Why Quick-Service Restaurants Need to Be Held Responsible for What They Put in Their Food

 Why Quick-Service Restaurants Need to Be Held Responsible for What They Put in Their Food

There is fast food advertising on every street corner, whether you're in the city or the suburbs. Your senses will be overwhelmed with brightly colored signs, inexpensive value meals, cheerful cartoon logos, and a familiar aroma. These days, it's hard to imagine American breakfast fare without fast food joints. When taken as a whole, how do the components of fast food impact our health? Do fast food chains have any social or moral responsibilities to the people who buy their food?

Many health problems, including diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension, are thought to be caused by obesity. The prevalence of diabetes has skyrocketed, and more than 60% of Americans are overweight. Direct diabetic medication was taken by 42 billion persons in 1999. In the span of less than three years, that amount has increased by over 100%.

"Fast food is literally shortening the life span of our citizens," says Lynn VanDyke, proprietor of www.strength-training-woman.com, a trainer, certified sports nutritionist, and certified athletic trainer. Every single day, 46 million fast food meals are served by McDonald's. Super Size Me, a documentary on fast food restaurants, notes that every employee at McDonald's receives training to increase customers' order sizes. Cars now have larger cup holders since this trend toward greater servings of food and drink is becoming so common.

When making quick food, the ingredients are where it all starts. As Eric Schlosser points out in his piece "Why McDonald's French Fries Taste So Good," companies are not obligated to reveal the components of their flavor or color additives if the FDA deems all of the chemicals to be GRAS, or generally recognized as safe. The nutrition label does not reveal the entire list of ingredients to the consumer. 'Artificial' and 'natural flavoring,' two terms that appear near the bottom of most ingredient lists, are common. What defines a natural or artificial flavor is something we don't know anything about.

The fast food industry has a responsibility to its customers to be transparent about the ingredients they use. Due to allergies or religious commitments, many people have unique dietary limitations. For religious or philosophical reasons, some people just will not consume anything that comes from an animal. Schlosser reports that "The Vegetarian Legal Action Network recently petitioned the FDA to issue to labeling requirements for foods that contain natural flavors." Anyone trying to avoid using chemicals, added color, or animal products right now is likely to have a tough time.

If buyers aren't aware of all the ingredients, they can't make informed purchases of food products. It may come as a surprise to some, but the female fruit fly Dactylopius coccus Costa is responsible for the pinkish-red hue of Dannon strawberry yogurt. The insects are gathered, allowed to dry, and then powdered into a colorant. According to Schlosser, one pound of carmine—used to give processed foods the appearance of pink, crimson, or purple—requires almost 70,000 of them.

Burger King is yet another company whose ingredient labels are deceptive. It says that it uses artificial strawberry flavor in its strawberry milkshake. By taking a closer look, we learn that the following ingredients make up the artificial strawberry flavoring: amyl acetate, amyl butyrate, amyl valerate, anethol, anisyl formate, benzyl acetate, benzyl isobutyrate, butyric acid, cinnamyl isobutyrate, cinnamyl valerate, cognac essential oil, diacetyl, dipropyl ketone, ethyl acetate, ethyl amyl ketone, ethyl butyrate, ethyl cinnamate, ethyl heptanoate, ethyl heptylate, ethyl lactate, ethyl methylphenylglycidate, ethyl nitrate, ethyl propionate, ethyl valerate, heliotropin, hydroxyphenol-2-butanone (10% solution in alcohol), a-ionone, isobutyl anthranilate, isobutyl butyrate, lemon essential oil, maltol, 4-methyllacetophenone, methyl anthranilate, methyl benzoate, methyl cinnamate, methyl heptine carbonate, methyl naphthyl ketone, methyl sali Providing consumers with information about the ingredients and potential health implications of food goods is more important than just labeling them as having artificial strawberry flavored.

It is the duty of fast food chains to disclose every component. Everyone has the right to know exactly what goes into their bodies. A number of businesses, like McDonald's, have voiced concerns that disclosing their components will lead to the disclosure of their proprietary formulas. The truth is that these additives and fast food items are contributing to our epidemic of obesity and health problems, and our society must face this fact.

In the fast food industry, McDonald's reigns supreme. Advertising to kids with parks, happy meals, and cartoon characters is their specialty. These kids have no idea the terrible consequences that fast food may have on their health. "On average, Americans now eat about four servings of french fries every week" Schlosser points out. American obesity is closely related to the rise in fast food portion sizes and overall eating habits.

Two overweight kids have filed a lawsuit against McDonald's, claiming the fast food giant failed to adequately warn them of the potential health risks associated with eating its cuisine. The frequency of lawsuits like this one is on the rise. No matter where you stand on this issue, I think we can all agree that fast food isn't exactly the healthiest option.

There is a social and moral responsibility on the part of fast food chains to their customers. Everyone in this country has the right to know what goes into their food. Nutrition labels should include all ingredients and substances so people can make informed choices once the truth is eventually known. Then the fast food chain would have no one to answer to but the customer. It will be unrealistic to expect Americans to comprehend the dangers of fast food to their health until we get there.

Our poisonous, fast-paced, and inexpensive lifestyle is laid forth by Morgan Spurlock, the man behind the documentary Super Size Me. More than three million vending machines and innumerable convenience stores can be found in the United States. Sweets and ready-to-eat meals outsell gas at gas stations. School lunches are provided by fast food chains like Pizza Hut and McDonald's, and soda machines are present in our schools.

There is an astonishing variety of fast food goods available. The cheap prices, constant availability, and widespread advertising of fast food contribute to its habitual consumption. Our senses of smell, touch, and taste become acclimated. Having a McDonald's happy meal can bring back fond memories of carefree childhood days. For a lot of people, giving up fatty food would be like quitting smoking after twenty years or more.

Illnesses and diseases are on the rise, which is concerning. People in the United States are gaining weight at an alarming rate. Preventable deaths caused by obesity are quickly approaching epidemic proportions. It is the social and moral responsibility of fast food chains to disclose all ingredients to their customers. After that, it's up to the buyer to decide whether or not to continue consuming this harmful food.

You don't need a degree from Harvard to learn about healthy eating. Making a permanent change in your life requires effort and determination. In the face of the growing health care crisis, our greatest defenses are a healthy diet and regular exercise. A report by the National Institute on Aging states that, "If exercise could be packed in a pill, it would be the single most widely prescribed and beneficial medicine in the nation." I completely agree with what they said.




Wow, that's funny!

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