{
  "id": 5796740,
  "title": "How the Tobacco Industry Drove the Rise of Ultra-Processed Foods",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/05/how-the-tobacco-industry-drove-the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods",
  "topic": "health",
  "section": "Health & Medicine",
  "published": "2026-09-05T16:14:34.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hacker News",
    "slug": "hacker-news",
    "url": "https://vcresearch.berkeley.edu/news/how-tobacco-industry-drove-rise-ultra-processed-foods"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In 1963, a prominent American tobacco firm acquired the Hawaiian Punch brand, signaling the tobacco industry's foray into the food market. This acquisition set off a chain reaction that would ultimately result in the proliferation of ultra-processed foods and a significant increase in obesity rates. The conversation surrounding this topic is featured in Berkeley Talks episode 229, hosted by UC San Francisco.\n\nThe acquisition coincided with a period when tobacco companies, particularly R.J. Reynolds and Philip Morris, were looking to diversify their portfolios. They had previously achieved great success with their cigarette brands, and executives believed that applying similar marketing techniques to the food industry could yield comparable results. As a result, the tobacco industry began acquiring major food brands, including Del Monte, Nabisco, General Foods, Kraft, and 7UP, which produced ultra-processed foods, also known as ultra-processed foods (UPFs).\n\nSchmidt, in her discussion, highlighted that approximately 60% of the calories consumed by Americans come from ultra-processed foods, which include items like cookies, sodas, instant noodles, fish sticks, and cereals. She noted that the rise of these foods in the American food supply, particularly starting in the mid-1980s, corresponded with a surge in obesity, diabetes, and other chronic diseases. Schmidt noted that this trend aligns with the period when some of the largest food companies were owned by tobacco companies.",
  "summary": null,
  "key_points": [
    "Tobacco industry acquired Hawaiian Punch in 1963, marking food market entry",
    "Tobacco firms R.J. Reynolds, Philip Morris diversified into food brands",
    "60% of American calories from ultra-processed foods by mid-1980s"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}