“People could point to these things and say, ‘They’ve got too much sugar, they’ve got too much salt,’ ” Bible said. “Well, that’s what the consumer wants, and we’re not putting a gun to their head to eat it. That’s what they want. If we give them less, they’ll buy less, and the competitor will get our market. So you’re sort of trapped.”
This is an excerpt of a fascinating New York Times article called “The Extraordinary Science of Junk Food“, which showcases the length companies go to in order to find the perfect snack – the perfect mouthfeel of a chip, the best combination of sugar, fat and salt to make stopping to eat as difficult as possible, and the illusive vanishing caloric density – that feeling cheetos have of melting in your mouth? According to food scientist Steven Witherly, this tricks your brain into thinking they don’t have any calories, so you can keep on eating them forever.
The dedication of food companies to provide us with exactly what we want is impressively demonstrated by the example of Frito-Lay, whose research complex near Dallas employs nearly 500 chemists, psychologists and technicians with a research budget of up to $30 million a year.
Image by TheFoodJunk, via Flickr Creative Commons.
In the ongoing debate about who is to blame for the escalating obesity crisis in the US and elsewhere, the above mentioned quote goes to the heart of the argument – is the food industry just meeting consumers’ demands, as is its role in the food market, or can it be responsible for the increasingly unhealthy eating habits of the general public? This issue has been battled over for years, with eight obese teenagers filing a lawsuit against McDonald’s in the early 2000s, claiming they didn’t know how unhealthy a daily diet of fast food was and making the company responsible for their overweight and health problems (after circling through courts for years, however, it was voluntarily dismissed by both parties in 2011).
Now, with more science emerging that we might be wired by evolution to prefer energy-dense sweet and high-fat foods for survival reasons, it might be interesting to ask – is it still solely the consumer’s responsibility to resist the intense advertising campaigns and the scientifically calculated formulas for the most addictive snacks, and just to demand healthier food which companies will then furnish him? This is one solution of the industry to the obesity crisis, and the provision of low-calorie versions of mealtime favorites has increasingly become another profitable alternative for companies.
However, another topic the article touched on (and which warrants a blog post in itself) was that one of the newer revelations of the industry for successful sales was to “put the kids in charge” and market to children directly. As a consequence, a 2007 study found that out of 8,854 food ads directed at children, most ads were for products that according to nutritionists and government agencies should be consumed either in moderation, occasionally, or in small portions, and none of the ads promoted fruit and vegetable consumption. Can we expect the same rationality and understanding about nutrition from children as we do from adults? How does this shift in marketing influence families’ consumption habits now and, even more importantly, the next generations’ perception of and demand for healthy foods?
Closing with a last quote from the New York Times article, this one might show the mindset of at least part of the industry, according to Bob Drane, the former Vice-President of new business strategy and development of Oscar Mayer, a producer of processed meats that has since merged with Kraft Foods. Today, he gives talks to University of Wisconsin medical students linking the food industry and public health:
What do University of Wisconsin M.B.A.’s learn about how to succeed in marketing?” his presentation to the med students asks. “Discover what consumers want to buy and give it to them with both barrels. Sell more, keep your job! How do marketers often translate these ‘rules’ into action on food? Our limbic brains love sugar, fat, salt. . . . So formulate products to deliver these. Perhaps add low-cost ingredients to boost profit margins. Then ‘supersize’ to sell more. . . . And advertise/promote to lock in ‘heavy users.’ Plenty of guilt to go around here!”
Have you seen the film Our Daily Bread? The responses to this article reminded me of the responses to that film; people were appalled and deeply uncomfortable although it was just showing the food system that we’ve created. It could almost be interpreted as a celebration of efficiency (or, in the case of this article, the scientific advancement) of the food system- and yet the people who read/watch them tend to be upset by them. I feel like that says a lot about industrial food- if you’re not upset then you’re not paying attention.
I love your blog, by the way! It’s good to see someone else out there writing about food policy.
Yes, I remember watching Our Daily Bread as a Poli Sci undergrad before I decided to focus on food policy, and it was really eye-opening (in making that vague notion that all agriculture doesn’t look like the happy-farmer advertisement concrete). I agree with your comment that “if you’re not upset then you’re not paying attention”, and the horsemeat scandal here in Europe (and subsequent public outcry) is yet another example of how the reality of our industrialized and interwoven food system is only slowly being picked up on and understood by the general public – though I also have to remind myself that while my and my fellow students have chosen this study focus, we cannot expect that everybody has this kind of background and deep interest in the matter… All the more reason to engage in awareness-raising and information-disseminating activities!
I find your blog really thought-provoking as well, I’ll have to go back through your archives! Good luck finishing up your thesis! What’s it about in particular?
Reading some of your older posts! Great to see you have issues surrounding the obesity crisis as part of your blog. This has been super interesting to read. I’m majoring in Exercise and Sport Science at the moment, which deals heavily with nutrition and lifestyle choices of the individual (what we eat, how much [or little] we exercise, etc.), as well as attempting to change the outlook of those regarding these matters. Keep this up!
Thank you for your comments, Nina! I’d love to hear more from your viewpoint – I haven’t studied a lot of psychology and individual life style choices, but I think it’s fascinating – especially when the issue of individual freedom vs. health care costs/improvement of life quality comes up. You might like the issue on the soda ban as well =)
Reblogged this on WORLD WANDERER and commented:
This reblog touches on the notion of junk-food companies manipulating doses of sugar, fat and salt in order to make us keep wanting and eating. There is also a link to ‘The Extraordinary Science of Junk Food’ which provides an in-depth look into how the ‘perfect’ junk-food is manufactured.