Author: Michael Moss
This is a well-written book that takes a look inside the packages of processed foods that America has been consuming for the last several decades. I am sure it is no surprise to anyone reading this book that we have an abundance of "Salt, Sugar and Fat" in everything we consume today. What may not be so evident is why exactly does the food industry continue to put vast amounts of these basic ingredients despite the widespread awareness that they are bad for our health.
Michael Moss has interviewed several scientists and executives from the food industry and what surprised me most was how many of them acknowledged that they were aware of the consequences of the products that they were selling. However, it is clear from reading the book that it was not the consumer's health, but rather the consumer's wallet that the food industry is after. This is to be expected as the primary role of a company is to maximize the return to its shareholders and most people will not buy something that does not taste good even if it promised to be more healthy than the alternatives.
When you read this book you will identify with several trends and marketing campaigns that the food giants have been plying us with. One interesting one for me was how Kraft effectively incorporated cheese into the everyday diet of americans with products like "macaroni and cheese", "toppings on pizza" and others. Cheese is loaded with fat, and it is certainly not good for us in large quantities, but there hasn't been any major campaign to restrict the cheese in our diets.
Another eye-opener for me was discovering the reason why a lot of processed food is high in salt. Apparently when meat is cooked and refrigerated it develops a "warmed over flavor" that is evident when it is subsequently reheated. This flavor is "cardboard" and even "damp dog hair" and is the bane of the processed food industry. While some preservatives may inhibit the chemical process that results in this flavor, a high dose of salt effectively masks it in many cases.
This is a great book that provides a balanced view of the food industry and their battles with three of the most basic ingredients in prepared foods.
This is a well-written book that takes a look inside the packages of processed foods that America has been consuming for the last several decades. I am sure it is no surprise to anyone reading this book that we have an abundance of "Salt, Sugar and Fat" in everything we consume today. What may not be so evident is why exactly does the food industry continue to put vast amounts of these basic ingredients despite the widespread awareness that they are bad for our health.
Michael Moss has interviewed several scientists and executives from the food industry and what surprised me most was how many of them acknowledged that they were aware of the consequences of the products that they were selling. However, it is clear from reading the book that it was not the consumer's health, but rather the consumer's wallet that the food industry is after. This is to be expected as the primary role of a company is to maximize the return to its shareholders and most people will not buy something that does not taste good even if it promised to be more healthy than the alternatives.
When you read this book you will identify with several trends and marketing campaigns that the food giants have been plying us with. One interesting one for me was how Kraft effectively incorporated cheese into the everyday diet of americans with products like "macaroni and cheese", "toppings on pizza" and others. Cheese is loaded with fat, and it is certainly not good for us in large quantities, but there hasn't been any major campaign to restrict the cheese in our diets.
Another eye-opener for me was discovering the reason why a lot of processed food is high in salt. Apparently when meat is cooked and refrigerated it develops a "warmed over flavor" that is evident when it is subsequently reheated. This flavor is "cardboard" and even "damp dog hair" and is the bane of the processed food industry. While some preservatives may inhibit the chemical process that results in this flavor, a high dose of salt effectively masks it in many cases.
This is a great book that provides a balanced view of the food industry and their battles with three of the most basic ingredients in prepared foods.
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