Tobacco Industry's Role in Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods and Obesity Discussed at UC Berkeley

Tobacco Companies Enter the Food Sector

In 1963, R.J. Reynolds, a major U.S. tobacco company, purchased Hawaiian Punch. This acquisition marked the beginning of the tobacco industry's diversification into the food sector, applying marketing strategies previously used for cigarettes to food products.

Expansion and Production of Ultra-Processed Foods

Following the initial acquisition, R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris aggressively expanded their presence in the food industry. They acquired significant brands such as Del Monte, Nabisco, General Foods, Kraft, and 7UP. These companies then produced what are now known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs), which were often marketed to children and other vulnerable populations.

Link to Public Health Issues

Laura Schmidt, a professor of health policy at UC San Francisco, discussed how these ultra-processed foods are a direct legacy of the tobacco industry's involvement in the food sector. She stated that UPFs, including items like cookies, sodas, and instant noodles, are responsible for a significant increase in obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases across the country.

Schmidt noted that approximately 60% of the calories in American diets come from ultra-processed foods. The rise in UPFs in the American food supply in the mid-1980s correlates with the beginning of a dramatic increase in obesity rates, coinciding with the period when major food companies were owned by tobacco corporations.

Event Context

This discussion took place on May 5, 2025, as part of a Berkeley Talks episode. The event was co-sponsored by the Berkeley Food Institute (BFI) and Berkeley Public Health, and was moderated by Isabel Madzorera, an assistant professor at Berkeley Public Health and co-faculty director at the Berkeley Food Institute.