Salt Sugar Fat

In 1999, in Minneapolis, executives from America’s largest food companies met to address a series of issues, including the sharp increase in obesity that was beginning to sweep through the United States. All the big players were at the table: from Nestlé to Coca Cola, from Mars to Tyson Foods. These billion dollar companies are on a constant quest for new ways to promote their products, seeking strategies that will help them increase their market share, and beat their competitors. As well as the CEOs of the biggest food companies, the suppliers of their main raw materials were also present, namely the salt, sugar and fat producers, whose direct link to the escalation of obesity has been scientifically proven.

When the companies met in 1999, already one quarter of the adult population was obese in America, and the number of obese children was on the rise, having doubled since the 1980s. The food industry was under the microscope of Harvard researchers, heart health groups, the Cancer Society, and the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. These organisations suggested that the food industry work on marketing campaigns which emphasised the importance of exercise and movement, whilst also working to produce healthier foods by reviewing the salt, sugar, and fat content of their recipes. The executives, however, had no intention of making changes to their most successful products, because all they were interested in was pushing sales. The battle between the health organisations and big industry continued to rage behind the scenes. While this was going on, the food giants showed a public display of solidarity and concern, and in many cases even increased the amount of salt, sugar and fat in their biscuits, snacks, and other food products, so as not to lose their market share. They did nothing to seize the opportunity for change, which is why, ten years later, the situation had become even worse.