Sunday, August 14, 2011
Blog 1: Why the Fries Taste So Good ?!
In chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste Good," Schlosser discusses the various components and processes of "food product design." What are those components and processes and how to they contribute to the success and failure of specific food products? What food products with which you are familiar have easily identifiable "design" components? Why do you think those components are particularly important?
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Kelly Johnson
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, the text states that several different components and processes of food design. One component and process that I will elaborate on is the machinery that is used in the fry industry. The machinery has evolved from the beginning of the fry business till now. It started off as just a simple man working on a farm with workers to big factories and assembly lines. Some, as to say, even have robots doing the work for them. For example, in the text it states that "Lamb Weston plant in America Falls, Idaho, is one of the biggest fry factories in the world and makes fries for McDonald’s". This particular factory has a well-drawn out system that includes the work of a robot transporting fries to another division of the factory. Its biggest attraction and most important machine is the Lamb Water Gun Knife. It is the machine that slices the fries. Therefore, this machine is a big factor in that factory.
The machinery contributes to the success and failure of specific food products because without machines and capabilities there wouldn't be any business. I say this because newer technology makes up this day of age. The machines in the factories are the ground of all things possible. If there weren't any machines the product that is being put out on market couldn't be made. This process can determine the success and failure of food products. For example, if the machine weren't available then no production is available, and when no production exist then no products or made. And demands goes up in the economy but the supply goes down and there is the loss of business. Also, the machinery can lead to success because a business has all it needs and they can put it out on market and business is made.
A food product that I believe have easily identifiable design components is chips. I say this because chips come in many different shapes, forms, and sizes but it is always easy to see how they are formed. They aren't a complex product. If they were all mixed up with different products such as rice, noodles, beans or anything of that nature it would be clear to distinguish between a chip and any other product because of its design and form.
I believe that those components are important because it is important as a consumer to know the product that you choose. If the product is appealing to eye then mostly likely you will buy. It all depends on the color, shape, and texture of a product that can make it more suitable and appealing to a person. That's why I believe that those components are important.
Dillon Glapion
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, the book gives many possible ways of using different components and different processes of making food. The food that was used as the main subject was french fries. Different types of machinery and chemicals were used to produce french fries. Over time the methods that were used have changed. A man named J. R. Simplot started this whole scheme. He started by growing his own potato farm and eventually expanded his potato growing company. The creation of a french fry is capable because of the use of an assembly line. Different types of machines work this assembly line, each doing a different part. The most important machine, the one that shapes the fry, is the Lamb Water Gun Knife. F. Gilbert Lamb invented this "knife."
The reasons these machines are a big part of the success of french fries is because without the help of the machines it would take too long to fill the quota. If the machines do not run efficiently then the business would die. We rely on machines and assembly lines to keep any output of a product up to par. This is a big part to the success of any product. The failure of a product would come about because of the lack of machinery. If it were at all possible to do without machinery, it would not be done as efficiently.
A food product that i think has an easily identifiable "design" component would be beans. Beans are not very complex because they are naturally grown. There are many different types of beans such as: red, white, baked, black eyed, etc. They way that people cook them show the different components and change the way that the bean taste. Different beans obviously have different tastes but components that chefs add to them when they cook them dramatically change the flavor.
I think that these components are extremely important because when someone goes to buy beans they will know exactly what type of bean they will be buying. The spices added to them are easily identifiable also. It is important because if someone wants to buy red beans, they have an obvious different color from white beans, so that person will not make the mistake of getting the wrong bean. That is why i think these components are important to the consumer.
Minh Nguyen
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste Good," Schlosser discusses the various components and processes of "food product design." Some components and processes include manufacturing the flavor of the food and how to make it appeal to the public. For example, when you eat a hamburger at a fast food restaurant, you may think that they cooked the meat on a grill and used fresh potatoes to make your fries. However, most of the flavor that you taste when eating that hamburger is chemically made from a lab to make it taste good. The food is frozen and then shipped out to millions of restaurants around the country. This is how the food in many of the same restaurants taste similar and uniform. This contributes to the success and failure of fast foods. It is successful in the fact that the food is the food is made fast and easy, hence the name "fast food." The failure, however, is that the food is not very healthy and making food in such an unnatural process as this is bound to have some kind of consequence. For example, eating too much fast food will make you fat and if you really overdo it, it will affect your health in negative ways.
Where I live, there is a scary amount fast food restaurants. When I step outside of the house, there are at least ten different fast food restaurants in a quarter mile radius. Most of these restaurants carry food with very easily identifiable "design" components. A food product that has easily identifiable design components are hamburgers. You know what it is when you see it and they are sold in a large amount of fast food restaurants. Usually, a hamburger is made from two buns, a meat patty, onions, lettuce, tomatoes, and different sauces. This is the "design" to make a great hamburger and it is very successful.
These components are important because if you extensively change something about this design, it will probably not appeal to as many people. People want to eat something that they are familiar with. They do not want food that is a puzzle to eat. Using this idea, many fast food manufacturers make easily identifiable foods so people are more willing to buy it and try it. However, this does not mean you can't change a few things. Sometimes, small changes to this design can be a good thing. For example, instead of using beef, you can use chicken for those who prefer chicken.
Peter Huynh
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, Schlosser discusses the various components and processes of “food product design.” One of the components is the flavor additives which give foods its taste. Something important that people look for in food is its taste. The flavor industry uses gas chromatographs, mass spectrometers, and headspace vapor analyzers machines to determine how much flavor to add to food. As it says in the book, it can take hundreds or thousands of different flavor chemicals just to make up one food product. For example, strawberries can take up about 350 different chemicals while coffee and roasted meat can take up about a thousand different chemicals. If the chemicals are mixed right then it can make something good, but mixed incorrectly then it can ruin the taste of the food. Another component is the coloring of the food. Some people choose whether or not to eat food based on the color of it. They are willing to try foods that look appealing but if it’s not they then won’t eat it and they’ll never know if it tasted good or not. However, it’s possible that “the color of a food can greatly affect how its taste is perceived.” The food can look nasty and it probably will taste nasty. If it looks good then it probably tastes good.
An easy identifiable food product I think would be pizza. It is easy to identify because of its appearance. The shape is usually round and it has pizza sauce on it with different toppings. Some of the toppings are pepperoni, sausage, cheese, and mushrooms. These different kinds of toppings on a pizza can be important because one person may like a certain topping while another person may like another. Without these different toppings for pizza then there would only be one kind and not as much people would like it.
Asia Harris
ReplyDeleteSchlosser’s discussion about the various components and processes of food product design has been very interesting, and knowledgeable. Through reading chapter five I have learned that specific food products need essentials to be successful which Schlosser mentions is additives. The text states without the flavor industry fast food could not exist. See many chains buy their french fries from the same large processing companies and use similar fryers which can only signal clues that the distinctive taste must be coming from another source. As I read further into the chapter I inferred that with great debate one can argue with out technology the industry would not survive,however; in my opinion, their argument would fail. There was a time when technology wasn't a big aspect of the world like it is now and these same industries maintained. Lets not forget man made all of the machines that process foods which means the machines are only as smart as the man controlling them. Processes is not what altars taste, its the additives!
Components and processes by all means both equally go hand and hand contributing to the success by measuring the additives and aromas together precisely with few flaws enabling the consumer to have the same food today tomorrow and hypothetically forever. Notice that with out technology the industry may fail due to quickness as Schlosser mentions yet hypothetically speaking would the consumer who truly love McDonald's leave or will they wait in line for something they really want? If the product remains with the same taste they fell in love with,in my opinion, one will not leave due to slower business.
One food product I grew up eating is my mother's sweet, chewy,mouth-watering pecan candy,in which to me have easily identifiable design components. Mother's pecan candy has this caramel look that easily lets one know it was made using some form of sugar and milk while there is lumps which once broken into reveals these sugar coated pecans and the aromas is undefined yet capable of making you an addict like me! All in which without those components I may not be hooked today, the aroma is so breathe taking luring you in with that caramel look that would make a sugar fanatic go crazy!
Without components the food would not be what it is today . Additives play a major role in processes, taste and smell. Without additives the processes would not necessarily fail but the business would fail ultimately causing the processing to come to a halt. The taste would no long be what the people once fell in love with, and the smell may not be the aroma the people once smelled. Overall without additives human cravings may no longer exist, if there was just meat and machines, no components, how would the fast food industries promote there product and how would they be any different from the next. The fast food industry in my opinion is successful not because of processes but because of the components. Just think if McDonald's and Burger King used the same potatoes, cooking oil, and fryers how would they make there taste distinctive with out additives? As Schlosser states in the text, “their distinctive taste does not stem from the type of potatoes that McDonald's buys,the technology that processes them,or the restaurant equipment that fries them. Furthermore, various components are much needed in society to hook one to the fast food production industry without it the industry would fail.
In Chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste Good", Eric Schlosser discusses various processes and componets of "food product design". These componets include heavy machinery and also different chemicals. Both of these componets are very important and vital to the fast food industry. Schlosser explains the process of these different machines and different chimals in a way that is understandable to all.
ReplyDeleteIn the text, Scholosser gives us the various componets and processes along with examples. One componet used in "Why the Fries Taste Good" was the type of oil fast food restaurants fry their fries in. It is stated that the flavor of the oil gives the fries such a unique taste that everyone loves. For example, for decades McDonalds fried their French fries in 7 percent cottonseed oil and 93 percent beef tallow. That was more saturated beef fat per ounce than a McDonald's hambuurger. Frying their French fries in this mixture gave the fries a taste like no ther. Over time, the public started complaining about the amount of cholesterol in the mixture so the company switched to pure vegetable oil. This drew problems because now the product didnt have that "special" taste. That is where the componets and processes came in. The McDonalds franchise had to figure out a way to keep they flavor. The potatoes started at a warehouse with machinery where they were cleaned, sliced, etc. At the warehouse chemicals were also used to enhance the flavor of the fry since the oil that was being used was flavorless.
As talked about in this chapter, the French fry has easily identifiable "design" components. Everyone knows what a French fry looks like. No matter what color the fry is, what fast food chain you dine at, or what country you are in, the French fry will always be familiar. Every fry at every fast food chain is easily identifiable. This is important because fries are so popular and they also can make a fast food industry. The fast food industry is known for having French fries if they don't have anything else. If their most popular food cannot be identified, this can break the business.
In Chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste Good," Schlosser talks about the various components and processes of “food product design.” Towards the end of the chapter he talks a lot about the flavor additives McDonald’s used as well as many other food manufactures. McDonald’s used a mix of cottonseed oil and a majority of beef tallow to fry their fries and was facing heavy criticism for the amount of cholesterol in their fries. They changed to cooking the fries in vegetable oil but noticed the fries lost that beef like taste. Natural Flavor was the answer to how the fries would taste better. Today scientists used a variety of instruments to provide a sense of where the flavor stands in to food from complicated spectrometers to headspace vapor analyzers. For example while strawberries have a plethora of different chemicals present a bell pepper can be tasted at .02 parts per billion. If the aroma in the food is not up to par then it’s most likely not going to be consumed seeing that 90 percent of the smell is its flavor. The food products with which I believe to have easily identifiable "design" components would have to be fish. Of course a person can cook it in many different ways and there are different types of fish but those are the components the cook changes. I think these components are important because when the consumer buys fish he must know what type to buy from boned or filleted to Catfish or Tilapia. It is also important to know what seasoning the consumer wants to cook it with whether to fry or bake it. The shopper wants to buy something more recognizable to him. He wants to purchase something appealing and that he knows very well. Without these different components food would not be as it is today.
ReplyDeleteEric Schlosser discusses the various components and processes of “food product design” in chapter five. In addition to advancing machinery, chemical additives contribute significantly to the success of specific food products. It is amazing and scary to know that a high percentage of our food is flavored by artificial and natural flavors, produced in flavor companies. These flavor companies research human’s food preferences to manipulate food and chemicals, thereby producing cost efficient, quick, and seemingly delicious food products. These artificial and natural flavors contribute to the success of fast food. “Without this flavor industry, today’s fast food industry could not exist.” With the flavor industry, the fast food industry could take a piece of bread and add meat into it without actually adding any meat. While being consumed, the bread would release chemicals. These chemicals would give off the ‘smell’ of meat. In addition to smell, these additives also affect the visual aspects of food and the texture of food. In the end, it is all about customer satisfaction, even if the food is not real food. The artificial and natural flavors also contribute to the failures of fast food. The abundance of these additives is deemed unhealthy and provides false advertising. Vegetarians “often have no way of knowing whether a flavor additive contains beef, pork, poultry, or shellfish.” It is surprising, because something so unimportant such as food dye can ruin a food product for a vegetarian”. One food product that has identifiable “design” components would have to be potato chips. They are mass produced by factories and the factories can make the chips into whatever they would like by simply adding the seasoning. This seasoning would be created by the flavoring industry. I think these components are important because they make the product. Without it or without a good enough version of it, it will not produce lasting consumers.
ReplyDeleteMahalia Dees
ReplyDeleteThere are many components and processes of “food product design.” Eric Schlosser, the author of Fast Food Nation narrows them down to four main categories; taste, smell, appearance, and texture. These mechanisms are manipulated by scientists and test subjects to create the most profitable product.
The taste of the food is manipulated in two ways. One way is scientists may cook the food in different ways using different things. Something may taste different fried in oil rather than boiled in water. For example, McDonald’s french fries use to be cooked in 93% beef tallow. Today it is cooked in 100% vegetable oil with “natural” flavor to keep the original taste. The other way is what seasonings or flavorings (natural and artificial) are added to the food. For example McDonald’s has “natural flavor” on their list of ingredients for their french fries. So even though they are no longer cooked in beef tallow, they still have a slightly beefy taste.
The smell of food is the most important component of food product design. Schlosser defines smell as, “the manipulation of volatile chemicals to create a particular scent.” Smell is responsible for over 90% of taste because the chemicals in the food are released by chewing or drinking, giving off the feeling of tasting “flavor.” It is also important to have consistency in the smell because familiar smells trigger memories in the brain. For example, McDonald’s may trigger memories of the times a person’s parents may have taken them to McDonalds for doing well on their report card as a child.
Appearance is also an important part of food product design. Brightly colored foods seem to give the impression of better taste. Color is usually manipulated with natural or artificial color additives. For example, most brands of ketchup on the market are a bright red because of color extracts.
The last but not least important part of food product design is texture. Using different fillers like gums and starches can manipulate how a product feels with touch by hand or when chewing. Many food companies use machines to measure certain textural properties in their products like density and crunchiness. For example some packaged cookies are chewy because of gum additives, rather than the crunchy cookies which do not have additives.
One food product I identify with easily is Chef Boyardee ravioli. Many children recognize the red can it comes in, the bright red tomato sauce, the smell of it heating in the microwave or on the stove, the taste of the salty and slightly sweet tomato sauce, the chewiness of the ravioli pasta. To this day, just the name Chef Boyardee reminds me of childhood summers spent at my grandmother’s house and she’s heating up a can of Chef Boyardee on the stove and the smell wafts into the back room where my cousin and I are playing with our dolls.
All the components of food; taste, smell, appearance, and texture, all create an imprint in one’s mind about that food, whether it be a good memory or bad memory. Having such a strong influence over one’s thoughts and memories is a very powerful thing that, when done correctly, can be very profitable.
Tomi Gilliam
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, the main focus on Simplot’s journey to becoming one of the largest potato farming companies selling to fast food companies in America was interesting. His determination and decisions he made at a young age reflected on his success through his entire life. The main components of food product design are the way it looks and the flavor. Price is also a component for something cheap, but if it doesn’t taste good then there is no point of buying the product. Large companies are built around the additives that give natural flavor put into food and beverage products. The looks of the products are also very important. If something does not look appealing, then it might not be tried. When people see food they judge it the second they see it to determine if it was appetizing or not. Companies strategize what will make kids and adults remember their visit at the fast food restaurant. There is much success from these components because of the profit that fast food restaurant has made. Some familiar food products with a specific design are chicken nuggets, gold fish, corn dogs, macaroni and cheese, and pizza rolls. The fun design of these food products are what made them appealing when I was a kid and still make them appealing now.
Ira’neshia Buckley
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, Schlosser described a variety of components and processes of “food product” starting with the different kinds of oils and how to get a distinctive taste. Without a company’s signature taste to their product it would not profit. If you could make the same product at home what is stopping you from doing so? This is the reason nobody knows a company secret recipe or the reason their product taste the way it does. Since you can’t duplicate the same recipe of your favorite fries then you are going to pay for them. Schlosser says that McDonald’s buys their fries from the same company as other corporations and McDonald’s also use the same machines to fry their fries as other companies but it is their unique flavor that sets them apart from different corporations and keeps you coming back for more. It is simple supply and demand. They have something you want; you can’t get it from any other place so naturally you would come back to them.
The food product that I am familiar with and I consider having an easily identifiable “design” component is the french fry. Most fast food restaurant sell french fries but they all have a different taste, look, and smell. Each company has a different gimmick to their product Wendy’s now serve fries that are naturally cut and are made with all natural sea salt. They are targeting their customers in order to profit.
I think those components are particularly important because you have to know your customers. You have to attract customers in order for your business to survive. Without the customers you would not have a profit and the company would go out of business. The taste and the appearance of fries is what make an individual choose if they want to buy it or not. That is way I believe these components are predominantly significant.
Xavier Hill
ReplyDeleteIn chapter five Scholosser discusses many different processes and components that factor into the food product design.The food product design consits of what machinery the food is made with and the flavors or feelings that appeal to the senses. Food preparation machinery is important in the outcome of the end product. For example if your using a 1000 watt microwave to cook a soup for three minutes you will not get the same quality on a 3500 watt microwave for the same amount of time. The food will proabably be under or over cooked. Also the components and proccesses can affect how much profit you can make. If your food appeals to the consumer it will sell more than one that doesn't. All of the components factor into whether or not you will fail or succeed. Ramen noodles are a food product that has easily identifiable components. Noodles are cook until they are tender and contain no smell are taste until the additive is mixed with it. The noodles usually feel slick and rubbery with a smooth texture. They smell and taste like the flavoring that is added to them after being cooked. The components used to foods are important because they leave you with a smell, taste, or look that makes you want to consume or buy the food or drink again. "Studies have found that the color of a food can greatly effect how the taste is perceived. Brightly colored foods frequenty seem to taste better than bland-looking foods,". This shows that that how a food looks, or smells can influnce the mind into thinking it taste better than a bland substance. If you can control the mind you can control the other senses. This allow the companys' to use this strategy to make appealing foods and profit off of them.
Courtney Jackson,
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5,"Why the Fries Taste Good," Schlosser discusses the various components and processes of "food product design." The components and processes are the chemicals, the machinery, the flavor,and what looks like. All three of them are important to the fast food industry, because it what brings customers to the restaurants. Each company has their own distinctive taste so that their company can be different from others. Schlosser explains the process of how the components and the processes effect the taste of the food.
The food preparation determines how the product will taste. For example the type of machinery and oil used, can determine if the food is over cooked, under cooked, and how to product would taste due to the oil. If the product is being cooked in old oil it will be change the taste of the product from delicious to disgusting. The machinery and the chemicals are most important because with those, one will know if the food was worth buying. The chemicals used are confidential due to the fact that the companies does not want to harm their business. If people knew the ingredients to the food they will mostly likely start making that product on their own or stopping eating that product. Knowing the ingredients with not only effect the businesses but it possible change eating habits.
As stated in the text "you'll find "natural flavor" or "artificial flavor" in just about every list of ingredients." Just because the ingredients may say one of those things doesn't mean that it is healthy for us to eat. Since we don't the exact ingredients to the product we don't care if its healthy or not, what matters is the taste. The flavor of the product is what makes a customer buy it more, if it tastes and looks nasty a customer will not buy it. The company and the customers are benefiting from the products made from the flavor.
Lastly, what the product looks like, gets a customer to buy it. Having "crisp and golden brown" french fries will make the customer satisfied because not only was it
delicious but it looked presentable.
Ambre Reed
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5 Eric Scholosser discusses the components and processes that contribute to the food product design. Scholosser explained the ability of a product to sale based on how it appeals to the consumer in appearance and/or taste. Taste and appearance can contribute to the success or failure of a product.
Scholosser used French fries to show how a product can prosper on a good taste. The majority of French fries purchased by the fast food chains are from the same place, but the way the fries are prepared separates the restaurants. The type of oil used to cook the fries in addition to the spices/flavors determines the fries’ ability to sell to the public. For example, the McDonald’s fries were mostly fried in beef tallow, which was found very popular among their consumers. Unfortunately the cholesterol in beef tallow became an in issue, so McDonald’s began using 100% vegetable oil and “natural flavors” to produce the same popular flavor. Although the frozen fries and method used to cook them in fast food chains varies slightly the taste produced allows McDonald’s fries to out sell the companies.
Like the taste the way a product looks can determine whether it will be successful or not. As stated in the reading “the color of a food can greatly affect how it is perceived.” Foods that are brightly colored are more attractive to the eye and look as though they taste better. Fast food chains such as Burger King, Wendy’s, and McDonald’s have added color agents to various items on the menu to make them more attractive to the customers. These companies know just like the taste of product the appearance is important; the color agents are added to preserve or maybe even enhance the color of the food. Food agents could the reason McDonald’s French fries always look golden or the buns the prefect tan.
Design components such as taste and appearance heavily affect a product’s ability to sell. The customer has to be attracted to the way it taste or how it looks. Inability to hook the customers by the flavor or appearance can result in the failure of a food.
Anthony Poche
ReplyDeleteThrouded in secrecy. The process of keeping these companies’ clients private contributes to maintaining customer loyalty and credit for producing a great tasting product. The result is success. Food color plays a large role in customers’ perception of the taste of a product and that product as a whole. The process of food coloring can easily influence success of failure regardless of taste. The color of food provides a “look” that is used to entice customers to eat it. For example, most people would pick a bright red apple over an average all-natural apple that has some yellow and brown mixed in. They cannot taste a product in an advertisement, therefore appearance can be argued as the most important aspect of food product presentation. Food products with easily identifiable “design” components are those aimed at children. These junk foods, often unhealthy, include bright, vibrant colors which cannot be ignored by young consumers who equate beautiful, loud colors with fun and pleasure. This component in junk foods like Mike-n-Ikes, Lemonheads, and various Debbie Snacks is extremely important because without the color to catch and hold children's attention there would be no desire to eat that food product. Whithout the younger consumers’ attention it will not matter the taste or smell of the product, profit would most likely never be made.
Precious Ingram
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, Erich Schlosser discuses and explains the different components and process of food product design. There are several components and processes of "food product design";the manipulation of taste,smell,and texture of food are the major components and process of food product design. The one component that really stands out in the creation of food products is flavoring. Flavorists have to take on the task of making processed food taste like a real meal while fully satisfying the taste buds of their consumers.Flavoring companies take a large amount of time focusing on the taste of the food because people will purchase an item based on their appearance,but the taste is what makes the buyer keep buying that particular item. Therefore,the flavoring of the food contributes to success or failure of food products. Schlosser points out the importance of flavor by stating that "without this flavor industry,today's fast food industry could not exist." If foods didn't have any artificial or natural flavors then many companies would fail especially soft drink companies, snack food companies,and fast food chains.
The food product that has an easily identifiable design component is fruit snacks. Fruit snack are an easily identifiable because they are made in different shapes,flavors,and colors,but a person can determine what the snack will taste like by its appearance. For an example if a fruit snack is red and is formed in the shape of a cherry then the consumer knows that it will taste like a cherry. This also supports the point that the author made when he elucidates the effects of colors and how they correlate with people's reactions to food.
The color,shape,and flavor of fruit snacks are important because without these components then people would be more hesitant to purchase fruit snacks. The color additives make the fruit snacks more appealing to people making the purchase of fruit snack rise. The shape or formation of fruit snacks makes it easier for a person to identify the type of fruit snack. The artificial flavors in fruit snacks is what makes a consumer continue to purchase them. These components ensure the purchase and accepting of fruit snacks by consumers.
Kierra Hitchens
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 5 Schlosser describes the many components and processes of food product design. There are many components to create the design of fast food products. However the main component is taste. The two main flavors used to create the distinct taste in foods are artificial and natural flavoring. The taste or flavor of a food can help to contribute success of specific food products in numerous ways. Most foods tasted leave an indelible mark creating a source of reassurance also known as “comfort foods”. Taste is also a major reason for failure of specific foods. Without the appetizing taste, foods can cause the fall the fall of corporate empire.
How foods are processed are also a major part of the success and failure of specific food products. Different types of machinery such as the TA.XT2i Texture Analyzer can help benefit specific foods. Foods are then analyzed but what is called “mouthfeel” or the unique combination of texture and chemical interactions that affect the flavor perceived. However some ways of processing can cause a complete downfall on specific food products. For example a method used in processing called the fallacy of composition or logical error. This method sometimes causes failure for products because it takes the belief of one individual and transfers that one belief into the belief’s of all people, which creates a problem because not everyone will feel the same about a product.
In fact some people can easily identify certain design components in their foods.
Some particular foods such as hamburgers or a salad have easily identifiable “design components” Hamburgers most likely consist of salt (sodium), fat, and protein. Most of salads components can be seen and are quite obvious however it’s the things inside of the normal ingredients. Some salads are high in salt, and cholesterol but they are also healthy and contain many forms of vitamin A. The components within a hamburger or a salad are important because they affect the taste and most likely the production of the foods. While the components are specifically important for taste they are important to help maintain the flow of certain corporations. Without certain ways of processing and components there would probably be no means of fast food, or at least a somewhat successful corporation.
Fast Food production is a major process within the world. The process and its components are the machinery that keeps the fast food industry going.
Dikeyta Bowser
ReplyDeleteIn chapter five, I notice the clarity the writer provides to myself and other readers by giving short background on his life and establishment. This background information opens readers' understanding of the lifestyle and routine of a potato farmer. Further on in chapter five, Simplot wisely explains the importance of his past to show the outcome in his success and knowledge as an entrepreneur. His life journey brought readers to the components as to what makes the fries taste so good.
Simplot's interest and passion in potatoes led to his partnership with McDonalds. As it is described in the beginning of chapter five, Simplot used his business to a high level where he felt "it's big and it's real, it ain't bullshit" (p.116). That phrase brings readers back to Simplot's lack of education did not stop him. He was determined to understand the success secret to popular fries.
Simplot addresses the fact that flavor has an affect on fry sales, but the aroma greatly impacts consumers. It is studied that smell is a psychological factor in the way food (fries) taste to humans. As we develop and mature so does our taste buds and flavor preferences.
Color is another component in the taste rating of certain fries. Brightly colored food are chosen more by consumers. Color also allows consumers the opportunity to validate the condition of food. We observe the color of foods, such as fruit, daily to determine if they are ready to eat or if they just need to be disposed of. A study was done with food and light. Consumers were given a meal of steak and fries which appeared normal, but once the lighting changed it showed the steak as blue and the fries as green. In event of the color changing of that meal, some people became ill (p.125).
Many times I wonder how I would react to eating food if I had to feel it before I could see it or taste it etc. According to research, texture has an affect on how well food taste. This is considered "mouthfeel" which is the unique combination of textures and chemical interactions that affects how the flavor is perceived (p.127).
The importance of these components impacts the success and failure of specific foods because it is valued by daily buyers which affects that companies stock and income performance. Some food products with which I am familiar with are chips,a hamburger,and a pickle. I think these components are important because they are a part of our every day lives and how we function as human beings.
Anh Phuong Dang
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 5, "Why the Fries Taste Good," Schlosser discusses the various components and processes of "food product design." One of the components is taste. As Schlosser mentioned in the text, the taste of fast food is largely determined by the cooking oil. Natural flavor or artificial flavor are man-made additives that also give processed food most of its taste. The color of food can also determine the perception of taste, as said in the text. Bright colored food seems to attract consumers and seem to taste better than bland-looking foods. For years people have used the look of foods to help determine what is edible and what is not. The smell of a particular food can be responsible for its flavor. If something smells nasty or unusual, usually people wouldn't want to eat it. Those components contribute to the success and failure of specific food products because these components can either make a product or break it.
Pizza is a food product that has easily identifiable "design" components. The color, look, and aroma of pizza attracts people first. It has a nice vibrant color when it is fresh, it smells delicious, and it looks good that you can't have just one slice. All of those components makes you think that it is good, which it probably is. If a pizza looks dull, it is probably old and no one would want to eat it. I think those components are important because it is an observation of everything that we eat everyday.
In Chapter five of the novel,Schlosser explains the multiple components and processes that goes into the "food product design." The taste, smell, and color all go into consideration. When it comes to the taste, Schlosser says that it is based off of the cooking oil that is used. Natural flavor or aritficial flavor are the most popular used ingredients to help the taste of the food. The smell of the product can also help determine the taste. The smell must coincide with the food. If the smell does not suit the food then people will most likely avoid it, such as yogurt that smells like onions. Another component that Schlosser discussed was the color of the food. The color of the food can make one consider if it will taste well. If one was to see a blue scrambled eggs they would most likely steer away from the eggs. If the color is dull or unusual, most people may not want to eat that product. All of these components go hand in hand when it comes to the success or failures of food because all of the components attract a person towards the food. A food that I'm most often familiar with is shrimp fried rice. The color of the shrimp and the smell of food all together often determines whether or not I will be satisfied with the meal. If the shrimp is orange or the rice is too dark then I will not eat it. All of the components are important because they are what people look at when they are buying groceries, ordering food, or simply eating.
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, Schlosser discusses the different components and processes of food product's design. Some foods undergo canning, freezing, and dehydrating processes that destroy most of their original flavors. Because of this artificial flavors are used. Chemists generate chemical additives that will make foods taste like their natural flavor. The color of foods also play a part in the way foods taste because of our perception. When we se foods that are red we assume it's cherry or strawberry flavored. They texture of foods is also a factor. Textures of foods can be adjusted by using fats, gums, starches, emulsifiers, and stabilizers.
ReplyDeleteThese processes can be seen as successful because they give consumers the tastes that they want and expect. For example the "natural smoke flavor" in fast food burgers is a success because it's taste is believable. There are also some instances where there are failures. Because some of the origins of flavors and other components are not listed, numbers of religious dietary restrictions are violated and allergic reactions may be caused.
Fast foods have the easiest identifiable "design" components. The main one for me is the "natural smoke flavor" in burgers from Burger King. It's easy to tell because you can go to any Burger King location and their burgers will all taste the same way. These types of components are important because they are the tastes that consumers look for and are familiar with.
Taylor Reuther
ReplyDeleteIn Chapter 5, Schlosser includes some extremely important points as to why the components and processes of “fast food design” are successful and not so successful. He states “the key to a successful franchise, according to many texts on the subject, can be expressed in one word: uniformity” (Schlosser 5). This statement is bold, but true in many ways. The way to achieve perfect uniformity in the fast food world is with the use of machinery.
This chapter talks about the ways fries are created consistently. The workers program the machines to cut, slice, deep fry, and flash freeze the fries in the same exact way every single time. If the computer detects an imperfection, then the fries are moved to a different conveyor belt in which they are cut specifically to match the “perfect” fries on the other conveyor belt. This process ensures homogeny for every single fry. This process would be an example of a successful “fast food design.”
There are many components to the “fast food design” that make the food thrive because it has been carefully designed to taste good (9). The senses are most likely the biggest component in how someone perceives the food. The scientists put color additives in the food to make it appeal to one’s sight, and they do the same thing by adding flavor additives to create an appealing aroma to the customer. Successful foods are pleasing the consumer’s senses to make them want to come back for more.
An example of an unsuccessful food product would be hamburger lunchables. When I was a little kid, they used to sell them at groceries all the time. I have not seen this type of lunchable since I was a little kid; therefore, the product was unsuccessful or else it would still be on sale with the other types of lunchables. The components that contributed to the failed product were the taste and sight of food. The hamburgers did not really taste like hamburgers, and the hamburger patty did not look too appetizing either.
An easily identifiable “design” product would be Froot Loops. Toucan Sam is the cereal’s mascot, which most little kids can easily recognize. The different colored circle-shaped cereal is unlike any other brand cereal. The bright colors attract the kids to eating the cereal, and the misleading name of the cereal attracts parents into thinking it is actually healthy. The components of this certain cereal are important because without the bright colors and deceptive name there would be no one consuming the product.
Chinedu Echebelem
ReplyDeleteSchlosser discusses the numerous components and processes of a food product design in Chapter 5. Some of the components and processes include incorporating flavor and color additives to make the product more appealing to the eye and taste buds in the most efficient and inexpensive way. Seeing as though the French fry was the topic of the chapter I will elaborate on how the components and processes of this product made it successful. With the simple shape of the fry, and its origin from a potato, this makes the French fry an inexpensive product to create for consumers. The aroma and salty taste makes the fry appealing to customers. Plus, the fact that it is very affordable makes the French fry a successful product. One product that I considered was a failure was the Vanilla Coca-Cola. With vanilla and Coca-Cola being two bold individual flavors, mixed together I don’t believe it appealed to a wide range of consumers. In my opinion, people are more intrigued by the aroma of vanilla, but not intrigued by its taste as a carbonated drink.
Fruit snacks are products that I am familiar with, and believe have an easily identifiable design component. Their shapes are designed based on familiar famous cartoon characters, or fruits. This makes them more appealing to consumers and most importantly children. With the snacks in the shape of a fruit, it makes the product more appealing to parents and adults for their children, because most of them assume that there is some kind of nutritious fruit ingredient. Their bright colors make the product more attractive to the human eye. The bright colors of the snacks give us the smell and taste of something sweet, fruity, or sour. Bright colors, familiar shapes, and a sweet smell and taste are all important in why a consumer buys a product, and the success of a product.
TaiRhe Turner
ReplyDeleteIn chapter 5, the main focus is Schlosser describing a variety of components and processes of the food we eat today. There are ways to get a distinctive taste from different oils. This is how they get the taste of foods to taste different from how they should. The taste is somewhat fictional. This is because when we taste McDonald’s fries, for example, they taste better than just natural potatoes. Why? Simply because of the hidden beef flavoring in the grease used to cook these French fries. They take pride; also, in making sure the food looks attractive. If the food looks good, then it will sell better. From microwaveable pancake and sausages on a stick to bottles of water, the design of the product and how it is presented is important to how successful the sales will be.
Behind the scenes, the food is all processed the same. Workers or machines are trained to do the same thing every time, all doing their part in the process of preparing the food for the customer. If there are any mess ups in the process, it’s usually corrected electronically.
In chapter 5 the author explains that potatoes are grown in Idaho than any other country. The place is called the Simplot plant. This place turns all potatoes into delicious French fries. These machines wash, sort, peel, blanch, and blow dry the potatoes. This mass production of potatoes started in the 1920s. Another popular ingredient or food on the rise is dehydrated onions. This ingredient became popular when World War II hit. American military was in high demand of potatoes and onions used for powder. After this tragic war Simplot was growing his own potatoes by now. A good investment that Simplot made after the war was frozen food technology. This helped household appliances to sky rocket. In 1953 frozen French fries were started to be sold. The sales started off low and poorly. Mc Donald’s brothers had the best system for making French fries. The system involves special fryers and oil temperature on 325 degrees.
ReplyDeleteThe success of the fries being made was caused from the potatoes that were come from Idaho. Also the basic methods that were being used to make and serve these foods places a very big part. Mc Donald’s used vegetable oil on fries to capture natural flavor. About 90 percent of the United States spends there money on processed food everyday. As time progressed the manufacturing of these potatoes increased and got more efficient. In the 1950s technology was getting better and fries tasted better. Conveyer belts were doing there jobs faster and more efficient. The methods of making your fries matters so much because of your style of ingredient and how efficient your machines are. This is so very important and also where the potatoes are being grown and how tasteful they are really matters for it to be a top seller in stores.
Chapter 5 of Fast Food Nation explained to the general public of why does fast food fries taste so good. Eric Schlosser discussed the various gruesome components and processes of “food design products”. Those delicious fries that we all enjoy have an ample amount of grimy chemicals which enhance the taste; they are not freshly made fires like there are advertised to be. Different foods have a different amount of chemicals which goes into the particular foods. The book also explains that without the flavor industry fast food wouldn’t even exist. Fast food industries have taken away the natural flavors for more processed foods. Fast food industries have learned the trick not to only to tease there customers with the smell of the food but also the visual and texture aspects of food also. They suggest if the food looks and smells good more customers would try and buy that particular food. Appealing to small children is the most marketable. Big fast food companies know to appeal to customer’s senses rather than quality. They have realized that creating a children’s meal with a toy have kids coming back for more. Many restaurants offer French fries with a distinct design, smell, or taste that differs from their competitors. The look of the product has a great impact of how it would sell regardless of the taste. Companies have realized this trick and have bright colored restaurants and foods that appeal to customers. Candy for example comes in different colors, shapes, and textures. It is easy to distinguish and recognize candy. They have bright colors and different designs and logos. Eric Schlosser mentioned that the taste of fast food is largely determined by the cooking oil. Cooking oil determines the taste of food which has been manipulated by fast food companies for many years.
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