During McDonald’s early years French fries were made from scratch every day. Fresh potatoes are peeled, cut into strings, and fried in the 67. ______. kitchens. With the chain expanded nationwide, in the mid-1960s, it sought 68. ______. to cut labor costs, reduce number of suppliers, and ensure that its fries 69. ______. tasted the same at every restaurant. McDonald’s began switching from frozen French fries in 1996, and few 70. ______. customers notice the difference. But the change had a profound effect on the nation’s agriculture and diet. A familiar food had been transmitted into a 71. ______. highly processed industrial commodity. McDonald’s fries now come from huge manufacturing plant that can process two million pounds of potatoes a 72. ______. day. The expansion of McDonald’s and the popularity of its mass-producing, 73. ______. low-cost fries changed the way how Americans eat. 74. ______. The taste of McDonald’s French fries played a crucial role in the chain’s success-fries are much less profitable than hamburgers, and was long 75. ______. praised by customers, competitors, and even food critics. Their special taste does not come from the kind of potatoes McDonald’s buy or the technology 76. ______. that processes them. The taste is determined by the cooking oil. The mixture of 7% cottonseed oil and 93% beef fat gave the fries its unique 77. ______. flavor.