Twenty-five years after his seminal exposé Fast Food Nation first hit shelves, investigative journalist Eric Schlosser delivers a sobering assessment: the fundamental problems he identified in the American food system remain stubbornly entrenched. In a new interview reflecting on the book's legacy, Schlosser argues that while public awareness has grown, the immense corporate power and political influence that shape what we eat are largely unchanged.
The Unyielding Grip of Corporate Power
Schlosser's 2001 book peeled back the wrapper on the fast-food industry, revealing a world of low-wage labour, aggressive marketing to children, and a production system prioritising profit over safety and nutrition. A quarter of a century later, he observes that the core architecture of this system is intact. The largest fast-food chains and meatpacking conglomerates have only grown more powerful, consolidating their control over the market. This concentration, he warns, stifles competition and allows a handful of corporations to dictate terms to farmers, workers, and consumers alike.
"We still live in Fast Food Nation," Schlosser states bluntly. The book's publication predated major events like the 2008 horsemeat scandal and the ongoing debates over ultra-processed foods (UPFs), yet it foreshadowed these crises. He notes that the industrial model of food production, with its reliance on cheap ingredients, chemical additives, and highly efficient but often exploitative logistics, has become the norm far beyond the burger joint.
Wages, Welfare, and Worker Rights
A central pillar of Schlosser's critique was, and remains, the treatment of workers. He highlighted the poverty wages and dangerous conditions in meatpacking plants, an industry that has seen little reform. Today, he points out, many front-line food service and processing jobs continue to offer minimal pay, precarious hours, and limited benefits, trapping workers in a cycle of economic insecurity often supplemented by state welfare.
This creates what Schlosser describes as a "public subsidy" for corporate profits, where taxpayers effectively foot the bill for healthcare and income support that employers do not provide. The fight for a living wage and union representation in the sector, he argues, is as urgent now as it was in 2001. The recent wave of strike action and unionisation efforts in the hospitality sector across the UK and US underscores the ongoing struggle for dignity and fair compensation that his book documented.
The Cultural and Health Legacy
Beyond economics, Fast Food Nation examined how the industry reshaped cultural landscapes and dietary habits. Schlosser's work on targeted marketing to children feels particularly prescient in the age of social media and pervasive digital advertising. The global spread of a diet high in fat, sugar, and salt—engineered for maximum appeal—has been linked to soaring rates of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and other diet-related illnesses.
While consumer trends show a growing interest in organic produce and ethical sourcing, Schlosser cautions that these often remain niche markets for the affluent. The most affordable and accessible calories for millions are still those provided by the industrial food complex. The rise of meal-delivery apps and dark kitchens has further embedded the fast-food model into the fabric of daily life, making it more convenient than ever.
A Call for Systemic Change
Despite the grim picture, Schlosser does not see his book as a prophecy of doom but as a call to action. He believes change is possible but requires confronting power directly. This means robust antitrust enforcement to break up monopolies, stringent regulations to protect food safety and workers, and policies that support sustainable, local agriculture.
"The system isn't broken," he concludes. "It was built this way." Reforming it demands political will—a challenge in an environment where agribusiness spends heavily on lobbying. For Schlosser, the enduring relevance of Fast Food Nation is a testament not to its author's foresight, but to the failure of successive governments to enact the deep, structural reforms needed to create a healthier, fairer, and more sustainable food system for all.
