CONSOLIDATION

 CONSOLIDATION

     The word “CONSOLIDATION” is mentioned on page 136 of the book ‘Fast Food Nation’ by Eric Shlosser. It reads “On top of all that the growth of the fast food chain has encourage “CONSOLIDATION” in the meat packing Industry”.

In other words, the fast food chain encouraged the meatpackers to come together so that the prices of the meat would be determined by the newly formed group in order to have a decent profit.This is to counterattack any of the meat-packers who were supposed to be rivals. Instead, they aligned themselves against the ranchers in order to force price reduction.    

The collaboration of the meat packers provide them with leverage, of which they could almost dictate the prices of the meat. The ranchers would be left with no choice but to accept the new prices. Failure to do so will cause the ranchers to loose on the price of the meat.

A significant observation about the consolidation is that, the meat packers strengthened their bargaining power, and hence were able to make lots of profit at the expense of the ranchers.

  

EATING ANIMALS

EATING ANIMALS 

Jonathan Safran Foer's idea, in his book "Eating Animals" did not only bring awareness to readers of the suffering animals, whose meat land on our dinner plates. Also the health hazard the meat pose to consumers. Americans can no longer pretend not to know that our excessive meat consumption encourages the practice of animal cruelty.  The origin of diseases that affect human kind, for example,   heart disease, could be associated with the consumption of the meat we eat. Common sense will tell you, you are what you eat. Yet we distant ourselves and become bystanders for these voiceless animals who  suffer inhumane treatment. In one way or the other, we would find ourselves wanting as Foer states"Of course, consumers might notice that their chicken don't taste quite right how good could a drug-stuffed, disease-ridden, shit-contaminated animal possibly taste...... and taste?"(Feor131).

HYPOCRISY

“HYPOCRISY” This word literally means, feigning to be what one is not, or what one does not .Especially the false assumption of an appearance of virtue of religion. Hypocrisy is among few words, Americans find difficult to associate themselves with. To many countries, Americans are doers and strong believers of what they preach. e.g freedom of speech, democracy, equality, etc. Which is why American’s culture is able to find its way in many countries . While Americans are strongly against animal cruelty, offenders could be prosecuted. Yet Americans eating habit, highly  encourage Concentrated Animal Feeding  ( CAFOs). This is a form of Animal  farming where the animals are kept in a confined environment. Concentrated animal feed,manure and urine,dead animals and production operations on a small land area.Feeding is brought to the animals rather then the  animals grazing or otherwise seeking feed in pastures,fields,or on rangland(Region 7 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation).Major corporation like McDonald, operate this form of farming to supply their various restaurants.But who encourages this practice? Those who patronize these restaurants. If consumers of  fast food  in America, could become the voices for these farm animals, and feel their pain of these maltreatment,I believe this cruelty to animal, we strongly preached against would be stopped.   

REWARDING CENTER

The word "REWARDING CENTER" can be cited in the book, End Of Overeating by David A.Kessler.M.D. The  origin of the word, is scientific.It's a part of the brain that neurologist (scientist who study the brain) believes responds to any pleasurable stimulus, that goes into the body.The "THE REWARDING CENTER"lights up.According to Dr. Kessler, sugar,fat,and salt stimulates the brain to crave food.This is similar to the reaction when hard drugs are taken.The Fast Food Corporation knows about this theory,therefore, Fast Food dishes are saturated with fat,sugar,and salt,which make their consumers addicted to it.Even though people are aware of the dangers Fast Food pose to their health. They are unable to stop their Fast Food eating habit, that bring diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and many heart related  illness to them.The sugar,fat,and salt in the Fast Food have stimulated the "REWARDING CENTER" in the brain in a way that is impossible for people eating the Fast Food to quit. This is why some people in this society  are faced with so many heart related problems.  

CAPTIVE SUPPLIES

 "Captive Supplies". Is a practice among traders where buyers get to go into negotiation with their supplier. This way, buyers provides financial aspect in advance to their supplies which makes them "share holders" or "join ventures”. This practice normally goes on among meatpackers and ranchers. The meatpackers then determine prices and direction of the produce. (p119).

            According to the book Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser, the Captive Supply became necessary "in the 1980's among some of the major meat packers and the ranchers, where the meat packers did maintain in company owned feed-lot or purchased in advanced through negotiation". With meatpackers now as share holders, the ranchers were left with no choice to determine the prices of their cattle. The meatpackers manipulated the price for their own gain.

       This practice of trading also took place between the potato growers and the major French Fries processing companies. Were according to Moulton warns about “sharecroppers” where companies supply potato farmers with potato seeds in order to determine the price of a potato leaving the growers no choice over the price of their produce. This trading is significant because it makes the buyers gain more profit leaving the growers at lost.

Throughput

The term"THROUGHPUT",quoted by Alfred D,Chandler in the book,Fast Food Nation,was adopted by the America manufacturers in the twentieth century."THROUGHPUT"was the most important aspect of mass production system.This idea also became important  for the fast food industry as well, because with the system" THROUGHPUT"which means making increase profit in their sale of product .The fast food coporation need to cut their labor force to maximize their profit margin ,the need for already made frozen burger may save them time and money.Insteat of hiring cateria to make a dough and bake a bun from the scratch.The time and cost involve for a cateria to bake ten dough ,could purchase about fifty frozen already made buns.This way the frozen buns will serve more people ,save time,less labor cost and more profit for the fast food coporation.