English 
Spanish 
6 min read
0 comments
Processed foods have inherited strategies from the tobacco industry to stimulate addiction. By combining salt, sugar and fat, they create a compulsion similar to that of cigarettes, leading consumers to prefer these hyper-palatable products.
The processed food industry and the tobacco industry share more than meets the eye.
For decades, tobacco has built an empire of loyal consumers, and today, strategies from this sector have migrated to the food industry, where products are developed to activate similar compulsions.
O YouTube channel Elementary explores what’s behind this transformation, showing how these industries have shaped our habits and fueled addiction.
- The end of notary offices? Revolutionary technology promises to transform this essential service forever and challenge centuries of bureaucracy in Brazil!
- Digging all the way to China: would it be impossible to overcome more than 12.700 km of land?
- Teenager creates 3 cryptocurrencies in a single night, earns more than 300 thousand reais in a few hours and puts the memecoin market in shock!
- The “world’s most dangerous” toy contains uranium, used to make atomic bombs, and is for sale
The “Chocolate Cigarette” and the imitation of adults
Launched in the 1940s, the famous “chocolate cigarette” allowed children imitate the adult habit of smoking, considered “chic” at the time.
According to the channel, the product was a way to normalize smoking among children, encouraging behavior that today would be considered inappropriate.
On the packaging, children simulated the act of smoking, something unacceptable today.
In recent years, a modernized version has emerged: the “milk chocolate vape”.
This time, however, the aim was social criticism, a reflection on how products and services influence people's lives since early.
The criticism is well-founded, because while cigarettes are regulated, other equally addictive products continue to rise, disguised as harmless foods.
Reinventing Addiction: From Smoking to Binge Eating
If smoking was once a craze, today we are experiencing a new compulsion: ultra-processed foods.
According to Elementary, the same industry that stood out for creating nicotine addiction, now invests in foods full of fats, salt and sugar, formulated to reach the “happiness point” — that perfect combination of flavor that causes immediate pleasure and makes moderation in consumption difficult.
As mentioned in the report, in decade 1980, large tobacco companies such as Philip Morris and RJ Reynolds have acquired food giants, including well-known brands such as Kraft, Nabisco and General Foods.
According to the channel, this is how addiction has adapted to the new times, moving from cigarette shelves to supermarket shelves.
Hyper-Palatable: the combination that tricks the palate
The influence of tobacco companies is not superficial.
According to the magazine Addiction, food “hyper-palatable” combine fat, salt and sugar in specific proportions to trigger an intense pleasure response in the brain.
In other words, foods designed to be irresistible. This explains the obsession with items like French fries, stuffed cookies, and chicken fingers.
A survey carried out by the psychologist Ashley Gearhardt, a food addiction specialist, indicates that these foods did not appear by chance.
During the period when tobacco companies had control of food brands, their products were more likely to be hyper-palatable compared to similar foods from other companies.
In other words, food addiction has become meticulously planned.
Marketing Tactics for Children
Consumer attraction tactics didn’t stop at ingredients.
According to Elementary, documents revealed that Philip Morris adapted advertising strategies to attract children.
One example is the famous powdered juice Kool-Aid, which began to focus its marketing on small businesses after being acquired by the tobacco company.
The brand directed its investment towards campaigns aimed at children, using the iconic Kool-Aid Man mascot to win over a generation of new consumers.
Additionally, a children's loyalty program, similar to “Marlboro Miles,” was introduced for Kool-Aid, with the goal of making children loyal fans of the brand.
This practice was followed by other acquisitions, such as Hawaiian Punch, which also began to have a captivating mascot, “Punchy”, to connect with children.
According to the channel, these marketing strategies are still used in supermarkets, where sweets and snacks are positioned at children's height, stimulating the desire to consume.
From tobacco to food: the strategy of “Hyper-Palatable Chemicals”
In the 1980s, scientists at the RJ Reynolds lab, one of the tobacco giants, developed a specific formula of ingredients that promised attract consumers based on taste and aroma.
This concept, now known as “hyper-palatable chemicals”, aimed to increase the feeling of pleasure and, with that, public loyalty.
According to Elementary, this strategy guaranteed a monopoly on flavor in a variety of foods and beverages, which began to attract consumers in a similar way to cigarettes.
That "flavor monopoly”, as explored by the channel, is still present in today’s food industry.
Coca-Cola executive Katie Bayne told USA TODAY in 2012 that there is no scientific evidence that sugar is addictive.
However, Studies show that excessive sugar consumption discourages interest in healthier foods, creating a barrier to balanced eating habits.
Why are processed foods so addictive?
Recent research reveals that more than half of the calories consumed in the United States come from ultra-processed foods, defined as industrial combinations of sugar, salt, oils and other additives.
This scenario, according to Elementar, is especially problematic because the consumption of ultra-processed foods has lasting health impacts.
According to the magazine Addiction, the difference in the definition of ultra-processed foods between the FDA (United States agency) and NOVA (Brazilian organization) is crucial.
While the FDA focuses on chemical composition, NOVA evaluates the quantity of ingredients, without necessarily considering quality.
In other words, products with a large number of ingredients are automatically classified as ultra-processed, which may mask the true nature of the product.
Effects of hyperpalatable food on the brain and body
According to the channel, the impact of hyper-palatable food is similar to that of nicotine, acting on the brain reward system and creating an intense emotional response.
This continuous activation ends up forming a cycle of dependency, which encourages consumers to increasingly seek out processed foods and to resist these stimuli less.
The effects go beyond immediate pleasure.
According to the publication P from the University of Michigan, individuals accustomed to consuming these foods end up losing interest in simpler and healthier foods, such as homemade ones.
The palate adapts to strong and artificial flavors, making traditional dishes bland.
Market strategies to boost the consumption of these foods
In addition to the ingredients, the channel mentions that positioning strategies on supermarket shelves are a fundamental part of encouraging consumption.
Sweets, cookies and snacks are strategically placed near the cash registers or on the lower shelves, easily accessible to children, which increases the chance of impulse buying.
These tactics create a subtle trap for parents who, without realizing it, end up encouraging consumption of foods rich in sugar and fat.
Over time, this early exposure shapes children's taste buds, creating adults who are prone to binge eating.
The future of food and the challenge of addiction
With the information revealed by the channel Elementary, it is clear that food addiction is a complex challenge and that tobacco industry marketing tactics have migrated to food.
Products that seem harmless may contain carefully designed strategies to create addiction and drive consumption.
Food addiction has profound consequences for the health and lifestyle habits of new generations. In addition to restrictions on smoking, the food industry will need to deal with a increasing pressure to be more transparent about your loyalty tactics.
Consumer awareness is a crucial step, but the responsibility also lies with public health policies.
And you, do you think that food Are ultra-processed foods as addictive as cigarettes? In your opinion, should there be stricter regulations?
