The technologists at Kraft, like those at other companies, spent their careers pursuing kids, teens, adults—anyone who might eat their products. They didn’t see this as nefarious. Their job was to maximize the appeal of their goods. In the labs, that meant working to hit the optimum bliss point for sweetness, the mouthfeel for fat, and the flavor burst of salt, as this chemistry was known in the industry. They engineered colors, textures, and smells to enhance the allure. They were joined on the marketing side by people with a deep appreciation for the role of psychology in purchase decisions.
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