Tomacco: How Big Tobacco's Influence Created Unhealthy and Addictive Food Products in America

Did Big Tobacco shape America's junk food addiction? Keep reading to learn how cigarette giants influenced processed food & made it harder to resist.

In a recent news conference addressing inflated grocery prices in America, I observed a table laden with popular processed and ultra-processed foods. This display prompted me to investigate the connections between these food products and their corporate owners. To my surprise, many of these brands were once owned by major tobacco companies, notably Philip Morris and R.J. Reynolds.

The Foray of Big Tobacco into the Addictive Food Industry

During the 1980s, major tobacco companies diversified their portfolios by adding leading food manufacturers. These strategic acquisitions allowed tobacco giants to dominate significant segments of the American food industry, leveraging their expertise in consumer behavior to maximize profits.

Here are two key players:

• Philip Morris:

  • In 1985, Philip Morris acquired General Foods, bringing brands like Maxwell House, Jell-O, and Post cereals under its umbrella.

  • In 1988, it purchased Kraft for $12.9 billion, merging it with General Foods to form Kraft General Foods, which included brands like Oscar Mayer Meats and Miracle Whip.

    
    

• R.J. Reynolds:

  • In 1985, R.J. Reynolds merged with Nabisco, adding a range of snack foods, including Oreo cookies and Ritz crackers, to its portfolio.

    
    

These acquisitions positioned tobacco companies as major players in the food industry, influencing everything from production to marketing strategies.

Applying Tobacco Strategies to Food Products

Tobacco companies have long mastered the art of creating products that deliver precise doses of flavor and incorporate addictive chemicals to ensure consumer dependence. This expertise was repurposed in the food sector, leading to the development of "hyper-palatable" foods, products engineered with specific combinations of fat, sugar, and sodium to stimulate the brain's reward system and encourage over-consumption.

A study published in the journal Addiction highlights how these engineered foods are designed to be irresistible, much like the addictive nature of cigarettes. The deliberate crafting of flavors and textures ensures that consumers find it challenging to limit their intake, leading to habitual consumption patterns.

Moreover, these companies employed aggressive marketing strategies, often targeting children. For instance, Philip Morris developed at least 36 child-tested flavors for its Kool-Aid line, integrating colors with cartoon characters to appeal to younger audiences.

The Impact on Public Health

The infiltration of Big Tobacco into the food industry has had significant implications for public health. The widespread availability and aggressive marketing of hyperpalatable foods have contributed to rising rates of obesity and related health issues in the United States.

A study from the University of Kansas found that between 1988 and 2001, foods produced by tobacco-owned companies were 29% more likely to be classified as hyper-palatable compared to their competitors' products. This deliberate engineering of food products to maximize appeal and consumption mirrors the tactics used in the tobacco industry, where products were designed to foster addiction and ensure a steady customer base.

Conclusion

The convergence of Big Tobacco and the food industry underscores the importance of scrutinizing the origins and manufacturing processes of the foods we consume. Recognizing the deliberate strategies employed to enhance palatability and encourage overconsumption is crucial for making informed dietary choices. As consumers, staying informed and critical of the forces shaping our food environment empowers us to make healthier decisions amidst a landscape often influenced by corporate interests.

For a more in-depth exploration of this topic, you might find the following video by the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute helpful:

References

• University of Kansas. (2023). Study shows food tobacco-owned brands more hyper-palatable than competitors' food. Retrieved from news.ku.edu

• University of Michigan. (n.d.). How Big Tobacco created America’s junk food diet and obesity epidemic. Retrieved from lsa.umich.edu

• UCSF Tobacco Control Archives. (n.d.). Philip Morris’ influence on food industry marketing. Retrieved from tobacco.ucsf.edu

• Wikipedia. (n.d.). Kraft Foods Inc. Retrieved from en.wikipedia.org