Many strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) live in the intestines of mammals, including humans, and are harmless. The strain known as E. coli 0157:H7, however, causes severe intestinal symptoms in humans, including bloody diarrhea. In the worst case, E. coli 0157:H7 can lead to hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). In a person with HUS, red blood cells are destroyed and the kidneys cease to function, which can result in death. Schlosser explains that conditions in meatpacking plants across the nation and the mass-production of food have combined to create optimal conditions for this bacteria.

According to Schlosser, this is “a mistaken belief that what seems good for an individual will still be good when others do the same” (119). Schlosser uses the term to describe how farmers and ranchers adopted techniques that would ultimately cause the demise of their businesses. In the case of ranchers, injecting cattle with hormones would make them bigger and ideally more profitable; however, this was not the case. Instead, because they produced bigger cattle, the bulk price meant lower yield than natural cattle.

A franchise is a contractual arrangement between a corporation and a person who operates a store that represents the corporation’s brand. Fast food franchises are a common example.