Eric Schlosser, a journalist for the Atlantic Monthly, is the author of the article "Why the Fries Taste Good". He has produced a best-selling book called Fast Food Nation, which received impressive reviews from The New York Times. In this article, "Why the Fries Taste Good", Schlosser discloses secrets about the food and flavor industries. He provides his audience with information about the process of making flavors, the ingredients of flavors, and the secrecy that the flavor industry exercises to conceal the truth about the flavors they produce.
An enormous business has come about to make the processed food that Americans eat everyday appetizing. Whether "artificial" or "natural" flavors, they all come from the same method of production. This ranges from the cheapest fries to the most expensive cologne. Most of these companies that produce flavors can be found in New Jersey, and they produce the majority of flavors sold in the United States. These places are not inviting to people who want to check out the way these places work. .
The smell of these flavors is more important than the actual taste. Schlosser cites, "The aroma of food accounts for ninety percent of its flavor." Therefore, flavor is really the smell of the chemicals in your mouth. Everyone craves his or her favorite flavors. This craving has made huge effects on the world such as the spice trade and the rise and fall of many major corporations. Presently, the flavor industry makes about 1.4 billion dollars every year. .
To meet the demand for the consumer's cravings, the flavor companies must formulate their flavors through complicated procedures. The flavors are formulated from a concoction of many different volatile chemicals. A typical strawberry flavor is a mixture of around fifty different chemicals. The Food and Drug Administration does not require flavor companies to tell the ingredients of their additives.