Michael moss reveals how companies use salt, sugar, and fat to addict us and, more important, how we can fight back. Salt sugar fat is a breathtaking feat of reporting. Michael moss was able to get executives of the worlds largest food companies to admit that they have only one jobto maximize sales and profitsand to reveal how they deliberately entice customers by stuffing their products with salt, sugar, and fat. Many thanks to michael moss for writing this book and for taking the time to share his thoughts with our readers.
Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. How many of those meals are made with natural ingredients. Salt sugar fat summary how many meals do you have a day. If we want to understand the book salt, sugar, fat by michael moss, we have to identify the actors. After the prologue, moss uses the three book sections to explain the role of sugar, fat, and salt and why, for example, the food industry has to use these and other additives in order to achieve the necessary shelf lifeand to capture market share. The average american eats 33 pounds of cheese and 70 pounds of sugar a year, and health experts say those trends triggered the obesity epidemic that has left millions at risk of heart. Praise as a feat of reporting and a public service, salt sugar fat is a remarkable accomplishment. In salt sugar fat, pulitzer prizewinning investigative reporter michael moss shows how every year, the average american eats 33 pounds of cheese and 70 pounds of sugar. Only sugar processors have the brass neck to present it as anything other than an ingredient we would do well to eat as little of as possible, so shining a light on it is most welcome. How the food giants hooked us by moss, michael and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at.
The day i finished salt sugar fat was when the new york supreme court ruled that then mayor michael bloombergs ban on supersized sodas was unconstitutional. The book was published in multiple languages including english, consists of 446 pages and is available in hardcover format. The fat section of salt sugar fat is the most disquieting, for, as moss learns from adam drewnowski, an epidemiologist who runs the center for obesity research at the university of. These three simple ingredients are used by the major food companies to achieve the greatest allure for the lowest possible cost. In the spring of 1999 the heads of the worlds largest processed food companiesfrom cocacola to nabiscogathered at pillsbury headquarters in minneapolis for a secret meeting. In salt sugar fat, pulitzer prizewinning investigative reporter michael moss shows how this happened. It also was a number one new york times bestseller in 20.
Named one of the best books of the year by the atlantic the huffington post mens journal msn u. How the food giants hooked us, a pulitzer prizewinning investigative journalist formerly with the wall street journal and the new york times, a keynote speaker, and a guest on shows like cbs this morning, dr. The main characters of this non fiction, food and drink story are. Moss does credit industry efforts to reduce salt, fat and sugar. Here, pulitzer prizewinning investigative reporter michael moss exposes the practices of some of the most recognisable and profitable companies and brands of the last half century. This is an eyeopening book that demonstrates how the makers of these foods have chosen, time and again, to double.
The author visits the corporate headquarters, scientific research facilities, and marketing departments of major food manufacturers. Moss sees his book as a wakeup call to the issues and tactics at play in the food industry, and it does succeed. How the food giants hooked us, pulitzer prize winning investigative journalist michael moss has laid out the foundation and blueprints of the inevitable future raft of class action lawsuits targeting the food industry for knowingly and scientifically designing products that encourage their overconsumption despite their known and well understood risks. In salt sugar fat, pulitzer prizewinning analytical columnist michael moss shows how we arrived. Salt sugar fat is a book by micheal moss that looks at how the food industry has used three simple ingredients to manipulate the way we eat. Michael moss is an author and pulitzer prizewinning journalist, who has published in the wall street journal and the new york times. The first edition of the novel was published in 20, and was written by michael moss. Interview with michael moss, author of salt sugar fat. Salt, sugar, fat goes into that, but what author michael moss was really concerned with were the inner workings of the processed food industry and how its lured and fooled consumers. Although the book doesnt focus on the obesity epidemic, the relevance is obvious. How the food giants hooked us, author michael moss reflects upon the motivations and practices by the food industry which have transformed the american food supply. As a feat of reporting and a public service, salt sugar fat is a remarkable accomplishment.
How the food giants hooked us, he attempts to explain how the processed food industry has been so successful at increasing its control over us stomach share. With access to confidential files and memos, and numerous sources from deep inside the industry, michael moss shows how. In many ways, the story of this book is about tradeoffs. The book uses the language of addiction liberally soldiers. I too wish to explore the topic of government subsidies in greater detail, but the fact remains that if you walk into a grocery store stuck on autopilot the. How the food giants hooked us, pulitzer prize winning journalist michael moss goes inside the world of. He gives a lengthy account of debates and initiatives that followed phillip morris s purchase of general foods and kraft in the. In the spring of 1999, the heads of the worlds largest processed food companies gathered at pillsbury headquarters in minneapolis for a secret meeting. How the food giants hooked us looks at food manufacturers distortion of the american diet in favor of caloriedense products that maximize bliss. In salt sugar fat, investigative reporter michael moss shows how executives and food scientists at cocacola, kraft, fritolay and nestle are well aware that sugary, fatty and salty foods. In salt sugar fat, pulitzer prizewinning investigative reporter michael moss shows how we ended up here.
How the food giants hooked us, pulitzer prizewinning journalist michael moss goes inside the world of processed and packaged foods. Salt sugar fat summary february 2, 2016 march 28, 2019 niklas goeke self improvement 1sentencesummary. Michael moss uncovers the truth about the food giants that dominate our supermarket shelves and reveals how the makers of processed foods have chosen, time and again, to increase consumption and profits, gambling that consumers and regulators wouldnt figure them out. But this is a minor flaw in a book that should be essential reading for all. From a pulitzer prizewinning investigative reporter at the new york times comes the troubling story of the rise of the processed food industry and how it used salt, sugar, and fat to addict us. Salt, sugar, fat is part business history and part science. Salt sugar fat is a 20 nonfiction book by michael moss. How the food giants hooked us by michael moss published in 20 every year, the average american eats thirtythree pounds of cheese and seventy pounds of sugar.
How the food industry manipulates taste buds with salt. Salt sugar fat is a journey into the highly secretive world of the processed food giants, and the story of how they have deployed these three essential ingredients, over the past five decades, to dominate the north american diet. The new york times investigative reporter michael moss sits down with steve paikin to talk about his book, salt, sugar, and fat. How the food giants hooked us is a book by michael moss published by random house in 20 that won the james beard foundation award. The latter includes courts and ultimately ngos should help to create an appropriate balance.
Featuring examples from kraft, cocacola, lunchables, fritolay, nestle, oreos, capri sun, and many more, moss s explosive, empowering narrative is grounded in meticulous, eyeopening research. There are many perspectives one can take regarding the technological changes. Salt sugar fat, by michael moss the new york times. How the food giants hooked us by moss, michael isbn. He also talks with consumer advocates and other involved parties to understand the ongoing obesity epidemic.
How did you land on salt, sugar, and fat as your way to write about the industry. How the food industry manipulates taste buds with salt sugar fat. Michael moss s salt sugar fat is an exactingly researched, deeply reported work of advocacy journalism tracing the rise of processed food in our culture, explaining how corporations set. Sugar, salt and fat get lumped together in physiological terms as addictive substances.
How the food giants hooked us michael moss cocacola, oreo, kellogs and many more food giants. In their queste of selling processed foods to the masses, their 3 basic ingredients to play with are always the same. These are the nutrients that drive our food cravings and make us beg. In both the us and uk, the characterisation of saturated fat as a dietary. How the food giants hooked us is a book by michael moss published by random house in 20 that won the james beard foundation award for writing and literature in 2014. Salt sugar fat pdf summary michael moss 12min blog. It is an engaging book that dives deep into the history of salt, sugar, and fat.
There are times when moss gets repetitive when he is trying to explain a new concept or idea. What follows is a full executive summary of salt sugar fat. The fat section of salt sugar fat is the most disquieting, for, as moss learns from adam drewnowski, an epidemiologist who runs the center for obesity research at the university of washington. Salt, sugar, fat, michael moss 9780753541470 boeken. Moss profiles the food scientists whom corporations like kellogg and kraft pay to formulate exact combinations of ingredients that. Modern processed food has been around since at least the late 19 th century loc. Salt sugar fat takes you through the history of the demise of homecooked meals by explaining why you love salt, sugar and fat so much and how the processed food industry managed to hook us by cramming all 3 of those into their products. Salt sugar fat is a journey into the highly secretive world of the processed food giants, and the story of how they have deployed these three essential ingredients, over the past five decades, to. Every year, the average american eats 33 pounds of cheese and 70. Burrowing deep inside the big food manufacturers, he discovered how junk food is formulated to make us eat more of it and, he argues persuasively, actually to addict us. How the food giants hooked us traces how these ingredients worked their way into our food in everlarger amounts, not by accident but as part of a concerted effort by food companies to make their products as irresistible and addictive as possible. But the nutrition debate is evolving, and this book is behind the curve. Salt, sugar, fat is an even handed, yet alarming, insider account of just what goes into influencing you to make a purchase.