor unions and modern meat
packing plants?
o How do wages in meat packing plants today compare with wages in the
early 1900s, after the workers became unionized?
o How high is the employee turnover rate in the meat packing industry and
why don't the meat packing plants see this as a problem?
o Where do meat packing companies go to recruit new employees?
o What is the impact on small communities of having a meat packing firm?
• Chapter 8, "The Most Dangerous Job"
o How does the injury rate in meat packing compare with the injury rate in
other occupations?
o What kinds of injuries do workers in meatpacking plants typically suffer?
o What the impact on workers of speeding up the line in meatpacking
plants?
o Why don't more workers complain about safety conditions in the plants?
o What role do supervisors play in the reporting of workplace injuries in
meat processing plants?
o What does the author describe as the most dangerous type of work in these
plants and what kinds of injuries do these workers risk?
o What has been the impact of allowing plants to maintain their own injury
logs?
o How has the authority of OSHA changed over time?
o What does the author think about claims that meatpacking plants have a
great deal of concern about the health and well being of their workers?
o From a worker's point of view, what are some of the problems with
Colorado's workers' compensation law?
• Chapter 9, "What's in the Meat"
o Compared with several decades ago, how common are food-related
illnesses today?
o How has the centralization of food production influenced the spread of
food-related illnesses?
o What authority does the U.S. Government have to demand the recall of
tainted meat?
 o What are most of the microbes in meat spread by?
o What was the first national hamburger chain & what did it do to try to
change the image of the hamburger?
o What are the effects of E. coli 0157:H7 on the human body?
o What are some of the ways people can be infected with E. coli 0157:H7?
o What kinds of things are fed to cattle, things that might facilitate the
spread of pathogens?
o How does the risk of contamination for ground beef compare with the risk
of contamination of whole cuts of beef?
o Why is the author concerned about the use of older dairy cattle to make
ground beef?
o How has the meatpacking industry generally responded to health concerns
about the nation's beef?
o What was the Streamlined Inspection System launched by the USDA?
o How did the Jack In The Box restaurant chain respond to its outbreak of
salmonella?
o What criticisms does the author have of the current recall system for
tainted meat?
o What are the advantages and disadvantages of irradiating meat?
o What kind of meat is selected for consumption in public schools?
• Chapter 10, "Global Realization"
o Why did the author visit Plauen, Germany?
o In a discussion of fast food corporations why is it important to talk about
their oversees operations?
o In foreign countries, what group does most fast food advertising target?
o In what ways might there be a connection between the obesity rate in
America and the fast food industry?
o Why is obesity a problem for American society as a whole?
o What kind of business is the most frequent target of anti-American
protests in foreign countries and what kinds of groups engage in these
protests?
o What did London Greenpeace do to protest McDonald's and what was
McDonald's response?
• Epilogue, "Have It Your Way"
o In what ways are restaurants like Conway's Red Top and In-N-Out
different from McDonald's and most other fast food chains?
o What does the author think should be done about advertising unhealthy
foods to children?
o What does the author say about the safety of the U.S. food supply
compared with that of other countries?
o What does the author think Congress should do about food safety and
about working conditions in meatpacking companies?
o What can consumers do to change food safety and working conditions in
the fast food industry?