In food marketing, lies kill

My attempt to take down evil food companies

I was scrolling through LinkedIn feeling bad about all that I have clearly not accomplished when I stumbled across this:

My vision went red, not quite Dr Pepper red but rather blood red, and I was one unread page of The Daily Stoic away from leaving a comment that was sure to permanently blacklist me from all prospects of future employment.

Marketing products that kill people is immoral. And soda does kill.

While “More is more” hardly seems like the kind of creative marketing that deserves an award (but what do I know?), at least Dr Pepper isn’t peddling their pop as a health food.

I have a strong distaste for brands like Dr Pepper that market junk food. People, including me at times, will already buy it without the help of advertising.

But companies that sell ultra-processed crap packaged to make it look healthy, I want to see burn. 

Unfortunately, I’m fresh out of Molotov cocktails so consider this post my attempt to take them all down…

A Wolf in Sheep’s Skin

Becel with Olive Oil

Do you love olive oil? So do we. Becel® Olive Oil is a source of omega-3, and Vitamin A and D. Like most of our soft margarines, it contains zero trans fat and is low in saturated fat. — becel.ca

The only thing Becel seems to love more than olive oil is deceiving their customers. 

A glance at the packaging and you’d think you’re doing something good for your health by exchanging margarine or butter for an olive oil substitute.

But if you flip the tub around and gander at the backside, as I’m sure most of you do while grocery shopping, you’d learn that this product is, in fact, 68% canola oil.

The second ingredient is water and it has just as much olive oil as modified palm and palm kernel oils (6%).

Ingredients: Canola oil 68%, Water, Olive oil 6%, Modified palm and palm kernel oils 6%, Salt, Buttermilk powder 0.2% (milk), Natural flavours, Lactic acid, Vitamin A palmitate (vitamin A), Vitamin D3, Beta carotene, Soy lecithin, Calcium disodium EDTA.

Let’s further dissect this awesome product by breaking down the marketing pitch at the top of this section.

Becel® Olive Oil is a source of omega-3, and vitamins A and D. Margarine-ally true (lol). It has three times more omega-6 (1.5 g per serving) than omega-3 (0.5 g per serving) yet that failed to make the tagline. The type of omega-3 in non-hydrogenated margarine made with canola, which they failed to include, is ALA (not EPA or DHA).

Vitamins A and D can be acquired through a long list of whole foods (see my guide to vitamins) or, in the case of the latter, by spending time under the sun.

Becel® Olive Oil contains zero trans fat. Considering trans fat is banned in Canada and the U.S., this is the equivalent of me putting “Haven’t murdered anyone” under the Key Achievements section of my resume.

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Heart Wise® Orange Juice

NUTRI is Minute Maid’s juice line with different products delivering supposed health benefits ranging from Bone Support to Heart Wise.

According to the claim on the box of Heart Wise orange juice, “Plant Sterols help to lower Cholesterol.”

Do plant sterols help lower cholesterol? Maybe. I don’t know and, in the case of orange juice, I don’t care.

Whatever benefit added plant sterols provide is the carbon offset a singular tree offers in the middle of NYC: so little it's irrelevant in relation to the whopping 25 grams of sugar per cup (250 mL).

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Elevated sugar intake over an extended period can damage your metabolic health. Poor metabolic health is a driver of the main causes of death in Western nations: heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases.

If you trusted this marketing, you might think that by having a glass of Heart Wise orange juice you’re doing something to improve your heart health or lower your risk of disease.

But really you’re just mainlining 25 grams or more of sugar, spiking your blood glucose and subsequent insulin response.

Frosted Flakes

This one is especially sinister for targeting kids. 

The Kellogg’s Frosted Flakes box is stamped with “Source of 7 Vitamins & Minerals” and “No Artificial Flavours Or Colours.”

The product description, which I bolded in areas for emphasis, reads as follows on the Walmart website:

Kellogg's Frosted Flakes cereal is a source of 8 essential nutrients and has no artificial flavours or colours. The sweet, crunchy flakes help give kids a great start to their day as part of a nutritious breakfast. THEY'RE GR-R-REAT!

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This marketing is simply evil. Claim by claim now…

8 essential nutrients. Frosted flakes contain milled corn and sugar. The nutrients they refer to have been added through a fortification process, presumably solely for marketing purposes, and can be obtained through much healthier sources.

No artificial flavours or colours. Artificial does not mean bad. Natural does not mean good. Artificial means made by human beings rather than occurring naturally. Statins are artificially made and save lives. Snake venom is quite natural yet I would prefer not to have it circulating in my bloodstream.

Give kids a great start to their day as part of a nutritious breakfast. What is nutritious about a breakfast consisting solely of carbs? Or 14 grams of sugar per cup? Or 1 measly gram of fibre per cup?

The fact that this type of marketing is permitted is a testament to either the incompetency or corruptness of government bodies whose role is to safeguard the best interests of their citizens.

I’m not saying unhealthy products should be banned, but these misleading marketing tactics must stop.

A Wolf with a Bloody Chin

Smoking

Cigarette packaging, in Canada at least, is appalling. 

How you could open up one of these cartons and light up is beyond me but at least the packaging makes us aware of the potential outcomes of our actions.

We figured out smoking was bad and mandated packaging that informed the consumer. When will we do the same with food?

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Argentina Does It Better

During the Fall of 2023, I spent over two months in Argentina and a lot of time shopping in their grocery stores. 

While food marketers can use their packaging to deceive consumers in Canada and the U.S., they’re mandated in Argentina by the Ministry of Health to put black STOP sign logos with words of warning if products exceed certain levels. These denote whether the product is high in calories, sugar, saturated fat, or sodium.

This is a practice we should adopt in Canada and the U.S. But marketers up here are allowed to label sugary cereal like it’s a superfood.

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What are we going to do?

Change starts with the people. In the case of food, that means more informed and aware consumers.

I’m sure what I shared here isn’t new to you: you’re subscribed to a newsletter called Longevity Minded after all!

But what about those around you? Your family, friends, colleagues, and acquaintances. You have nutrition knowledge that may seem like common sense but trust me, it’s not. Please share your wisdom with those around you or send this post to someone you care about.

And if the spirit moves you, you can submit food-related concerns here for Canada and here for the U.S.

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An ask: If you enjoyed this post, I’d be grateful if you’d consider tapping the “heart” ❤️ at the top or bottom of this page. It helps me understand which topics you like most and supports this newsletter’s growth.

Thank you! — Jack

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For those who read last week’s newsletter…

As promised, I got my run in. Despite not wanting to after 36 hours of travel and minimal sleep I put on my shorts, went on autopilot, and got it done.

As I ran laps around this lake in Hanoi, I seemed to be getting a lot of strange glances. I thought it was because I was running in sandals. Or because I was the only person running. Earlier in my run, my nose was leaking so, like any good runner, I used the back of my hand to wipe it. But it turned out my nose wasn’t running, it was bleeding.

The strange glances were because I looked like an escaped convict or fleeing criminal running around, buzz cut, smeared blood across my cheek. Good times.

Shots of the week

A few shots from Hanoi, Vietnam. This city is like no other I’ve travelled to. And I love it!

Gates to Hanoi's old quarter, worm cakes in the making (did not try... yet), delicious pho, a vibrant veggie stall

Thanks for reading!

Lots of love,

Jack