Fast food is the term given to many items that can be prepared and served quickly. While any meal with low preparation time can be considered to be fast food, such as TV dinners, typically the term refers to food sold in a restaurant or store which is rapidly prepared and served to the customer in a packaged form for take out/take away.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 to start a fast-food restaurant are relatively small, particularly in areas with non-existent or poorly enforced health codes. Small, individually-owned fast-food restaurants have become common throughout the world. Fast food restaurants with higher sit-in ratios, where customers can sit and have their orders brought to them, are known as fast casual restaurants.

One of Australia's largest food companies had extended an IT oursourcing contract with HP by three years in a $12.3 million agreement.

Australia has warned that it will have to switch off the water supply to the continent's food bowl unless heavy rains break an epic drought - heralding what could be the first climate change-driven disaster to strike a developed nation.

Australia has warned that it will have to switch off the water supply to the continent's food bowl unless heavy rains break an epic drought - heralding what could be the first climate change-driven disaster to strike a developed nation.

FTA: Australia face(s) an "unprecedentedly dangerous" drought, and unless rain falls within weeks irrigation will be cut to the nation's food bowl ... The country's worst drought in 100 years ... has already severely reduced production of major irrigated crops.And this is a country that was AGAINST the Kyoto Protocol. *Rolls eyes*

For the first time, McDonalds meals in Australia will receive the Nation Heart Foundation tick of approval - something normally associated with weight conscious products. 2.7million fast-food meals are bought every day in Aus