More on "Ditto Foods", Processed Foods and Why Everything Tastes the Same

Here's a great article, Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good which is taken from Eric Schlosser's 2001 book Fast Food Nation.

In chapter 7 of the SLD book, Seth Roberts talks about how the fast-food and packaged food industry has some responsibility for the obesity epidemic, largely due to the creation of "ditto foods" -- foods that taste the same every time and everywhere.

In particular it explains how McDonald's got their fries to taste like they were still deep-friend in beef fat (yuck!) even after they switched to 100% vegetable oil a few years back.

This article explains how they are able to do this, and why.

It's a pretty good read, check it out.

P.S. There is also a movie version of Fast Food Nation (2006), that's very entertaining (it's a narrative film, not a documentary) and informative -- I highly recommend it.

Link: Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good

(Photo: Darwin Bell)