Food plays a vital role in the growth of living things, especially human beings. Lack of food can cause growth retardation due to the lack of important nutrients needed for body metabolism. Whether prepared quickly or slowly, food should be nutritionally balanced to cater to bodily needs for proper growth.
The food industry worldwide has now been divided into two categories of restaurants, which the majority of people use to have their meals, especially in developed countries. Fast food chains emerged in 1912 in the United States and opened doors to more and more fast food chains that changed the mode of food preparation in restaurants or food outlets. The concept of ready-to-cook meals for sale has revolutionized hotel hospitality globally. Although fast-food chains made life easier for people who are in a hurry, cultural cuisine restaurants are still favored by those who want to have their meals during relaxing moments.
Food outlets play a major role in providing food services to people who are busy with their daily routines or tired of cooking and want to go out for lunch or dinner. For quite some time, food outlets have not only served the local people but also contributed to the tourism industry by attracting tourists. There is no tourism directory that does not include food outlets and restaurants.
In addition to contributing significantly to the tourism industry, food outlets also contribute to agriculture, farming, and food processing industries.
In terms of the economy, food outlets provide markets for agricultural and food processing industrial products. This market provision not only contributes to the agriculture and industry sectors but also plays a role in improving people’s lives at the grassroots level, especially in developing countries.
Food outlets and restaurants create employment opportunities for various positions, such as chefs, waiters, waitresses, and managers. These establishments have contributed to reducing unemployment rates in both developed and developing countries. In addition to providing direct employment, food outlets and restaurants also engage other service providers such as banks, media companies, and food suppliers.
Nevertheless, these two categories of food outlets have sharp contrasts in the kind of services they provide which has created a gap between them. While fast food chain outlets provide services with the philosophy of being fast and ready for sale, cultural cuisine restaurants maintain their originality by providing services in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere to their customers. This is a clear difference from slow food that is prepared only after customers place their orders.
Fast food chain outlets are designed to provide quick service for people who are in a hurry, busy, and do not have time to enjoy their meals. These individuals include students, travelers, businessmen, and workers. Fast food chains began as simple cafeterias but have since become large franchised businesses globally such as McDonald’s, KFC, and Wendy’s.
In fast food chains, food is prepared in bulk for waiting customers; therefore it must be kept warm most of the time. This system tends to affect the taste of the food and can impact customer satisfaction. To keep their businesses profitable and satisfy customers’ taste buds simultaneously, fast food had to invent something that would maintain the taste of the food.
Although these fast-food outlets started with hamburgers, they later introduced chips and sugary products like ice cream and milkshakes. However, none of these foods contain fiber or are nutritionally prepared compared to slow-food restaurants.
The introduction of hydrogenation about 100 years ago made it possible for fast food chains to preserve soybean oil, which is one of the major cooking oils used in their products. However, this innovation has proven to have side effects due to its ability to turn liquid oils into solid oils, forming Trans fat that clogs arteries. In addition to clogging arteries, these oils have also created another problem that has been complained about for ages: obesity. Obesity affects not only adults but also young people, especially school children who are major consumers of fast foods.
Most fast food outlets sell foods that are high in carbohydrates and sweetened beverages which children and adolescents tend to consume instead of fluid milk from their diet. This creates a high risk of obesity. In the United States, childhood obesity has become problematic as most school children purchase cheaper food from fast food outlets and are sometimes influenced by advertisements.
Fast food consumption has been on the rise since the 1970s, with more food chains expanding worldwide. Another contributing factor to this expansion is the cheaper prices compared to cultural restaurants. This has made fast food chains gain popularity quickly globally, as they offer meals for even low-income earners, unlike normal restaurants where prices have to be higher due to production and preparation costs.
Despite criticisms, fast food outlets have played a positive role in contributing to the economies of countries where they operate. This includes the number of people employed in these food chains. Although paid low wages, a large percentage of employees range from 16 to 20 years old, thus reducing the rate of unemployment in various countries. Taxes paid to governments also contribute significantly; for instance, fast food chains in the United States recorded profits of US $142 billion which has contributed largely to the American economy.
The slow food movement aims to protect the originality and pleasure of preparing meals and the comfort of enjoying them in cozy surroundings. It raises awareness about the negative effects of fast food on our health and environment. The movement’s main objective is to preserve traditional methods of food preparation, beautifully arranged and finally enjoyed in relaxed environments. This is especially important during family and friends gatherings or for individuals who value the meaning of preparing and eating in a relaxed atmosphere.
In cultural restaurants, there are a variety of foods on the menu prepared in different ways such as grilling, boiling, steaming, and frying. This is unlike fast food where the main preparation method is frying. The variety of food in restaurants gives people the opportunity to try dishes from other places and countries besides their own. For example, Thai cuisine, African dishes, Italian cuisine and Chinese cuisine are just a few examples since every country has its own unique methods of preparing food.
Due to the time spent and labor involved in preparing food as well as the cost of ingredients and generous hospitality provided by cozy dining restaurants, prices for these types of restaurants tend to be higher compared to fast food outlets. As a result, these restaurants have been seen as places for wealthy people which creates opportunities for fast-food outlets. Fast-food outlets mostly cater to people who work multiple jobs just to make ends meet so they don’t have time to appreciate the beauty of slow-food restaurants; instead they grab a quick burger and rush off to another job.
Due to global expansion and concerns about the nutritional value of fast food, the slow food movement emerged. It aims to protect slow food restaurants, which originated in Italy when McDonald’s attempted to open a fast-food chain there. The slow food movement was founded by Carlo Petrini in 1986 after he opposed McDonald’s opening. It has successfully raised awareness about fast foods and the importance of slow food restaurants.
Carlo Petrini stated in his book Slow Food: Case for Taste” (2004), “For most of us, our enjoyment of food has fallen victim to the frenetic pace of our lives and to our increasing estrangement, in a complex commercial economy, from the more natural processes by which food is grown and produced.” Through its campaigns against fast food, the slow food movement emphasizes caring about where our food comes from, who makes it, how it is made and enjoying eating it.
Another area that has benefited from slow food restaurants is the agriculture and livestock industry. Educating people about the importance of eating in traditional restaurants has opened more doors for markets for agro and organic products, which are not as useful in fast food outlets. The movement has managed to connect people producing agro products, farmers, and sellers through the promotion of these products. This connection has not only been for farmers but also for about 100 countries that have joined this movement to protect traditional restaurants around the world.
In conclusion, while the slow food movement has been criticized for focusing on a small number of elites instead of the majority, fast food also plays an important role in the food industry and contributes to the economy, just like traditional restaurants. Although these two types of food outlets differ in their services, they are both important in our societies.
Reference:
Petrini Carlo’s Slow Food: Case for Taste” was published in 2004.
