Fast Food: Sub Par Employees Mean Sub Par Taste?

 

Fast food doesn't taste as good as it used to? Not one decent eatery in North Florence or on Woodward Avenue? One of our regular food critics opines it's because we're all getting older. Here's her thoughts:

Taste is one of the five senses that allows us to experience the world around us. It is essential for our enjoyment of food and drink, and it also plays a role in our overall health and well-being. Unfortunately, taste can diminish with age.

There are a number of factors that can contribute to diminishing taste in older adults. One factor is a decrease in the number of taste buds. Taste buds are the sensory receptors that detect the five basic tastes: sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and umami (savory). As we age, we lose taste buds, which can make it more difficult to taste food.

Another factor that can affect taste in older adults is a decrease in saliva production. Saliva helps to dissolve food and carry taste molecules to the taste buds. Older adults often produce less saliva, which can make it difficult to taste food.

Medications can also affect taste. Many medications have side effects that can alter the sense of taste. For example, some medications can cause a metallic taste in the mouth, while others can make food taste bland.

Finally, certain medical conditions can also affect taste. For example, diabetes, cancer, and Parkinson's disease can all alter the sense of taste.

Diminishing taste can have a number of negative consequences for older adults. It can make it difficult to eat and enjoy food, which can lead to weight loss and malnutrition. It can also make it difficult to taste food for spoilage, which can increase the risk of food poisoning.

There are a number of things that older adults can do to cope with diminishing taste. One is to eat a variety of foods. This will help to ensure that they are getting all of the nutrients they need, even if they are not able to taste all of the flavors in their food.

Another thing that older adults can do is to use spices and herbs to enhance the flavor of their food. Spices and herbs can add a lot of flavor to food without adding a lot of calories or fat.

Finally, older adults who are concerned about their sense of taste should talk to their doctor. The doctor may be able to suggest ways to improve taste, such as changing medications or treating underlying medical conditions.

That's all certainly possible. Our take? If you can't get an employee to take an order correctly at McDonald's, if half the KFC workers are homeless, if Taco Bell employees take naps in the cooler...just why do you think your food from these establishments will taste good? Why do you think it won't be overcooked? Why do you think it will be anywhere close to edible?

If owners are paying $14.00 to 15.00 an hour for counter help and the food is still sub par, perhaps we all need to start taking a few trips down the Walmart frozen food aisle. What we nuke at home can't be any worse than most of the budget windows we patronize now.

Shoalanda & Cherry