Grain Waves

the surge of interest in granola and natural cereals in the 1970s and 80s fueled this growth. By 1993, the

Howard Moskowitz, a food industry consultant, detailed how to increase the flavor appeal of Dr. Pepper by its consumers, with large amounts sugar. In Prego spaghetti sauce, after tomatoes, sugar was made the next greatest ingredient in amount. The classic Lay’s potato chip brand included many different flavors such as chips with salt & vinegar, salt & pepper, cheddar, and sour cream flavoring. Mr. Moss goes on to describe how Frito-Lay executives hope to develop “designer sodium,” which may decrease the sodium content of their products by a considerable

The ready-to-eat (RTE) sector has increased sales and therefore have given the Breakfast cereals market an advantage to have a higher market share of 4.2% in 2013. The emphasis is more to the value and the convenience of cereals rather than the quality. However people are starting to be more heath conscious and are going to the higher nutritional brands which tend to be the well-known ones such as Kellogg 's, Weetabix and Nestle.

Polyunsaturated fats are found in fish and vegetable oils and are an essential nutrient which reduces the risk for coronary heart disease (Shulman, 2010, pg. 51).  The unhealthy fats are the trans fatty acids, saturated and unsaturated, such as butter, cheese and animal fat, should be completely removed from diets.  Saturated trans fats contribute to an increased low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, increase inflammation and heart disease. Unsaturated trans fats also contribute to higher LDL cholesterol and lower the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels (Shulman, 2010, pg. 52).  A fast paced society has lead to and increased consumption of prepackaged food is because it is a convenient option when people are in a time restraint and for people who are stressed (C.L. Rocks, personal communication, October 11, 2011). A way to overcome this is to spend some time planning meals for a week and by arranging healthy snacks, such as preparing raw vegetables ahead of time, to make it easier to eat healthy when in a time restraint. Trans fatty foods containing hydrogenated vegetable oil, foods such as chips or cookies, typically are high calorie foods and are lacking in essential nutrients (Brandt, 2011, pg 158). Cravings increase over time because people turn to them so often it develops into a habit. These unhealthy habits could unfortunately result in a person gaining weight (C.L. Rocks, personal communication, October 11,

Popchips is a chip brand who claim their chip is a healthy snack. Popchips claimed that they do not use any flavor enhancer, no added preservatives, no fake flavors, and no synthetic colors. Their product use all-natural ingredients from non-GMO sources (Faq). This particular ad created by Popchips used a bright red color that brings the audience’s eyes to attention. The ad is divided into three sections. The top section writes “less guilty, more pleasure.” Three stacks of potato chips at different height are in the middle of the page. An enormous “100 calories” laid behind the three potato chip stacks. Below each stack is the names of chip types including: fried chips, kettle style chips, and Popchips. Underneath the names are short nutrition facts of the chips. The bottom section depicts a short description of Popchips.

Food is used in different circumstances in life represents a culture, but can also reflect one's personality, lifestyle, and socio-economic

The “individual consumer” can be taken to be a group of unique personals who each have a distinct idea on any specific topic, and in this case, junk food. The “collective demographic” is defined as the common opinions formed within the “collective demographic”. Even though these two entities are related, the individual way of thinking for the “individual consumer” is much different than that of the “collective demographic”. On the topic of junk food, the “individual consumer”, will report to being cautious about the effects of such foods, for they are aware of the epidemics involved with intakes of excessive sugars and fats. Watters explains the Japanese’s view on a factor they perceived as an illness, “the people’s attitude toward depression was very negative” (Watters 515). This can be used to better understand the “individual consumer"; a group of people who were trying to maintain a healthy lifestyle. The “collective demographic” held a different viewpoint on the subject of junk food. The posture of the “collective demographic” however is antithesis of that of the “individual consumer.” The “collective demographic” deemed junk food as unhealthy, but still allowed themselves to become addicted to such delicacies. Moss describes a very ironic circumstance with this way of living, “While people like and enjoy potato chips, they feel guilty for eating them” (Moss 272); a scenario in which a demographic would conceive something as harmful, but

Government campaigns to inform people of the dangers of a high-fat diet have caused the public to recognise that they need to watch what they eat, since unhealthy foods can lead to heart disease and obesity, as well as a myriad of other health problems. This has lead to an increase in the sales of healthy substitutes for fatty foods. Muckle chips are high in fat, and although

“They (Food Production Corporations) may have salt, sugar, and fat on their side, but we, ultimately, have the power to make choices. After all, we decide what to buy. We decide how much to eat.” (Moss 346). In today’s society, junk food needs no introduction as everyone enjoys the taste of junk food because it is fast, tasty, and affordable but not everyone knows what all goes into their food. Over the years the food industries have drastically changed how food is produced and manufactured. Moss reflects upon the motivations and practices by the food industries which have transformed the American food supply by the use of the three key ingredients, salt, sugar, and fat. Through Michael Moss’s use of rhetorical appeals in his book Salt, Sugar, Fat: How the Food Giants Hooked Us, he discusses the extraordinary science behind what is considered tasty food, how multinational food companies use the key ingredients, salt sugar, and fat to increase sales and how other literary elements can help create trust between the author and audience thus increasing the effect of his arguments.

In the article, “How The Food Industry Manipulates Taste Buds With 'Salt Sugar Fat'” it talks about the frightening truth that has been going on in the past few years with obesity and diabetes. Americans tend to have a huge addiction when it comes to food made with sugar, fat, salt, and as well as

Summary: Over the years, sodium and sugar have decreased in food products. As the sodium and sugar decreased, producers have added more saturated fat. Many breakfast products have doubled their fats. An unknown person said “if you take 100 grams of sugar out, you have to replace those with something.”

Frito-Lay first toyed with multigrain snack chips in the 1970s, when research indicated a need for a snack in this category. Prontos, released in 1974 and distributed for four years, weren’t incredibly well received. While a lack of success is attributed to a confusing name, poor manufacturing and too narrow a market, Dwight Riskey, VP of Marketing Research and New Business, admits that he is “not sure there were dramatic things wrong with the product design [...]. It may have been invented and introduced before its time.” This sentiment was reflected in the Harvest Project in the early 1980s, when Frito-Lay developed several multigrain products to attempt and have a possible healthy alternative to saltier snack foods for the baby-boomer generation. Lackluster response caused the project to stall into the mid 80s as focus was put on developing new flavors and healthier alternatives in other brands.

This paper will discuss the multifaceted relationships among food, and culture. I will be looking at the relationships people have with food, and explore how this relationship reveals information about them. Their food choices of individuals and groups, can reveal their ideals, likes and dislikes. Food choices tell the stories of where people have travelled and who they have met along the way.

Food is very much a part of pop culture, and the beliefs, practices, and trends in a culture affect its eating practices. Pop culture includes the ideas and objects generated by a society, including foods, and other systems, as well as the impact of these ideas and objects on society. For example, Mcdonald's is another of the thousands of fast food chains that populate our cities though they often use the term “popular culture” only to refer to media forms. Their popularity has also increased internationally. Although all humans need food to survive, people's food habits and how they obtain, prepare, and consume food, are the result of learned behaviors. Mcdonald’s, like other food chains, has made an effort to ‘localize’ its products so that they will be more successful in each different cultural context. These collective behaviors, as well as the values and attitudes they reflect, come to represent a group’s pop culture.

General Mills competes in a dynamic environment. Some of their competitors are Kellogg’s in the cereal segment. Cereal was a product that used to be the number one election for breakfast in American. As time and new knowledge evolved, consciousness about products with less sugar or gluten free arose making the cereal industry tumble. Products like protein bars, Greek yogurts, and even fast food are the new options to start the date, gaining market share over the cereal industry.