Paper Topic Ideas 9/4

The paper topic I chose to write about was the ingredients in fast food being up to FDA code, why some ingredients are banned in other countries and not in the United States, and why fast food companies should reveal what is in their foods. The idea sparked when I read an article explaining the low grade meat Taco Bell used for their tacos and burritos, then I found a video showing how McDonald's french fries cant be lit on fire and smoked. There's been other rumors of 'pink slime' in chicken nuggets from McDonald's, ingredients from yoga mats found in Subway's bread, even a case of human meat in Wendy's chili. We all fast food isn't healthy, but do we know exactly how unhealthy it is? As someone who enjoys food and admittedly eats fast food quite often, I realized that even though billions of people eat fast food a day, no one really knows exactly what they're putting in their bodies when they do. Fast food has been linked to numerous fatal diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, obesity, and even cancer. The FDA has been known to pass very questionable foods as 'edible' and aren't quite as strict on regulations as some consumers think they should be. That being said, why are certain ingredients and chemicals allowed in foods here that aren't allowed in any other parts of the world? What exactly are fast food companies trying to hide from us? My goal for this paper is to answer these questions and explain why companies should set better standards for their food, and why people should be more concerned about what they eat. I hope to find a lot of information that will open other people's eyes, as well as my own, to the importance of caring about your food and health.