By Balford Henry
Senior Reporter
Two young women enjoying fast food.
THE JAMAICAN tradition of eating at least two meals at home is fast disappearing and faster foods are becoming the main diet of thousands of people.
'The Jamaica Survey of Living Conditions 1999', published recently by the Planning Institute of Jamaica (PIOJ), states that the largest proportion of expenditure on Food and Beverages over the last few years went to Meals Away From Home, mainly at fast food restaurants.
And while the Corporate Area of Kingston and St. Andrew, or the Kingston Metropolitan Area (KMA) had the largest proportion of fast food restaurants, stabilising at approximately 38 per cent in recent years, rural areas seem to be catching up fast, moving from 23.4 per cent in 1998 to 26.1 per cent in 1999.
Spokespersons for at least two of the major fast food franchises -- Kentucky Fried Chicken and Burger King -- said they were well aware of the tendency.
According to Donald Baugh, KFC's director, their 18 restaurants, 11 of which are in the Corporate Area, feed about 200,000 persons every week and the figure is increasing every year.
Dianna Blake, Burger King's marketing manager, says her company's restaurants handle about 10,000 customers per week.
And while there is every indication that the figure will continue to grow, with globalisation and flexitime work increasing production hours and days, and limiting cooking time, public health authorities like the World Health Organisation and the Pan American Health Organisation, are warning about getting fatter on fast, greasy foods.
"There has been an increasing tendency, which has stabilised in the past few years, to have meals away from home," says the JSLC.
"This tendency has been associated with the proliferation of fast food franchises across the country. Currently, the largest proportion of expenditure on Food and Beverages goes to Meals Away From Home."
The survey said that the proportion spent by rural areas, which has been increasing for the last 10 years, signalled a change in the pattern of food consumption and preparation.
This is, however, not a Jamaican, but a global tendency, according to KFC's Donald Baugh.
He said that the time spent cooking at home, justifies a fast-food meal as long as the price remains competitive.
"Fast meals are now a form of entertainment at no real extra cost. What we have done is to combine fine eating with competitive fast-food prices and people are encouraged to dine out. You can feel good about yourself at an affordable price," he explained.
According to him, the new Montego Bay KFC restaurant is like a community centre in the town. "Dining out has become a part of our culture. If you don't take your girlfriend to a KFC restaurant you might have a problem."
He says that as long as the prices remain economical, fast foods would continue to hold a strong place in the Jamaican diet. "We have to be able to handle the volume and maintain the quality. If the prices rise too much, we lose the customers."
Mr. Baugh admitted that there had been a recent 7 per cent increase in KFC prices to compensate for general inflation and creeping costs. However, the increases have not affected sales volume.
What amazes Mr. Baugh is how, with this increasing demand for fast foods, indigenous fast-food companies were not utilising local menu and spices. "When Colonel Sanders started KFC in the 1940s, all the spices he used came from the Caribbean."
He said that his company was aware of the WHO/PAHO complaints about obesity and fast foods, but added that attempts internationally by KFC to introduce less fattening specialities, like rotisserie chicken and salads, have not met with the approval expected from customers.
Burger King's Dianna Blake says her company's restaurants take the question of obesity very seriously and use only vegetable oils when necessary. But, BK meals are usually flame-broiled.
She said though, that while there had been increasing sales in terms of breakfast and lunch, dinner sales had not been rising equally.
Explaining the increasing volumes, she suggested:
"People are busier these days and lifestyles are changing and don't allow for going home to cook."
