How big tobacco helped shape the design of ultra-processed foods

Article excerpt

Tobacco giant Philip Morris leveraged decades of cigarette research to engineer ultra-processed foods that hook children, according to a UC San Francisco study. The company applied flavor science, behavioral psychology, and addiction strategies developed for nicotine products to create Lunchables, compartmentalized snack boxes that became wildly popular despite minimal nutritional value. By transferring playbook tactics from cigarettes to processed foods, Philip Morris monetized the same addictive design principles across two industries, raising questions about whether food regulation should tighten as tobacco rules have.