In Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser describes the word “trustbusters”(Pg 137). It is a method that was used to investigate companies under suspicion of creating a monopoly, which allowed them the potential of gaining great, independent, economic control over a market. In 1980 the Sherman Antitrust Act was signed into law. It was created to deal with issues in the meatpacking industry in where companies were able to manipulate the price in the industry. Prior to the Antitrust Act companies controlled the prices they paid from purchasing the livestock from ranchers. The control that they had over the industry also allowed for them to control the prices they set on their products, which then left the consumer paying excessive amounts. Because of the Sherman Antitrust Act prices are now regulated and the companies cannot exaggeratedly overprice their products.  

Eating Animals

The main ideas that come from "Eating Animals" by Jonathan Safron Foer, is to make the readers aware of the dangers that accompany the process and production of food from the meat industry. It provides history of extended research with examples of how these foods become contaminated and dangerous for the consumer. With his examined facts he provides the reader an opportunity to analyze and question the safety of the food that they eat. The book also gives the reader the ability to determine whether the disregard of food safety by the USDA is acceptable and worth the risk of their own health. In an example of disregarded food safety, Foer states  "Once a dangerous contaminant, feces are now classified as a "cosmetic blemish" (Foer, 134). This example of hidden health risk is one that the consumer should be made aware of, and left up to them to make the decision on whether they would prefer to ingest contaminated food. Foer also provides facts provided from Scott Bronstein, a journalist who conducted USDA inspectors, and quotes him as "Every week", he reports, "millions of chickens leaking yellow pus, stained by green feces, contaminated by bacteria, or marred by ling and heart infections, cancerous tumors. or skin conditions are shipped for sale to the consumers" (Foer, 134). These are just a couple of the facts discussed in the book, which provide an alarming awareness of how food inspections are either very leanient, or are intentionally careless in the responsibility of the safety of consumer's health.

"Stroking"

          In Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, he provides examples of the phycological control that corporations gain over there employees, which is known as stroking (Schlosser, 71). An example of this is when a friend shared with me a similar experience of his when he was an employee who was relatively new to this country. His story began when was injured at work by a cut to his pinky finger. The finger needed stitches, and later on became immobile because of a damaged nerve that was caused by the injury. Many years have gone by since the injury, but as he described his incident he demonstrated his inability of having the complete functions of his finger. While the story of his injury was unfortunate, his boss’s cowardly behavior was more disturbing. The employee explained that he was given four weeks off of work because of his injury, and by promising not to report the incident to anyone ever, he was paid several thousand dollars in exchange. Additionally, when he returned from his time away from work, his boss ocassionally reassured their newly found bond by asking if there was anything that he needed to just mention so. This story connects directly with the stories in Fast Food Nation that describes similar situations in where the behavior is common of companies who use this stroking method on their employees. These experiences are common among companies who either employ immigrant or inexperienced workers that struggle to secure basic and much needed employment. These type of workers often deal with the treatment because of the fear of not being able to easily obtain work elsewhere, or perhaps, if they are here in the country illegally they fear the possibility of being exposed to governmental agencies.   

Genetically modified foods are infused with chemicals that cause uncontrollable reactions through our nervous system. Our bodies are controlled by neurons, which send electro-chemical signals that trigger our involuntary system. This section of our brain is known as the reward center, which transcibes feelings of gradification. The chemicals in these foods cause neurons to gain an impulse of satisfaction in our reward center.  In "The End of Overeating" by David Kessler, he provides information of a study in where the consumption of sugar and fats combined provides an experience, which also stimulates the same neurons in our brains. The reaction from these foods lead for cravings that will satisfy the same experience that was initially obtained.

Food, Inc

Part 5 video clip of the movie “Food Inc.” that is available on the You Tube internet site focuses on a family who struggles in making economical decisions in purchasing essentials for the family such as meals and medicine for the father. The mother Maria Andrea Gonzales describes the difficult decisions the family faces on choosing what meals they can purchase. They either have the option of having a meal at a fast food restaurant, which will be sufficient in providing a satisfying meal, yet completely unhealthy and inexpensive, or choosing to purchase healthier meals such as fruits and vegetables from the market, which will be too expensive; limiting the quantity and therefore being insufficient in fulfilling their appetite.  

In the Clip Schlosser also describes the engineering of foods that are modified with salt, fats and sugars. He emphasizes on highly available commodity crops and describes High Fructose Corn Syrup as being the greatest factor in the spike of insulin levels and our body's inability to metabolize them. During a teen advocacy group meeting Rosa Soto discusses food and diabetes. She questions the group and asks for them to raise their hands if a family member of theirs has diabetes, also asking for them to keep their hands up if two members had diabetes; it was disturbing to see that some had at least three members with diabetes. These responses give prove to facts documented in the film that one in three Americans will contact onset Diabetes and at a rate of one out of two will be in minorities. 

MyEpiphany101, "Food, Inc Part 5 of 9." YouTube. Web. 08 Apr. 2011.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dluYCVpsXg>

How Corporations Control Their Revenue

In Fast Food Nation Eric Schlosser brings out facts of corporations that have been able to take over the maintenance of their livestock that they purchase. Some of the major key terms that appear to go hand and hand are the control that corporations have on the market, and their uniformities. They are able manipulate the market by teaming up to form “trust” among each other in order to kept the prices and manufacturing under their control, which essentially allows them to keep their cost at minimum (p.137). Two major factors that allow for them have such control is the lack of implementation of the antitrust laws from the Federal Trade Commission and supervision form other agencies such as the U.S. Department of Agriculture.  As a result of the failure of keeping these corporations under strict guidelines, many ranchers have suffered by not being able to sell their livestock at fair market prices (p.143).

Fast Food Nation "Throughput"

In the book Fast Food Nation the author describes an industry of high levels of food orders, which requires quick preparations and the need to have it done in an efficient way. He uses the word “throughput” to describe a system that has been adopted by fast food restaurants which uses an assembly line set up to help in getting orders done quicker and at higher volumes. He also describes how essential the system is to the industry and explains the benefits of having more work accomplished without the need to employ a lot of people to get an equal amount of the work done.

F.Food and Politics