Food conglomerates and their savage battle for our stomachs.

A recent New York Times investigation into the practices of Big Food (‘The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food’, by Michael Moss) shows the largest food conglomerates engaged in a ‘hyper-engineered, savagely marketed, addiction-creating battle for “stomach share”’. Forget the cupcakes: yoghurt and spaghetti sauces, packaged to look like healthy options, often have just as much sugar. Millions of dollars are spent trying to find their ‘bliss point’ – the optimal amount of sweetness or fat that causes pleasure – without regard for anyone’s health. When the Finnish government required that every grocery item heavy in salt be marked with the warning ‘High Salt Content’, Finland’s per capita salt consumption dropped by a third. Improved access to medical care and a vigorous public education campaign was rewarded with a 75 to 80 per cent drop in deaths from strokes and heart disease.