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Comment by dls2016 | Hacker News Reader

dls2016

> make you want to keep on eating

Junk food recipes are a/b tested and statistically evaluated just like in ad tech.

To be fair, so is all of our fruit these days. Just through a couple thousand years of selective breeding.

Our fruit is tested for many things other than simply, "can we get you to eat more of this." One of the most common being, "does is stay shiny while we ship it," as opposed to, "does this taste good?"

I don't disagree. But much like the sugary (or "sugary") treats I'd say it's one of the highest priorities.

At this point, most of our fruit is much more recent vintage than a few thousand years.

Strawberries, as we know them, only came into being in the 18th century.

Also, fruit is being actively manipulated to fit consumer's tastes and producer's profitability. The Honeycrisp apple is one of the biggest recent success stories.

I remember an ad I once saw on TV about some snack, and the tagline was something like "you can't eat only one". I can't remember the product, though...

One example I have in mind about products being made like this is Nestlé's Extreme ice cream cones. They're fairly sugary throughout, but right at the end there's a small "chocolate bomb", super sweet, that just gives you that "I have to have another one" craving.

Yeah this is what a lot of “food science” is these days.

Not to mention all the effort that goes into studying how different food constituents affect human consciousness and behavior, which results in products that are habit-forming and increase impulsive buying.

I’ve often wondered how many secondary impulse buys are made because someone makes an extra trip to the store to satisfy their primary craving for tobacco, coffee, energy drinks or just sugar.

In retailing those are known as magnet products and are more promoted within the store.

I think it's more the opposite, no? You go to the store for something you need, but then on your way out you pick up a bag of chips or a chocolate bar or whatever. I suspect that's why they often put them on display in the check-out line.

At least with my young single male peers, trips to the store are primarily for beer or tobacco or sugar. The 1 & 2 of video game junk food cross sponsorship has messed up a lot of their bodies

Lay's Potato Chips. I remember that one. Pringles was Once you pop, you can't stop.

Most useless invention: resealable bag of potato chips.

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