Ten. Acquired Kraft in 1988, engineering mac and cheese for craveability.
Nine. Nabisco Oreos got tobacco’s bliss point for addictive sweetness.
Eight. Lunchables from Oscar Mayer hooked kids with salt-sugar-fat combos.
Seven. Philip Morris boosted Hawaiian Punch with hyper-palatable flavors.
Six. R.J. Reynolds’ Kool-Aid used mascots for sugary kid appeal.
Five. Cereals like Frosted Flakes added BHT for endless snacking.
Four. Pop-Tarts got artificial dyes for irresistible taste.
Three. Skittles’ dyes came from tobacco’s flavor labs.
Two. Wheat Thins preserved with BHT for crave loops.
One. Bliss point tactics made 68% of US diet hyper-palatable.
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10 Ways
Big Tobacco
Made Our favorite foods!
A 2023 Washington Post article explores the concept of hyperpalatable foods, which are engineered to be irresistibly tasty and potentially addictive, drawing parallels to the tobacco industry’s tactics. These foods, high in sugar, fat, and salt, trigger the brain’s reward system, encouraging overconsumption and contributing to obesity and related health issues. Research from the University of Kansas highlights how food companies, similar to tobacco companies, have optimized products to maximize appeal and consumption, often using precise combinations of ingredients to make them difficult to resist. The Washington Post news article notes that while some experts argue these foods meet criteria for addiction akin to drugs, more research is needed.
Studies show that hyperpalatable foods dominate the U.S. food supply, with over 60% of supermarket products fitting this profile, making it challenging for consumers to avoid them. Unlike tobacco, however, food is essential, complicating regulatory efforts. Proposed solutions include clearer nutrition labeling and public health campaigns, but critics argue these measures may not suffice against the industry’s sophisticated tactics. The debate continues over whether to treat hyperpalatable foods as addictive substances, with calls for more research and policy action to address their impact on public health.
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