Tweaking tastes and creating cravings

November 27, 2011 12:45 PM

Meet the scientists who create flavors that make foods and beverages so tasty that critics say they're addictive. Morley Safer reports.

Read Story: The Flavorists: Tweaking tastes and creating cravings

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by pjccat47 January 26, 2012 11:46 AM EST: Are there any studies on the effects of these chemical flavorings, colorings, etc. as a contributing factor to the increasing numbers of children with ADD, ADHD, autism, and other behavioral conditions?; Reply to this comment


by sawolf January 2, 2012 1:14 AM EST: While the food chemists are brilliant, it is the height of hubris for them to believe they can replicate the substances we have evolved to consume, in a lab. It presupposes we know EVERYTHING about the substances in the natural foods and how they interact with our metabolic pathways. Non processed foods are cheap, tasty,and have many beneficial compounds, but take time to prepare. As opposed to lab generated foods which are designed to taste great,ready to consume, but are expensive and nutritionally poison.; Reply to this comment


by staceyrlemire December 19, 2011 8:57 PM EST: Thank you for educating Americans about the health dangers of processed foods in general. I don't believe it is the food industry's fault that we are obese as a nation. Food companies will continue to manufacture what people will buy. I have realized in my wellness practice that people are ignorant about what goes into food or how it affects our health. Those who know must educate others to these facts. I give clients a handout so they know to what to look for and avoid. I ask them to READ LABELS to be an informed consumer and encourage them to choose unprocessed foods as much as possible. For so many people, obesity and illness are actually a choice of diet. I have seen so many health issues completely reversed and bodies healed by a change in diet.; Reply to this comment


by dukjoon December 16, 2011 10:11 AM EST: This is very good segment. How could I download full version of this ?; Reply to this comment


by Proudofmyflavors December 15, 2011 9:25 AM EST: I was extremely disappointed at the the bias that was shown by the CBS crew on this one. I am proud to be a certified flavor chemist for many years and consider my profession to be made of honest, concerned and educated people who actually do their best to make certain the flavors you consume are safe. Yes, we are regulated by several government agencies that dictate what goes on our labels and what is safe for consumption. What consumers have to understand is that much of what is on the label of the products you purchase is not added into the flavor of the products you buy off the shelf at you local market. We only develop the "flavoring" portion of that label for the most part. Many of the additives, coloring and preservatives are added at the food manufacturing facility by the manufacturer for stability and visual enticement and are not a component of the flavor a chemist developed unless necessary. Yes, we work to make things taste good. CBS failed to mention how our profession came into existence. The short story is that when foods moved from the backyard garden to processed, the exposure to freezing and then heat destroyed the natural flavor of foods. Flavor chemistry was needed to enhance or supplement the flavor loss causing processed foods to taste like cardboard. Over the years, of course, flavors are added to most packaged and processed foods. Yes, making it taste good sells products. You will not see flavoring added to fresh market items such as meats, milk, fresh fruit or vegetables. Our goal is certainly not to addict people into eating unhealthy. Our job is to satisfy food companies to be able to compete in a very competitive marketplace. It is the consumer that needs to be aware of what they and their family eat. As a flavor chemist, I will continue to supply my family with the purist of fresh produce and meats and minimize the cereals, frozen snacks and packaged goods. Not because I fear the flavor ingredients. The truth of the matter is that any convenience foods are not as healthy. They will contain preservatives, colors and other ingredients everyone seems to fear. But I didn't put it there for the most part. So give up your cake mixes, steak sauces, cereals, marinades, gravies, instant oatmeals, frozen pizzas, and so on. We service companies that offer you taste and convenience. This is what most of America wants in the day of two adults working in a household and have kids that are active in school and after school activities. It is only up to you what you consume. We make it taste great, but there is nothing additive in what we do except making things taste great. Buy your good foods by walking around the outside of your supermarket isles. Avoid the inside. Until America stops purchasing foods based on convenience, I have great job stability. Morley, you did us a disservice.; Reply to this comment


by lilypug December 3, 2011 6:50 PM EST: I watched this segment last weekend and was creeped-out. I'm not really surprised that this type of work has been going on and is as pervasive as it is in the food industry, but, please.

Ever since I can remember I have been adversely affected by any foods that are processed, packaged, or, basically, not fresh or raw. I feel best and am healthiest when I cook the food that I consume, and, I am not alone. I have many friends and family who suffer similarly. I am tired of weight gain, joint pain, muscle aches, poor sleep, and loads of other characteristics that I can easily attribute to eating processed, sugared, chemically-enhanced food.

While watching this segment I was imagining all the dietitians and nutritionists calling attorneys. Isn't this fodder for a class action lawsuit?! Here on camera we have chemists from a private company admitting to purposefully attempting to addict us to potentially harmful substances!? It's their #1 goal!? And, they are accomplishing their goal; obesity is everywhere. There had to be lawyers watching that segment, too? Seriously, what this company is doing ought to be a CRIME.; Reply to this comment


by DOMINIC403 December 3, 2011 1:47 AM EST: It's amazing how the food bureaucracy can get away with altering the tastes of foods after food has already been processed. They're processed to the point that people have become addicted to them through chemical manipulation. We now have obesity and numerous unhealthy consequences because of this. The giant food industry has processed our food to cause people to be addicted. They have altered our taste buds to the point that we become dissatisfied with the tastes we've become addicted to and they say the "people" want better tasting foods. This is what we want. Is that right?
The giant cigarettes companies did the same thing. The difference is, people didn't know about this until the "whistle blower" blew his horn........The America way, the American dream, make that money, make that dollar. They've got us hooked, manipulated. Eat it if tastes good. Smoke it if it taste good. Doesn't matter what it's in it. Doesn't matter how it's been altered. Even if it's made from "organic fertilizer" and it tastes good,,,WHO CARES!
Now 70 or years later, look at the repercussions of it all.
I hear the words of Nikita Kruschev saying, "you(America) will fall from within". While the big industries sit back and laugh their way to the bank at the peoples expense and will continue this way, because it's the America way the American dream to succeed and make that money, lots of money. Who cares how you make it.; Reply to this comment


by tepstill December 2, 2011 11:05 PM EST: This segment was a good representation of exactly what is wrong with our food supply. We create "hyper palatable" flavors of foods we cannot resist and crave more of. Unfortunately it hits the most unhealthy of the foods America eats, fast foods and all foods containing "salt, sugar and fat". I would like to have seen more investigative journalism and information on the Dr. David Kesslers comments which were the opposite of what the "flavorists sttod for. I did not learn anything I haven't already learned from reading just how these flavor additives work. Processed foods are the foods that have these addictive flavors added. All we need to do is shy away from them but unfortunately America has not done this. Hence,as Morley's guest stated, other countries do not want to be like America, but have they looked at what their governments have let happen? Just look at how and where the "western diet" has spread to. Where is government helping to subsidize the organic and sustainable farmers? Hey, you are what you eat so be careful what you eat.; Reply to this comment


by vdwvanilla December 2, 2011 11:18 AM EST: I have no problems with natural flavors developed in laboratories but they should be identified as such in the ingredients and they are not. Vanilla is the perfect example. Many manufacturers of premium ice cream, yogurts, soya beverages, etc. claim their products are naturally vanilla flavored. They adorn the product labels with exotic images of vanilla beans and vanilla flowers. In some cases they add pieces and/or specks of ground used vanilla beans to enhance the visual appearance of the product. This ingredient does not impart any flavor whatsoever and is added simply to make the consumer think the natural flavor originates with vanilla beans. Unfortunately this is not the case for very many high profile dairy and food products. Not only is the practice a violation of FDA labeling regulations it deceives the consumer who are incorrectly led to believe they are buying a product flavored by vanilla beans. The market for industrial grade natural vanilla beans has been seriously compromised as a result. The vast majority of vanilla is produced by one of the poorest countries in the world, Madagascar. There are tens of thousands of vanilla farmers and their families who are being directly impacted by this arguably illegal practice. Ice cream is a multi-billion dollar annual business in the U.S. and vanilla is by far the most popular flavor. It is also the flavor which is most misrepresented at the cosumer level!; Reply to this comment


by JimWof November 30, 2011 9:24 PM EST: What is wrong with people that they want to dictate to other people what to eat? You don't like flavors? Don't eat them. Scaring people by constantly calling flavors "chemicals" is nonsense. Brocolli is a chemical too. Your table is a chemical. We are chemicals.

I don't care what you eat. Stop telling me what I should eat. You're not my mother and neither is the government. I'll make my own decisions thank you very much. Stay out of my business.; Reply to this comment