Salt Sugar Fat

by Michael Moss

  440 “People are starting to complain” Graham MacGregor to author. MacGregor chairs an advocacy group, Consensus Action on Salt and Health. See L. A. Wyness et al., “Reducing the Population’s Intake: The U.K. Food Standards Agency’s Salt Reduction Programme,” Public Health Nutrition 15, no. 2 (2011): 254–261.

  441 “Salt really changes” John Kepplinger to author; Michael Moss, “The Hard Sell on Salt,” The New York Times, May 30, 2010.

  442 Kraft sent me a series I’m grateful to the dining section staff of The New York Times, who joined me in tasting and evaluating this lower-salt ham.

  443 “We often fall off a cliff” Russell Moroz to author; Moss, “Hard Sell on Salt.”

  444 reported a litany “Proposals to Revise the Voluntary Salt Reduction Targets: Consultation Response Summaries,” Food Standards Agency, London.

  445 “Have stopped short” Ibid. A review of the U.K. salt reduction efforts was undertaken by the consulting firm Leatherhead Food Research, which suggested that numerous manufacturers were hitting some walls in attempting to lower the sodium in their foods. However, consumer advocates, including Graham MacGregor, believe that more reductions will be attainable as the public’s preference for salty taste is lowered. Rachel Wilson et al., “Evaluation of Technological Approaches to Salt Reduction,” Leatherhead Food Research, 2012.

  446 “If we reach these goals” Author transcript of press conference.

  447 One look at the guidelines “National Salt Reduction Initiative Packaged Food Categories and Targets,” New York City Health Department.

  448 volunteered only their easiest foods “NSRI Corporate Commitments and Comments,” New York City Health Department.

  449 scientific journal reviewer These journal reviews are highly confidential, undisclosed even to the study authors being reviewed. I thank the reviewer for sharing these comments with me. In response, Campbell said that the study was unrelated to the sodium content of its juice and that it believed the vegetables claim remained valid.

  450 Their recent achievements Data supplied by Campbell to author.

  451 “The reality is” George Dowdie to author.

  452 “The question has been” Ibid.

  453 “Sodium reduction is important” Maria Panaritis, “New Campbell’s CEO: Just Add Salt,” Philadelphia Inquirer, July 13, 2011; Martinne Geller, “Campbell Stirs Things Up,” Reuters, July 15, 2011. A week later, Campbell said that it remained committed to reducing the sodium in its products. “It’s vital we provide people with a choice,” Denise Morrison, the incoming CEO, said in the company’s public release. “Campbell Continues to Provide Consumers with an Array of Lower-sodium Choices,” Business Wire, July 20, 2011.

  454 “We look for future results” Martinne Geller, “Campbell Adds Salt to Spur Soup Sales,” Reuters, July 12, 2011.

  Chapter 14: “I Feel So Sorry for the Public”

  455 men in the eastern part Jaakko Tuomilehto et al., “Sodium and Potassium Excretion in a Sample of Normotensive and Hypertensive Persons in Eastern Finland,” Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health 34 (1980): 174–178.

  456 a dramatic effect Heikki Karppanen and Eero Mervaala, “Sodium Intake and Hypertension,” Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases 49, no. 2 (2006): 59–75. Pirjo Pietinen, “Finland’s Experiences in Salt Reduction,” National Institute for Health and Welfare, 2009.

  457 “He was very much disturbed” Karppanen to author.

  458 “people get addicted” Robert Lin to author.

  459 “My thinking was that” Ibid.

  460 “Every time a consumer” Robert Lin, “Model for Ideal Snack,” Frito-Lay memo, February 8, 1979.

  461 “We fed them a potato chip” Robert Lin to author.

  462 “We wanted to confirm” Ibid.

  463 the organization has forced The Center for Science in the Public Interest makes available its legal actions, including company responses and follow-ups, on its website.

  464 “We’re open to listening” Center for Science in the Public Interest release, August 11, 2005.

  465 “I realized that conventional” Michael Jacobson to author; Moss, “Hard Sell on Salt.”

  466 “Our products are already low” Robert Lin, “Salt,” Frito-Lay memo, March 1, 1978.

  467 A handwritten document I am grateful to Robert Lin for sharing, and discussing with me, this document, which provides a detailed record of Frito-Lay’s scientific activities on salt.

  468 employee newsletter Frito Bandwagon, undated. The hearings were held by the Select Committee on GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) Substances.

  469 “From a strategic point of view” Robert Lin, “ ‘Calcium Anti-Hypertension’ Campaign,” Frito-Lay memo, January 28, 1982.

  470 finally responded to Jacobson’s petition “GRAS Safety Review of Sodium Chloride,” FDA, June 18, 1982.

  471 Normally, the panel’s recommendation Michael Taylor, “FDA Regulation of Added Salt under the Food Additives Amendment of 1958: Legal Framework and Options,” presented at Information Gathering Workshop, Committee on Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake, Institute of Medicine, March 30, 2009.

  472 “The salt people, especially” Sanford Miller to author; Moss, “Hard Sell on Salt.”

  473 “We were trying to balance” William Hubbard to author. Ibid.

  474 “When I see salty food” Robert Lin to author.

  475 “Anyone who designs a product” Robert Lin, “Consumer Research,” Frito-Lay memo on agenda for company meeting with Greg Novak of R. J. Reynolds as a speaker, August 12, 1981.

  476 go down in flames “Oops! Marketers Blunder Their Way Through the ‘Herb Decade,’ ” Advertising Age, February 13, 1989.

  477 “In fact, as those people aged” Dwight Riskey to author.

  478 eating more salty snacks Gary Jacobson, “How Frito-Lay Stays in the Chips: Company Profile,” Management Review, December 1, 1989; Gary Levin, “Boomers Leave a Challenge,” Advertising Age, July 8, 1991; “Monday Memo,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, August 2, 1993.

  479 Stuffers in a new light Christine Donahue, “Marketers Return to Product Testing,” Adweek, May 4, 1987.

  480 Enrico who sunk New Coke Enrico and Kornbluth, Other Guy Blinked.

  481 Enrico would deploy Dwight Riskey to author.

  482 “They had very high quality” Ibid.

  483 “This … is one of the most” Steven Witherly to author.

  484 formidable research complex Robert Johnson, “Marketing in the ’90s: In the Chips at Frito Lay, the Consumer Is an Obsession,” Wall Street Journal, March 22, 1991.

  485 “If we can do for our category” Jacobson, “How Frito-Lay Stays.”

  486 chips performed poorly Jane Dornbusch, “Flavor In, ’lites out; Low-Fat Products Lose Appeal; No Heavy Demand for ‘Lite’ Foods,” Boston Herald, June 23, 1993.

  487 Levels dipped Randolph Schmid, “Group Finds Little Change in Salt Content of Processed Foods,” Associated Press, February 12, 1986; “Who Makes the Best Potato Chip?” Consumer Reports, June 1991; “Those New Light Snack Foods: When Marketers Call Their Chips ‘Light,’ They Must Mean Weight, Fat Content Remains High,” Consumer Reports, September 1991.

  488 he found that they averaged Lin, “Salt.”

  489 When it came to snacks, however Mike Esterl, and Valerie Bauerlein, “PepsiCo Wakes Up and Smells the Cola: Criticized for Taking Eye Off Ball and Focusing on Healthy Foods, Company Plans Summer Ad Splash,” Wall Street Journal, June 28, 2011.

  490 a two-day meeting A transcript of this meeting, which began on March 22, 2010, was provided by Fair Disclosure Wire.

  491 “The big thing that will happen here” Ibid. In response to my questions about the investor presentation and the company’s strategies, a company spokeswoman said, “PepsiCo has a broad portfolio of food and beverage brands consumers love, and our strategy is designed to grow all parts of our business. One of the ways we’ve always grown our business is by adapting our portfolio to meet the changing ne
eds and desires of consumers. In response to stronger consumer demand for snacks with less sodium and beverages with less sugar, we’ve developed and launched products that give consumers these options. We’ve also built an attractive lineup of health and wellness brands in growing categories like dairy, juice, whole grains and sports nutrition. We believe that offering consumers a wide range of choices that provide great taste, convenience and value will continue to drive PepsiCo’s success.”

  492 famous in industry circles Many of Dichter’s speeches, papers, and other writing are archived at the Hagley Museum and Library, Wilmington, Delaware.

  493 “It was just waiting” Alvin Hampel to author.

  494 the latest results Dariush Mozaffarian et al., “Changes in Diet and Lifestyle and Long-Term Weight Gain in Women and Men,” New England Journal of Medicine 364, no. 25 (2011): 2392–2404.

  495 “The starch is readily absorbed” Eric Rimm to author.

  Epilogue: “We’re Hooked on Inexpensive Food”

  496 largest food manufacturer “Nestlé’s Stellar Performance Tops Our Annual Ranking,” Food Processing, August 3, 2009.

  497 the “Billionaire Brands Treasury” “Vision, Action, Value Creation,” Nestlé Research, 2010, 26.

  498 “is a Swiss bank that prints food” Steven Witherly to author.

  499 a remarkable invention See Nestlé’s WIPO patent application, No. WO/2012/089676. Citing competitive reasons, the company declined to elaborate on this work.

  500 “Obesity is not just for humans” “Vision, Action, Value Creation,” 29.

  501 so much fiber Nestlé was able to show that a fiber-enriched yogurt would make one feel fuller than water crackers, which it detailed in the study. E. Almiron-Roig et al., “Impact of Some Isoenergetic Snacks on Satiety and Next Meal Intake in Healthy Adults,” Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics 22 (2009): 469–474. But Erkner and other Nestlé officials emphasized that these findings were limited and should be viewed with caution. They cited the more sobering view of fiber and satiety in another Nestlé-funded study on fiber: Holly Willis et al., “Increasing Doses of Fiber Do Not Influence Short-Term Satiety or Food Intake and Are Inconsistently Linked to Gut Hormone Levels,” Food and Nutrition Research 54 (2010).

  502 “calorie burner” “New Enviga Proven to Burn Calories,” BevNet, October 11, 2006.

  503 They took one look Center for Science in the Public Interest, letter dated December 4, 2006, to Coca-Cola and Nestlé; “Center for Science in the Public Interest v. The Coca-Cola Company, Nestlé, Beverage Partners Worldwide,” U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, 1:07cv539, filed February 1, 2007.

  504 arguably one of the unhealthiest The online nutrition service Calorie Count awards the Pepperoni & Three Cheese Calzone Hot Pocket a D+; most of the varieties receive Cs and Ds.

  505 Nestlé, in response Nestlé spokeswoman in email to author. “The brand delivered good tasting products in a very convenient and portable manner; we believed this benefit would grow in importance as millennials led the way towards more casual, less formal meals. The brand appealed mostly to males but provided us with a platform to meet evolving needs (we’ve since added breakfast items, expanded our Lean Pockets range and introduced Hot Pockets Snackers). Consumer research has helped us define what products make sense for this brand. While the core consumer initially is attracted to Hot Pockets, the additional benefits of Lean Pockets make it his choice as he ages. And the younger male in need of a satisfying sandwich is often still reliant on mom, the gatekeeper to the freezer (because she’s the shopper). Her longer list of nutritional interests again leads to Lean Pockets.”

  506 Every year, two hundred thousand obese Jonathan Treadwell et al., “Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Bariatric Surgery for Pediatric Obesity,” Annals of Surgery 248, no. 5 (2008): 763–776; Malcolm Robinson, “Surgical Treatment of Obesity: Weighing the Facts,” New England Journal of Medicine 361 (2009): 520–521.

  507 “Many of these people” Hillary Green to author.

  508 the only indulgence Louis Cantarell to author.

  509 “This put special pressures” Marion Nestle to Gabe Johnson, The New York Times, in unpublished video interview.

  510 its annual confab I am grateful to the conference sponsor, Beverage Digest, for allowing me to attend.

  511 “a bit of a wimp” Geoffrey Bible to author.

  512 “We’re hooked on inexpensive food” James Behnke to author.

  513 “Clearly, processed sugar” Nora Volkow to author.

  514 “When a lot of us grew up” Michael Lowe to author.

  515 “It’s behavioral” Steve Comess to author.

  516 riddled with corner stores I am grateful to Sandy Sherman and Brianna Almaguer Sandoval of the Food Trust organization for being generous with their time in showing me their ongoing success in encouraging corner store owners in Philadelphia to sell healthier foods, including fresh fruits and vegetables, and to Gary Foster of the Center for Obesity Research and Education, Temple University, Philadelphia, for discussing his research on corner store and school food. See, for example, Gary Foster et al., “A Policy-Based School Intervention to Prevent Overweight and Obesity,” Pediatrics 121 (2008): e794–e802.

  517 “It’s like somebody is saying” Gabe Johnson and Michael Moss, “Food Fight,” a New York Times video, March 27, 2011.

  518 “I need you to go” Amelia Brown to author; Gabe Johnson and Michael Moss, “Food Fight.” Michael Moss, “Philadelphia School Battles Students’ Bad Eating Habits, on Campus and Off,” New York Times, March 27, 2011.

  519 “Candy?” McKinley Harris to author. Ibid.

  selected bibliography

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  Bender, Marilyn. At The Top. New York: Doubleday, 1975.

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  Bruce, Scott, and Bill Crawford. Cerealizing America: The Unsweetened Story of American Breakfast Cereal. Winchester, MA: Faber and Faber, 1995.

  Bucher, Anne, and Melanie Villines. The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Cheese. Northfield, IL: Kraft Foods, 2005.

  Congressional Research Service. “Background on Sugar Policy Issues.” Washington, DC: Congressional Research Service, 2007.

  Corts, Kenneth S. The Ready-to-Eat Breakfast Cereal Industry in 1994. Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing, 1995.

  Critser, Greg. Fat Land: How Americans Became the Fattest People in the World. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 2003.

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  Enrico, Roger, and Jesse Kornbluth. The Other Guy Blinked: And Other Dispatches from the Cola Wars. New York: Bantam, 1986.

  Ensminger, Audrey H., et al., eds. Foods and Nutrition Encyclopedia. Clovis, CA: Pegus Press, 1983.

  Federal Trade Commission. “Marketing Food to Children and Adolescents: A Review of Industry Expenditures, Activities, and Self-Regulation.” Washington, DC: Federal Trade Commission, 2008.

  Gerson, Ben. “Taking the Cake.” Boston: Harvard Business Review, 2004.

&
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  Hays, Constance L. The Real Thing: Truth and Power at the Coca-Cola Company. New York: Random House, 2004.

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  Institute of Medicine. “Alliances for Obesity Prevention: Finding Common Ground—Workshop Summary.” Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, 2012.

  ______. “Examination of Front-of-Package Nutrition Rating Systems and Symbols.” Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, 2010.

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  ______. “Preventing Childhood Obesity: Health in the Balance.” Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, 2004.

  ______. “Progress in Preventing Childhood Obesity: How Do We Measure Up?” Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, 2006.

  ______. “Strategies to Reduce Sodium Intake in the United States.” Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, 2010.

  ______. “Weight Management: State of the Science and Opportunities for Military Programs.” Washington, DC: Institute of Medicine, 2003.

  Jacobson, Michael F. Eater’s Digest: The Consumer’s Factbook of Food Additives. Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1972.