Salt Sugar Fat wasn't quite what I was expecting, because it's not a history of the processed food industry as a whole. Rather, the book is split into three sections, each concentrated on, respectively, sugar, fat, and salt. Within the sections, Moss dives into specific products and companies, giving us a hodgepodge narrative that is both engaging and informative. This is, I believe, the strength of the book: even though I've already forgotten almost all the details about, say, Dr. Pepper flavor research and the Lunchables production process, the general theme of the book has been stamped into my brain fairly well.
My main takeaway was a clearer view of how little federal regulation food companies are subject to and how intensely misleading their products can often be. Here's an example that particularly struck me: there is something called "fruit juice concentrate," often used in drinks such as Capri Sun so that they can boast of actual fruit as ingredients and a lack of artificial flavors. However, this "fruit juice concentrate," despite the name, is known within the industry as "stripped juice," a juice that has been altered so much from its original state that it is basically pure sugar. Removing this juice from Capri Sun, a former brand manager revealed, would have no effect on the taste.
However minor this one ingredient may be in the grand scheme of things, its usage hit home for me. It made me realize that no matter how carefully a consumer scrutinizes the label, chances are high that we'll still end up, in one way or another, with a false impression of what we're eating.
And that's what's scary, and what I believe makes this book worth reading. Of course I knew going in that processed food is unhealthy and that food giants do their best to keep us eating it regardless. But the specifics of the process -- the development, design, production, and marketing -- are, apart from being frankly interesting, also a reminder of the ongoing struggle over control of our own stomachs that we face today. Each one of us is fighting against the entire food industry, parts of the government, and our own bodies, which all want us to eat junk food until we can't walk. In order to remain (or become) healthy, we must engage the enemy every day, and multiple times at that -- and come out on top. This book is a sneak peek into the other side's tactics, a look at some of their best strategies as well as a history of wars they've already won.
There's more I could talk about, especially the role of the government in all this mess, which Salt Sugar Fat offers a depressing perspective on, but, like, just go read the book.
And bon appetit!
