FAST FOOD

Fast food (also known as Quick Service Restaurant or QSR within the industry itself) is the term given to food that can be prepared and served very quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, typically the term refers to food sold in a resturant or store with preheated or precooked ingredients, and served to the customer in a packaged form for  take out/take away.The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam-webster in 1951.

Outlets may be stands or kiosks, which may provide no shelter or seating, or fast food restaurants (also known as quick service restaurants).Franchise operations which are part of restaurant chains have standardized foodstuffs shipped to each restaurant from central locations.

The capital requirements involved in opening up a non-franchised fast food restaurant are relatively low. Restaurants with much higher sit-in ratios, where customers tend to sit and have their orders brought to them in a seemingly more upscale atmosphere, may be known in some areas as fast casual restaurants.

McDonald's corporation is having 32,000 plus outlets world wide where as KFC is having more than 8000 outlets worldwide and we also have hundreds of thousands of local vendors selling fast food, those are found all over the world. 

FAST FOOD IN INDIA,U.K AND U.S.A

In India fast food is growing at a fast rate because of changing life style of people and people are also adopting western life style.Everyone is in hurry so they don't have time to prepare some quality food for them. So they prefer fast food. During office hours also instead of having some good meal they prefer fast food because it is cheap, fast and tasty, but they ignore the disadvantages that are being caused to them due to this type of food.

In India the major fast food items are samosa,patties,sandwich,wada-sambhar,burger,and many others.
In U.K fast food is preferred, they have packaged food which is ready to eat, which is more harmful, they prefer ready to eat type food and fast food because over there the labour is expensive in comparison to India. The fast food of U.K are burgers,pizza,sea food that is pre heated, fish and chips, pasta,sandwiches and many more.
In U.K and U.S.A the companies fast food business is more than India , in India have only few fast food companies that have entered Indian market and there are still big firms like Burger king, Yum!,Autogrill,Quick,Greggs,Telepizza and many more which are yet to enter Indian market.

Fast food of U.S.A is very much similar to U.K here also people prefer burgers,pizza,sea food that is pre heated, fish and chips, pasta,sandwiches, hot dogs and many more.Basically as the nation's economy grow the people of that nation get's more work to do and hence less time to cook food for them and hence they prefer fast food whether good or bad for them.

HEALTH ISSUES WITH FAST FOOD

The fast food is the shortcut to bring diseases to body. The major health problems caused by fast food are obesity, kidney problems, cancer, under weight problem, malnutrition, sugar,blood pressure,intestinal problems,skin problems and all those you can imagine of. To make out the maximum profit the sellers use the worst and cheapest quality of material for preparing food items.

Our bodies were not created to withstand the continual fueling of junk. You certainly would not put sugar into the gas tank of your personal vehicle, would you? What would happen if you poured a little vegetable oil into the tank? You simply wouldn't do it. So same is with our body we cannot put the wrong fuel in  it otherwise it will stop working and give problem to us only. Once the car gets breakdown we can make it repair easily but if this happens to body it would become very very difficult to bring back body to normal condition. So remember fast food kills. 

The problems due to fast food is a major issue worldwide. It is leading to various health problems such as-

Fat Content

• Meats with high-fat content, trans- and saturated fats are used in fast food because they are cheaper, and larger portion sizes are becoming more economical for customers.

Lack of Nutrition

• Fast food does not often contain many food groups, including vegetables, fruits and whole grains. Food is cooked in highly saturated oil, and the oil is reused, creating a breeding ground for bacteria.

Heart Health

• Most fast foods are fried or contain high levels of grease and oil, increasing the risk for heart disease. Since many have sedentary lifestyles, those who eat high-fat meals gain weight, increasing the workload on their heart.

Food Contamination

• Many ingredients used in fast-food meals contain contaminants including fecal matter; slaughterhouses are overloaded with animals, increasing the chances of contamination.

Disease

• Some health issues about fast food include the obesity-related diseases associated with weight gain. Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, polycystic ovary syndrome, heart disease and dyslipidemia are just some of the ailments associated with fast food and obesity.

  
  

GLOBALIZATION OF FAST FOOD.

The term globalization means the increasing unification of the world's economic order through reduction of such barriers to international trade as tariffs, export fees, and import quotas. The goal is to increase material wealth, goods, and services through an international division of labor by efficiencies catalyzed by international relations, specialization and competition. It describes the process by which regional economies, societies, and cultures have become integrated through communication, transportation, and trade.
Hence globalization of fast food is also a major aspect of considerastion as major firms of fast food that were originated in western nation and some of them originated in eastern nation have expanded there business worldwide which had resulted in increase of capital and employment worldwide.

 In 2006, the global fast food market grew by 4.8% and reached a value of 102.4 billion and a volume of 80.3 billion transactions.In India alone the fast food industry is growing by 41% a year.

McDonald's is located in 126 countries and on 6 continents and operates over 31,000 restaurants worldwide. On January 31, 1990 McDonald’s opened a restaurant in Moscow, and broke opening day records for customers served. The Moscow restaurant is the busiest in the world. The largest McDonald’s in the world is located in Orlando, Florida, USA

There are numerous other fast food restaurants located all over the world. Burger King has more than 11,100 restaurants in more than 65 countries.KFC is located in 25 countries.Subway is one of the fastest growing franchises in the world with approximately 39,129 restaurants in 90 countries as of May 2009, the first non-US location opening in December 1984 in Bahrain. Pizza Hut is located in 97 countries, with 100 locations in China.Taco Bell has 278 restaurants located in 14 countries besides the United States.

BUSINESS IN FAST FOOD

The fast food had given people  a great source of income thousands of people in India and worldwide earn there living through fast food business.Even big firms like Mc donald's, KFC, Dominos, Pizza Hut and many more are running big business in food industry and providing jobs to thousands of people across the globe. In U.S.A alone consumers spent US$110 billion alone on fast food and its expected to increase by 5% every year. likewise KFC makes a revenue of US$520 million (in year 2007) , Mc Donald's make a revenue of US$ 7.43 billion(in year 2010), Dominos makes a revenue of US$1.4billion  every year and so on.
Even the fast food is not that food for health, but its market is increasing world wide, even in India the people over here are shifting towards western style of living , so people over here are also preferring western breakfat.
Hence,fast food is contributing in every country's economy and giving a mass employment worldwide.

FAST FOOD IN INDIA

The fast food industry in India has evolved with the changing lifestyles of the young Indian population. The sheer variety of gastronomic preferences across the regions, hereditary or acquired, has brought about different modules across the country. It may take some time for the local enterprise to mature to the level of international players in the field.

Many of the traditional dishes have been adapted to suit the emerging fast food outlets. The basic adaptation is to decrease the processing and serving time. For example, the typical meal which called for being served by an ever alert attendant is now offered as a Mini-Meal across the counter. In its traditional version, a plate or a banana leaf was first laid down on the floor or table. Several helpers then waited on the diner, doling out different dishes and refilling as they got over in the plate.

In the fast food version, a plate already arranged with a variety of cooked vegetables and curries along with a fixed quantity of rice and Indian flatbreads is handed out across the counter against a prepaid coupon. The curries and breads vary depending on the region and local preferences. The higher priced ones may add a sweet to the combination. Refills are generally not offered.

The diversity of Indian cuisine poses logistical problems when it comes to handling. Hence it is common to serve different cuisines at different counters within the same premises. Presence of a large vegetarian population, who eschew non-vegetarian food, has given rise to outlets which exclusively serve vegetarian fast food. Also, different variety of food may be served depending on the times of the day. Beverages such coffee, tea, soft drinks and fruit juices may also be served in such outlets. Some outlets may additionally have specially designed counters for gol gappe , chaats etc.

Popular formats of fast food business in India have the following features in common:

• Wide opening on the road side
• Easy to maintain and durable décor
• A cash counter where food coupons are sold
• A food delivery counter which invariably is granite topped
• Additional counters for Ice Creams, Chaats, Beverages etc.
• A well fitted kitchen located so as to be visible to the customers
• Tall tables, usually of stainless steel, where one can eat while standing
• A drinking water fountain adorned with a water filter

• Rust-proof and non-breakable crockery

Fast food of india are 

• Idlis – Rice Idli, Rava Idli
• Vadas 
• Dosas 

• Soup
• Pakoras
• Chinese food
• Pasta
• Burgers
• Rolls
• Samosa
• Patties
• Bread pakoda
• Milkshakes
• Salads
• Momos
• Sandwich
• kulcha
• Pao bhaji

FAST FOOD IN U.K.

In areas which had access to coastal or tidal waters, 'fast food' would frequently include local shellfish or seafood, such as oyster or, as in London, eel. Often this seafood would be cooked directly on the quay or close by.^[5] The development of trawler fishing in the mid nineteenth century would lead to the development of a British favourite fish and chips.

British fast food had considerable regional variation. Sometimes the regionality of dish became part of the culture of its respective area.

The content of fast food pies has varied, with poultry (such as chickens) or wildfowl commonly being used. After World War II, turkey has been used more frequently in fast food.

A British form of fast food is the sandwich, popularised by John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich in 1762 when he wrapped dried meat in bread so as not to interrupt his work or his gambling . The sandwich has similarities in other cuisines and cultures such as the filled baguettes popular in France. Despite its wide appeal and consumption in the UK, it is only in recent years that the sandwich in its various forms has been considered to be fast food, initially being promoted as such by niche chains such as Subway and Pret a Manger.

As well as its native forms, the UK has adopted fast food from other cultures, such as pizza (Italian), Chinese noodles, kebab, curry and various other forms of fast foods come from other parts of the Commonwealth of Nations. And further afield. In some areas, imported fast food has become part of both the local, and British culture in general. More recently healthier alternatives to conventional fast food have also emerged.

A 2008 study was conducted worldwide counting the number of fast food restaurants per person. The UK has claimed this title with  Australlia second and the United States third. England alone accounted for 25% of all fast food.

FAST FOOD IN U.S.A.

As automobiles became popular and more affordable following the First World War, drive-in restaurants were introduced. The American company White Castle, founded by Billy Ingram and Walter Anderson in Wichita, Kansas in 1921, is generally credited with opening the second fast food outlet and first hamburger chain, selling hamburgers for five cents each. Walter Anderson had built the first White Castle restaurant in Wichita in 1916, introducing the limited menu, high volume, low cost, high speed hamburger restaurant. Among its innovations, the company allowed customers to see the food being prepared. White Castle was successful from its inception and spawned numerous competitors.
Franchising was introduced in 1921 by A&W Root Beer, which franchised its distinctive syrup. Howard Johnson's first franchised the restaurant concept in the mid-1930s, formally standardizing menus, signage and advertising.
Curb service was introduced in the late 1920s and was mobilized in the 1940s when carhops strapped on roller skates.
The United States has the largest fast food industry in the world, and American fast food restaurants are located in over 100 countries. Approximately 2 million U.S. workers are employed in the areas of food preparation and food servicing including fast food in the USA.