Coked out.Photo: Lazurite Yes, I’ve battled a Coke “addiction” more than once. Just when I think I have it beat, it worms its way back into my life. No, this Coke isn’t that white, powdery stuff; it comes in a can, and my drug of choice is Cherry Coke Zero.
Do you ever wonder why soft drinks and processed foods have such power over us? Are we just weak? Or are our bodies simply outmaneuvered by the tactics of slick food companies? An interesting 60 Minutes episode entitled “The Flavorists: Tweaking Tastes and Creating Cravings” sheds some light on the subject. If you haven’t seen it, you should definitely check it out. (You can watch the full episode on the CBS News’ website.)
It’s no surprise that processed foods and beverages are engineered to taste good. But as you listen to Morley Safer interview several employees of Givaudan, the world’s largest flavoring and fragrance manufacturer, you quickly realize that making delicious food is not the only goal of Big Food companies. Here’s the part of their conversation where they talk about the creation of fruit flavorings:
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