Shoppers like to think they're in control of their own food decisions, but there's actually a complex web of manipulations between supermarkets and food processors going on behind the scenes.
Who's really in charge at the supermarket? Most of us assume that we're in control of our own shopping decisions. After all, we are the ones with a grocery list in one hand and a wallet in the other. It should be that way. But the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) doesn't believe it's so. Most shoppers, even the most conscientious and frugal, can fall victim to the manipulations of a food industry that pairs up with supermarkets to influence our purchasing decisions.
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1) Unconscious MindOur unconscious minds rely on habit and what's deemed comfortable and familiar to us. Supermarkets use tools such as windowless buildings, forgettable music, large carts, scrumptious bakery smells, and constantly reorganized aisles to make shoppers stay longer and, by extension, spend more.
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2) DefaultsDefaults are what you get at the supermarket, unless you actively choose something else. This can be packaging size, product formulations, or standard food combinations.
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3) Willpower ReservesSupermarkets and food processors count on the fact that many of us will go shopping at the end of a long day, perhaps on the way home from work, or with tired, hungry kids in tow. That's when it's hardest to rely on willpower reserves.
It must explain why Cheetos constantly show up in the shopping cart.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday July 16 2015, @06:56AM
They are neither legally required nor is there any sort of standard in choosing them
They are here in France (and EU?), but the type (best-before or use-by) and the date are free.
We had a little ruckus recently (2013): the same products (yogurts) had a way longer best-by date when they were shipped to our remote territories (La Réunion, Guadeloupe, etc.). The excuse was that, on the container ship, the cold chain was more likely to be respected. Yeah, right.
So they made a new law….