McDonald's and the Evolution of Indigestion

In 1965, When McDonald's was really beginning to invest in their major program of national expansion, they sent all their upcoming store managers to "Hamburger University", their own management training program in Chicago where these people were taught how to do things the 'McDonald's way'; how to cook a burger, blanch and cook a fry, make and serve a shake correctly, how the store and the people staffing it should look and how to keep track of inventory and profits. Among other things, they were taught that McDonald's used only first quality ingredients and that the basic hamburger, no matter what might become of prices and inflation in the future, would remain always at a price fix of 15 cents. The fries were made from scratch in those days, starting with sacks of raw russets at each location, reeled, sliced, hand washed, rinsed, 'blanched', then fried to serve. The meat patties were grilled in batches and, everyone was assured, the patties were unarguably small, but they were of good quality. There were only a few other things on their menu in those days, double burgers, cheese and double cheese burgers, fish sandwiches and soft drinks. As good and as pure as it purported to be - and as good as these things tasted to most people - especially to the young and to families on the road - more than a couple of items, in any combination resulted, for many, in some mild (at best) indigestion. For no matter how 'good' and pure the essential ingredients might have been, the processes used in readying them to serve rendered them greasy, cholesterol rich, 'belly bombers' - a characterization borrowed from an earlier incarnation of a similar idea in New York City, White Castle.