It was a sad commentary on the human nature at the Institute of Food Technologists' conference last week. I attended a networking meeting with free food. There were two tables, one with pizza and another with fruits and veggies. The pizza line had about 60 people while there was no line for the veggies. People were asking me why I was eating veggies - did I not know that there was free pizza?
This at a meeting of food technologists who know (and "educate" others) about the need to eat right. This just brings to the forefront a problem the food industry is well aware of - that people eat what tastes good irrespective of its effects on their health.
To change the way people eat, the industry has to make healthy foods taste just as good as fried foods. Thus, the goal is not for health to win over taste but for them to become friends - and that, my friends, is the true battle.
PS: I am not trying to justify what the industry has done or is doing - I'm just drawing conclusions from my observations. Please let me know if you have opposing views.
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5 comments:
Well said... totally true. I guess healthy food is restricted to the presentation slides. What about the cola lobby?!
So totally agree. It's a big challenge for the food industry to enhance the palatability and satiety value of "healthy" foods. Fried foods, pizzas, burgers have gone way ahead in doin that and "healthy" food has a long distance to go. Love that your short post conveys so much! :)
I agree with your point about taste and health needing to go together.
However, I doubt if the food industry as a whole is really trying to encourage people to eat healthy. Sorry to sound skeptical but there are way too many products out there which are marketed solely on the basis of taste (and they are successful because they taste good, like you said). It's a vicious circle according to me. And a lot of the "healthy food" initiatives are also mainly marketing oriented. I am sorry but adding stevia to a cola doesn't make it a healthy drink.
@ Karthik - The slides have all the health, not the food :).
@ Sayali - Glad you liked the post. The problem is not just with the industry but also with society. The industry produces what people consume and while the industry does have some power to change consumer preferences, it can be used easier to make them eat tasty, unhealthy stuff than the other way round.
@ Madhuvanti - Adding stevia to a cola does not make it healthy - it makes it healthier (based on our current knowledge). If Coke/Pepsi stop making cola tomorrow, will that mean noone drinks cola? No, someone else will take their place. If Frito-Lay stops making chips someone else will make and sell them. The challenge for the companies is to make healthier products while keeping their margins and market share, without hurting their current brands. Its a tough line to walk. There is a lot more on my mind but it would take a whole page. The problem, in short, is that people take the easy way out and blame the industry - the responsibility is a shared one - stop eating big macs and there will be a Chipotle (assuming Chipotle is healthier than McDonalds) on every corner.
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