Why the fries taste good (Schlosser, pp. 111-131)
- What were the cultural changes that led to changing dietary preferences of Americans from fresh potatoes to frozen fries? Why so suddenly we began to like French fries so much?
- How does the transition from fresh potatoes to French fries affected redistribution of wealth in potato business? How much a potato farmer gets payed for his crop?
- How and why did the structure of potato processing industry change since the early 1970s? Who benefitted and who was a loser when potatoes were transformed into French fries?
- How did potato flavor change when potatoes were transformed into French fries? How the taste and desire for French fries is created? Is there something objectionable to eating food with a manufactured taste?
Schlosser, On the range, pp. 133-147.
- What impact did consolidation of the fast food industry and meatpacking have on size and structure of beef ranching?
- How is the cattle market operating in the U.S.? Is cattle sold on the open competitive market? Does nowadays the competitive cattle market exist in the U.S.?
- What role, according to Schlosser, did the government play in meatpacking industry’s consolidation? Why the government does not take a more pro-active role in precluding beef industry’s consolidation?
- Beef prices declined by almost 30% since the 1960s, when prices of predominant majority of goods rose steadily since then (in 1960s dollars). If beef prices relative to prices of the other foods declined, why is Schlosser so critical regarding growing corporate concentration in beef packing?
- Why, according to Schlosser, suicide rate among ranchers and farmers in the US is three times higher than the national average?
Schlosser, Cogs in the great machine, pp. 149-166.
- Schlosser argues that since the late 1960s meatpacking industry changed significantly as well as changed life in rural areas. Briefly describe the changes that occurred in the following aspects of meatpacking industry and costs/ benefits associated with them: technolgies, labor force, geographical location, and impact on rural communities.
Schlosser, The most Dangerous Job, pp. 169-190
- Meatpacking industry despite significant advances in technologies remains highly labor intensive. Why is this the case? Why technologies and machines were slow to replace labor in the meatpacking plants? Name the most important tool/technology used in meatpacking.
- Because of introduction of the new technologies, injury rates throughout most of manufacturing industries had declined significantly since the 1970s. How did injury rates change in the meatpacking industry since the 1970s? How did changes entitled "IBP revolution" influence dynamics of injuries in meatpacking plants? Analyze these aspects of meat packing: speed of processing; company’s practices in dealing with injuries; government’s policies assuring workforce safety; declining unionization; employment of legal and illegal immigrants.
- What in your opinion would be the most effective way to reduce injuries in meatpacking plants? What would be advantages and disadvantages of such measures?
Schlosser, What’s in the Meat, pp. 193-222
- According to Schlosser, so called "new foodborne pathogens" most probably evolved half a century ago. Why only very recently E. coli O157:H7 and similar pathogens became a serious epidemiological and health problem in the US resulting in 20,000 cases of poisoning and at least 200 deaths a year?
- How did changes in feedlots during the last 20-30 years facilitated the spread of new foodborne pathogens?
- How animal feeding practices contributed to the spread of foodborne diseases?
- Why it is so difficult to prevent spread of E. coli O157:H7 during slaughtering?
- Why Schlosser is so critical regarding introduction of irradiation to combat bacteriological meat contamination?
Schlosser, Global Realization, pp. 225-252
- Where does McDonald’s earn majority of its profits? Where is the number of restaurants growing the fastest?
- What does Schlosser mean when he argues that fast food chains overseas "instead of importing food, import entire systems of agricultural production" (p.230)?
- To which consumer groups fast food chains target their foreign advertising and promotion? Why?
- Why American style fast food is so popular and attractive to foreign consumers?
- What health consequences does growing fast food consumption has on health of domestic and foreign consumers? How do impacts of the "empire of fat" compare with the impact that bacteriological meat contamination has on consumers’ health?
- Why does fight against obesity which cost about $33 billion a year in the U.S. alone so far had produced abysmal results? How does physiology of taste works? How much are our genes and physiology to blame for increase in rates of obesity? Is it fair to blame McDonald’s for nations’ appetite for greasy food?
- Why did McDonald’s became a target of anti-globalist and anti-American movement? Is it fair to blame McDonald’s for all the ills of globalization (i.e., Americanization)?
Schlosser, Epilogue: have it your way
- During the 1990s the rhetoric of the "free market" was dominant in the US. Did the changes occurring in the economy (i.e., consolidation of corporate production) increase competition on the agro-food market? Did American corporations work hard to increase the rigor and competition on the agro-food market?
- Why is Schlosser arguing that worshiping of the market is "a hollow faith" (p.260-261)?
- In conclusions to the book Schlosser mentions "amorality of the market (p.261)." What does he mean by it?
- Schlosser agues that advertising to children should be banned. In your opinion, is he right or wrong in advocating such a ban?
- What steps, according to Schlosser, the government should take so that low price of a fast food were to reflect the real costs that society is paying?
- Although Schlosser criticizes McDonald’s, he also thinks that fast food chains are in a position to very effectively promote change in the American agro-food system. Why does Schlosser think that what the government is unable or unwilling to do in regulating agro-food industries, McDonald’s can carry out effectively?
