Why McDonald Fries Taste So Good

Introduction

In early years, French fries were made from scratch involving peeling and dividing it into shoestring like size and afterward fried (Schlosser 50). With the expansion of fries in the nation providing a competitive environment and maintaining the same test while reducing the labor cost together with the suppliers, McDonald initiated a new ideology of the frozen French fries hence incurring a difference in the market. The transformation in his fries resulted in a positive change to the nation’s agriculture, together with the diet, which was considered a highly processed product (Schlosser 50). As his production industry grew bigger, it led to a positive change in the way the Americans consumed the potatoes and the fries compared to the earlier on consumption. Improved taste of the fries prompted success and also praises from their unique taste not similar to a potato, which is a result of the technology behind its production and how it is fried. Schlosser (50) contends that the unique taste is considerate of the type of cooking oil used in its preparation. As for McDonald, he used a mixture of cottonseed oil and beef tallow, which seven percent and ninety-three percent, respectively. Schlosser (50) notes that this mixture induced a unique flavor in the fried potatoes, which was more of beef fat in them. Erick Schlosser, in his article “why McDonald’s fries taste good,” is trying to show us that a good taste for a French fries equals better frying techniques ranging from cooking oil used to the means of frying.

The Flavor Corridor

Schlosser (52), says that New Jersey Turnpike spikes most of the flavor industry due to its refineries and chemical plants. Further, he recognizes the International Flavors and Fragrance (IFF), which is the largest flavor making company hence making two-thirds of the flavor sold in the US together with the other. Many tractors packed at the plant to be loaded with the flavor, suggesting that IFF produced the best flavor in the US. Further, Schlosser (52), adds that the plant is so secretive in what brand foodstuff contains its flavor since he is asked to sign a non-disclosure form and further not invited in the manufacturing zone to avoid him discovering the trade secrets. Identified as the secret behind several best-selling foodstuffs due to their flavor, IFF is also among the best manufactures for perfumes, six of them being the best selling product in the US. For a product to attract a good number of customers, it, therefore, requires that the flavor used should be unique and otherwise smelling good. In this context, therefore, Schlosser intends to challenge the manufacturers dealing in fries that they should adopt a unique flavor in making their fries sell more. Further, he relays this information to paint to the manufacturers what can make attract many customers as compared before. In support of this, Schlosser takes an example of IFF to challenge other manufactures in adopting another way of attracting their customers through the flavor in their fries.

Natural and Artificial

Identified by a scientist, is that people obtain a sense of taste intending to avoid poisoning. Taste buds give specified counts of detection in comparison to the human olfactory system that implies a good number of different chemical aromas (Schlosser 52). In this context, the release of gases by you is a reflection of the flavors taken from the food eaten, reflecting the taste of it. It, therefore, suggests that the taste of a food chemical is accompanied by the flavor produced after consuming it. Otherwise, the higher the flavor, the sweeter the food chemical and vice versa. Identified also in drinks, in consuming the drinks by someone, it passes through a series of actions that necessitate a feedback through an olfactory epithelium which sends a signal into the tongue and finally into the mouth hence suggesting whether one can proceed in taking a certain drink or a portion of food before him (Schlosser 53). Food preferences are made through a process of socialization depending on the flavor type constituted in the food, which will render someone consuming them. Mostly, a majority of the people prefer sweet foodstuff and reject bitter ones due to the existing sweet flavor in them. With the growing companies of flavor in the US, it has increased revenues earned in the country. Despite the flavors being a driving motive to food preferred by people, the companies have also improvised attractive color additives that attract their consumers hence staying on top in the production of their products. Color additives used in food brings an appealing drive to put it in your mouth. A case of two food under the display with the same flavor but different color, the off-color will send off he customers while the bright colors will welcome the people into buying the presented commodity (Schlosser 54)..

Despite flavors being a deterministic content of what consumers prefer in the food they eat, their utmost preferences in the flavor are to identify with it as natural.Noted by Schlosser (55) from professor Terry Acree is that natural flavors are those obtained not by technology. This is to means that natural and artificial flavors contain, at times, the same content in them, but the difference stems in the method of production. This suggests that natural and artificial are in neither way different from the other, and in this case, they are made from the same manufacturer, but the difference rests with the customers who preferably need natural more than the artificial one.

Schlosser, in this subsection, he is letting it on the out that natural flavors are more preferred by customers as compared to artificial ones. This is due to the fact that customers tend to be so convinced that natural flavors are not harmful to their health as compared to artificial ones. Schlosser supports this by taking an example of a case of displayed food manufactured with labeling on them as natural flavor and artificial flavor. In this context, the customer will seek to take the one labeled as natural as compared to the one labeled artificial.

A Trained Nose and a Poetic Sensibility

Schlosser (55), recognizes the presence of scientists who come up with the flavor as flavorist. In this, he suggests that they come up with the flavor from several disciplines and more so they have the capability to sense the smell of the flavor. As a field requiring keenness in it, it calls for the flavorists to ensure the customers like their processed food with the flavor in it concerning its texture when masticated.Schlosser (56) further recognizes a scientist called Grainger, who is a flavorist whom his work has gained a significant result in the market, daring him to think of the open white paper by flavorist in a grin as a burger being chipped in a hot grill. Therefore, it affirms Schlosser that any foodstuff is attracted by the flavor in it employed by the manufacture.

In this final section, Schlosser is of the idea to suggest that continuous production of flavor by those in the fries manufacturing industry yields a better-formulated flavor. In this section, Schlosser is addressing those in the flavor department in the manufacturing industry that they should be innovative in coming up with a unique flavor as compared to others. In support of this, he takes an example of Grainger, who has worked in the flavor department hence coming up with a unique and praised flavor for food.

Conclusion

Food without the best flavor in it will automatically pull away esteemed customers. Just like McDonald’s ideas on fries, it, therefore, calls for other companies to emulate his ideology to make the best out of their customers. Further, they should also consider the type of cooking oil they use, which otherwise may not seem like life-threatening i.e., excess fat in it, rather, it should befree from fats so as they should preserve and attract more customers in buying their fries. With the basis of Schlosser’s idea on “Why McDonald’s Fries Taste Good,” it is, therefore, a challenge to other companies in employing the same idea.

Work cited

Schlosser, Erick. “Why McDonald’s Fries Taste So Good: A trip to northern New Jersey, the home of natural flavors.”The Atlantic Monthly.287.1(2001): 50-56. Print.