Monday headlines

From the guardian.co.uk, a special report on fast food. With an article by Eric Schlosser who wrote the brilliant Fast Food Nation. One article lists some of the 59 ingredients found in a McDonald milkshake (see t-shirt). Schlosser’s second book “Chew on This”, which talks about how fast food companies are targetting the very young. In another new book by Michael Pollan (he wrote The Botany of Desire), he talks about how it is economically-nonviable not to put high-fructose corn syrup into as many products as possible. It’s a sure, cheap way to increase it’s likeability and purchasing power. There’s an audio interview with him here.

For anyone having anything to do with marketing, and, oh, eating, these are interesting debates. In my humble opinion, there seems to be two main marketing tracks going on here. Do you want something sold as easy, fun and culturally relevant (see Coke, Kraft Foods), or something that sounds healthly and/or like it was grown on your neighbour’s farm (see your organic foods aisle or even read the Pret a Manger packaging)? The really clever giants are trying to do both (see McDonalds). Or do people care? What do you think?

I (also) want to hear what freakonomics has to say about it…