Ways to Change the World with Krishnan Guru-Murthy Eric Schlosser: Why the real cost of cheap food is hidden
Mar 13, 2026
Eric Schlosser, investigative journalist and author of Fast Food Nation, reflects on how the food industry has worsened. He discusses greed driving food systems, exploitation of migrant farmworkers, industrial meat and safety risks, ultra-processed foods, subsidies that distort diets, concentrated corporate power, and why collective political action — not just consumer choice — matters.
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How Fast Food Nation Started From Strawberries
- Schlosser began Fast Food Nation after following migrant farm workers and writing about strawberries picked by hand.
- Rolling Stone asked him to trace fast food's supply chain after his strawberry piece exposed labor realities.
Make The Real Cost Of Processed Food Visible
- Make the real costs of cheap processed food visible by internalizing externalities like healthcare and pollution into price or regulation.
- Schlosser argues unhealthy products should be restricted from child marketing and priced to reflect long-term harms.
Ultra Processed Food Harms Are Comparable To Tobacco
- Ultra-processed foods are linked to many ailments and may need regulation similar to tobacco, not immediate bans but pricing and marketing limits.
- Schlosser cites scientific links to depression, cancer, heart disease and notes calls to regulate these foods.