Salt, Sugar, Fat by Michael Moss

If you think this will be anything like SALT FAT ACID HEAT by Samin Nosrat, then you are in for a bit of a shock. As amazing and excited Chef Samin makes us about food, Michael Moss will flip that on its head and make you seriously rethink your mainstream food choices.  Michael Moss is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist who as a result of a series of events, decided to take a deep dive into what’s in our food. The reporting and subsequent book (Salt, Sugar, Fat) have since become a staple read in the Health and Wellness community, and for a good reason.

Like a movie

The book was exceptionally well researched and reads like a punch-in-your-face Hollywood movie script. Having said that, I would not classify this as an ‘enjoyable’ read. The information left me feeling very uncomfortable. Like the feeling you have after watching an excellent thriller, there may have even been a few audible gasps while I was reading.

Who are they?

I appreciated that he put names and actions to those we often refer to as ‘they’. By ‘they’, I mean the people we refer to when we say things like: They are just in it for the money, or they are a ruthless bunch. We know they exist. From our side of the table, though, we get the distinct feeling that our best interests are not involved in their decision making.

Pulling back the curtain

Getting the curtain pulled back and giving us a glimpse is a rare occasion. If, like me, you have been on a journey around food and health, you know that what he speaks about illustrates a genuine and current problem in the world today. There are very few people on the planet who are not affected by these companies and people. This may make you feel intensely resentful toward these companies and those working there.

The real problem

By now, you can guess that the book may not be telling us what we ‘want’ to hear. Everything isn’t sunshine and roses in the land of food supply and may leave you enraged. But having said this, I would urge you to consider it on a more personal level. I have had family members and friends who have worked for some of the companies mentioned in the book. On a person to person level, I know they aren’t bad people. Neither did working for the company suddenly make them bad people. They do not wake up and head to work with malicious intent. The author points this out about many of the executives he met with. He is reasonable and measured when assessing where the real problem lies. It’s the system as a whole that needs to be overhauled.

Light at the end of the tunnel

Everything in that system needs to be shaken up. From the soil, our food comes from to what we choose to put on our plates. Upsetting as the information may be – as enormous as the task ahead is – there is still hope. The fact that Michael Moss can get this information to us is a massive step in making changes to that broken system.

You cannot fix what you don’t know about.
You cannot make changes if you don’t know where to start.

My biggest takeaway is that the change starts with you and me. The small things like where and who we choose to buy our food from will ultimately have a compounded impact. Knowing more and using information like this empowers us.

I found the book to be really well researched and written. Salt, Sugar & Fat is worthwhile getting your hands on, and, to get back to Chef Samin, no, it will not put you off her food. Instead, it will encourage you to learn more about what she shares, which is getting back to wholesome, straight from nature, home-cooked food.