Salt Sugar Fat

How the Food Giants Hooked Us

By: Michael Moss

Narrated by: Scott Brick

Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins

Publisher's summary

NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY
The Atlantic • The Huffington Post • Men’s Journal • MSN (U.K.) • Kirkus Reviews • Publishers Weekly

NUMBER ONE NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • WINNER OF THE JAMES BEARD FOUNDATION AWARD FOR WRITING AND LITERATURE

From a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter at The New York Times comes the explosive story of the rise of the processed food industry and its link to the emerging obesity epidemic. Michael Moss reveals how companies use salt, sugar, and fat to addict us and, more important, how we can fight back.

In the spring of 1999, the heads of the world’s largest processed food companies gathered at Pillsbury headquarters in Minneapolis for a secret meeting. On the agenda: the emerging epidemic of obesity, and what to do about it.

Increasingly, the salt-, sugar-, and fat-laden foods these companies produced were being linked to obesity, and a concerned Kraft executive took the stage to issue a warning: There would be a day of reckoning unless changes were made. When he was done, the most powerful person in the room - the CEO of General Mills - stood up to speak, clearly annoyed. And by the time he sat down, the meeting was over.

In Salt Sugar Fat, Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter Michael Moss shows how we got here. Featuring examples from some of the most recognizable (and profitable) companies and brands of the last half century - including Kraft, Coca-Cola, Lunchables, Kellogg, Nestlé, Oreos, Cargill, Capri Sun, and many more - Moss’ explosive, empowering narrative is grounded in meticulous, often eye-opening research.

Includes a bonus PDF with endnotes from the book

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2013 Michael Moss (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

"What happens when one of the country’s great investigative reporters infiltrates the most disastrous cartel of modern times: a processed food industry that’s making a fortune by slowly poisoning an unwitting population? You get this terrific, powerfully written book, jammed with startling disclosures, jaw-dropping confessions and, importantly, the charting of a path to a better, healthier future. This book should be read by anyone who tears a shiny wrapper and opens wide. That’s all of us." (Ron Suskind, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Confidence Men: Wall Street, Washington, and the Education of a President)

"In this meticulously researched book, Michael Moss tells the chilling story of how the food giants have seduced everyone in this country. He understands a vital and terrifying truth: that we are not just eating fast food when we succumb to the siren song of sugar, fat, and salt. We are fundamentally changing our lives - and the world around us.” (Alice Waters)

Change your shopping

Will make you ruefully aware of your eating habits and the calculations made by your favorite brands, to keep you coming back. Spoiler: it’s not the companies’ fault.

Eye Opening

Amazing book and is very eye opening to anyone who is looking to peer deeper inside today’s food industry.

Profound

The general ideas in this book are not new to me, especially after living through the hippie days of the '60s and reading Michael Pollan's books, but the specificities and details about the Big Food Processors hit me like a bolt of lightning. I was in rage the whole time I listened to this book. Now the question is how do I oppose, in addition to my own very healthy eating habits, the oppression from the greedy corporations. First -- at least -- I highly recommend that everyone get a heavy-duty blender to combine organic, fresh vegetables and fruits. But there has to be additional ways of opposing processed food giants.

Good information

A bit long but very good. Eye opening information that everyone should be aware of

Interesting book!

I liked this book a lot. I really enjoyed the information about the history of processed foods. Although I'm normally a Scott Brick fan, I have to agree with the other reviewer about his narration of this particular book.It didn't ruin the book for me, but I found it distracting.

Education is key

Anybody reading this book would be encouraged to cut process foods from the diet. It outlines many examples of how salty, sugary, and fatty foods are often addictive and people are generally oblivious to their adverse health affects. The scariest part was the countless examples of foods the claim to be low fat or low salt, giving the impression that they are healthy, when in reality they are not.

Besides the relationship between our health and the food that we eat, the author also outlines marketing practices from the food industry. The bottom line is that the food industry is motivated by making money and will sell/market whatever the general population desires and will buy. In the end, the author pointed to education and individual choices as the key to driving change in an era of overeating and obesity.

This book is a great start to educating yourself on why you should avoid processed foods but it doesn't offer much in the way of what types of food should be consumed and the appropriate portion sizes. Nevertheless, it is insightful (although maybe a little bit repetitive) and was an enjoyable listen!

4.5 stars: Recommended reading to raise awareness

I'm tempted to give 5 stars because I can't find any faults with the book. But I reserve that rating for a book I really loved (for entertainment or educational value) and/or would reference again. I doubt I'll get much from re-reading this one later. That said, I recommend you read it to increase your awareness of what the food manufactures do (I'd say because they have to to make money by giving the consumer what they want - although I'm sure others believe they do it because they're all evil and greedy).

I liked that the author didn't bash the industry or preach not to eat this or that. He just laid out the information (presumably facts) and lets the reader decide what to do about it. I am now more aware and will likely make healthier choices as a result, but I'm not swearing off any foods or ingredients.

The author covers, obviously, Salt, Sugar, & Fat, but also goes into things like how the industry optimizes products based on consumers' tastes as well as cost considerations. He covers products like Dr. Pepper, Kool Aid, and Lunchables. He explains the government's role in the over production of milk and cheese (which then leads to the industry trying to find ways to get us to eat more of the fat... for example 33-35 lbs / yr of cheese for the average American. Mmmm Pizza!

The book seems well researched and covers a breadth of relevant topics, but it's not boring. There are some cool things I learned, like the "bliss point" which is the term where a manufacturer optimizes the sweetness range for consumers to make the product taste the best to most people while not over-spending on sugar.

Oh, one thing the author failed to convince me of is his occasional attempt to create an analogy between salt, sugar, and fat with drug addiction. I'm not saying a person can;t be addicted to food; I'm just saying the author's analogies and points did not provide evidence enough to me to support the claim that sugar is like cocaine and fat is like opium (or whatever it is he said exactly).

I do read food labels and I'm aware of how different foods impact hunger and satiety. I lost a bunch of weight by counting calories and became educated by doing so. I mainly look at fat, carbs (and sugar especially), and protein when I am watching what I eat, but I also have noticed how much salt is in food. It's shocking, given I don't feel like I'm a person who likes salty food. I NEVER add salt to anything, just because I never really liked it or felt anything needed it. BUT I also don't usually think a can of soup or whatever is over salty until I look at the label. It's sneaky and I think often goes under the radar since it has no calories. I also have good blood pressure, so I don't necessarily have a reason to look for it. That said, I know inherently that too much is bad and so I do look to limit my intake when possible. The thing is; it's VERY hard when eating any fast food or packaged/processed food.

And THAT IS THE BIG TAKE-AWAY from this book. Fast Food / Processed Food utilizes these ingredients in a strategic way to sell more and improve the food's shelf-life. So if you want to limit your salt/sugar/fat, then YOU MUST LIMIT YOUR INTAKE of Fast Food / Processed Food.

To close, I recommend the book. I also think that the food industry is where it is because they give the consumer what they are willing to pay for; taste, convenience, low-price. AND because most consumers aren't aware of the health implications. They don't even bother reading the nutrition labels and ingredients most of the time. I support consumer education and then eventually more consumers will "boycott" the "bad" foods and create a demand for "healthful" foods. Then the industry will put their R&D and marketing power behind better solutions. Manufacturers compete based on what's important to consumers.

A call to action.

Would you listen to Salt Sugar Fat again? Why?

Yes. I would listen again much for the same reason one would listen to anything again - go absorb more the second time. The text was so laden with facts and events that it would be worth a second listen.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Salt Sugar Fat?

I think that the looks into executive meetings between multiple food companies were most enticing and informative.

Which character – as performed by Scott Brick – was your favorite?

This is a nonfiction text.

If you could give Salt Sugar Fat a new subtitle, what would it be?

The Illusion of Choice.

I started to eat differently the day I read this.

What did you love best about Salt Sugar Fat?

This is an overall great book. It is a first person review of the history and science behind what the food industry knows about your impulsive tastes and how they use Salt, Sugar and Fat to control an addictive like desire.Once You educate yourself, you can choose whats best for you.

What was the most compelling aspect of this narrative?

The narration was good enough to make me want to remember the words and how it made me feel when I first heard them.

Which scene was your favorite?

The interviews with industry insiders.

Any additional comments?

Listen to this book if your interested in knowing more about how the choices about what you eat are really being made by food industry professionals, especially if you think your the one choosing. You will be surprised.

Quite enlightening

After culinary school, I thought I understood how fat, sugar, and salt worked to improve food. This book caused me to seriously question my relationship with processed foods. I won't promise to quit eating them cold turkey, but I will be shopping with an increased awareness of the calculated and manufactured appeal of them. I severely detest being fooled or misled in my interactions with these companies and by our compliant government regulators; it leaves quite the unadulterated bad taste in my mouth.