By Eric Schlosser Excerpt From Eric Schlosser”s new book ”Fast Food Nation” (Houghton-Mifflin, 2001) From The Atlantic Monthly THE french fry was “almost sacrosanct for me,” Ray Kroc, one of the founders of McDonald”s, wrote in his autobiography, “its preparation a ritual to be followed religiously.” During the chain”s early years french fries were made from scratch every day. Russet Burbank potatoes were peeled, cut into shoestrings, and fried in McDonald”s kitchens. As the chain expanded nationwide, in the mid-1960s, it sought to cut labor costs, reduce the number of suppliers, and ensure that its fries tasted the same at every restaurant. McDonald”s began switching to frozen french fries in 1966 — and few customers noticed the difference. Nevertheless, the change had a profound effect […] Read More