MAFIA MOMENTS: Mark Schatzker on How Big Food is Hijacking Your Taste Buds and Sabotaging Your Health

The Meat Mafia Podcast

We're pleased to bring you another great MAFIA MOMENT with our good friend, and author of the book "The Dorito Effect", Mark Schatzker. In this conversation, we explore the significance of our biology and intuition when it comes to nutrition, and Mark takes us on a deep dive of how flavor scientists are manipulating our food.

If you enjoy this conversation, check out our full-length podcast with Mark on episode 30 of the podcast.

00:00 - Nutritional Wisdom: The idea that our palate, inclinations, and cravings are in touch with our inner needs. Mark Schatzker explores this concept in his book, "The Dorito Effect."

02:45 - Behavioral Ecology: Studying animals within their environment and their eating habits reveals a different view of nutrition compared to how humans are typically studied.

05:12 - The Dorito Effect: The phenomenon of whole foods becoming blander and less nutritious while processed foods become more flavorful. This is due to the dilution effect, which occurs through genetics and modern agricultural practices.

08:15 - Dilution Effect: Plants are being genetically modified and raised with pesticides and fertilizers to prioritize growth and productivity over flavor and nutrition.

10:45 - Connection Between Nutrients and Flavor: Scientists Harry Klee and Steve Goff discovered that the most important flavor compounds in tomatoes are synthesized from essential nutrients, suggesting a link between flavor and nutrition.

14:00 - Heirloom Chicken: Mark Schatzker discusses the superior flavor of heirloom chicken compared to modern bland chicken, and how traditional cooking methods utilized this flavor.

17:30 - The Nature of Deliciousness: Schatzker distinguishes between the fleeting pleasure of processed foods like Doritos and the emotionally moving, satiating experience of a genuinely delicious meal.

19:00 - Food Travel Experiences: Schatzker shares his love for traditional, grassroots food and the passionate food cultures of Italy and Japan. He emphasizes the importance of eating local, authentic food when traveling.