Our McDonald's World

Yesterday, I had a chicken nugger Happy Meal for lunch. And a couple of weeks ago, I also had a chicken nugget Happy Meal for lunch. They were practically identical; each had salty, hot fries, and four crisp nuggets complimented with a refreshing Diet Coke. But there was also something starkly different between the two: I had one in India and one at home.

While in India, I craved the comfort of American food, and was overjoyed to to enjoy my happy meal. Somehow, I was able to have the same food in a foreign country that I could at home, and it tasted exactly the same. It seemed odd that I could travel over 7,000 miles to a whole different world and be able to order the same chicken nugget Happy Meal, and I wondered what could have caused this.

Globalization.

Our world is becoming increasingly globalized everyday in almost every aspect of life, including our food. McDonald's, for example, has globalized its business so that one can eat a Big Mac almost anywhere in the world. The phenomenon of the globalization of food brings up many issues, and I would like to address some of them in this post.

First off, the globalization of the food industry can be viewed both positively and negatively. Check out this article for more information on these views. On one hand, the increasing globalization of food can overrun the local and traditional foods of certain areas, becoming overpowered by the presence of the common food in chain restaurants. When custom food or small restaurants are replaced with large, globally recognized chain restaurants, traditions are being threatened. Unique food habits can die out, creating a lack of individuality and an increasing amount of uniformity.

On the other hand, the globalization of the food industry can be viewed as positive change. Globalization can serve as a unifying force, a trend that brings us together all over the world. We can begin to experience the same things, eat the same food, and begin to live in more similar matters. Overall, we are more connected as a planet.

I'm not sure what to think of the globalization of our food industry. It could create problems, it could prevent them, but most importantly, it must be recognized. You may not always be aware that it is happening, but it is. It took me grabbing some fries in India to recognize it, but now I am aware of the power and the influence of global food companies.

My Indian Happy Meal!

Peace out, and rock on.