The Disturbing Truth About The Food You Eat—Why Freedom of Choice Is Just an Illusion
Big Companies that Own Your Food
When buying groceries your free choice is an illusion. You’re usually limited to these big companies:
Comparison by Alex Hillsberg | Our Facebook
Source Data:
Soft drinks: Coca-Cola (Coke, Sprite, Vanilla Coke Fresca, Barq’s, Fanta, Mello Yello); PepsiCo (Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Sierra Mist, Mug); and Dr. Pepper Snapple Group (Dr Pepper, Canada Dry, 7Up, A&W, Crush, Sunkist, Schweppes, Squirt, RC, Sun Drop, IBC, Welch’s, Vernors, Cherry 7Up, Diet Rite, Diet Squirt, Diet Sun Drop)
Beer: AB InBev (Budweiser, Stella, Beck’s, Hoegaarden,Leffe, Bass, Busch, Rolling Rock, Goose Island, Michelob, Natural Ice, Presidente, Modelo, O’Doul’s, Shock Top); MillerCoors (Miller, Coors, Peroni, Grolsch, Blue Moon, Killian’s Irish Red, Henry Weinhard’s, Leinenkugel’s, Hamm’s, Icehouse, Keystone, Magnum, Mickey’s, Milwaukee’s Best, Olde English, Red Dog, Steel Reserve, Foster’s, Molson, Redd’s, Sparks, Third Shift, Batch 19, Lech, Cristal, Aguila); Constellation Brands, Inc. (Corona, Negra Modelo, Modelo, Tsingtao, Pacifico, Somersby, Victoria); and Heineken USA (Heineken, Amstel, Birra Moretti, Bulmers, Cruzcampo, Dos Equis, Kingfisher, Newcastle, Ochota, Primus, Sagres, Sol, Star, Strongbow, Tecate, Tiger, Zywiec)
Coffee: Kraft Foods/Mondelez International (Maxwell House, Yuban, Tassimo); JM Smucker Co. (Folgers, Dunkin’ Donuts, Millstone); Starbucks Coffee Co. (Starbucks, Seattle’s Best); Green Mountain Coffee Roasters (Green Mountain, Keurig Caribou Coffee, Tully’s, Donut House, Newman’s Own, Coffee People)
Breakfast cereal: PepsiCo (Quaker, Cap’n Crunch, Life, Cinnamon Life, Oatmeal Squares); Kellogg Co. (Frosted Flakes, Froot Loops, Raisin Bran, Special K, Apple Jacks, Corn Pops, Rice Krispies, Kashi Go Lean, Crispix, All-Bran, Frosted Mini Wheats, Corn Flakes, Eggo, Morningstar, Pop-Tarts); General Mills (Cheerios, Chex, Cinnamon Toast Crunch,Lucky Charms, Reese’s Puffs, Cocoa Puffs, Trix, Golden Grahams, Cookie Crisp, Fiber One, Kix, Wheaties, Basic 4); Post Foods (Honey Bunches of Oats, Selects, Grape Nuts, Shredded Wheat, Pebbles, Post Raisin Bran, Honeycomb)
Peanut butter: Kraft Foods (Planter’s); ConAgra Foods (Peter Pan); Hormel (Skippy); JM Smucker Co. (Jif, Smucker’s)
Crackers: PepsiCo (Quaker snack bar, Quaker Chewy granola bar, Smart Food, Cracker Jack, Doritos, Tostitos, Santitas, Sabritas); Kraft Foods (Ritz, Wheat Thins, Triscuits, Premium, Handi-Snacks, Honey Maid); Campbell Soup Co. (Goldfish); Kellogg Co. (Cheez-It, Keebler, Carrs, Austin, Sunshine Krispy)
Potato chips: PepsiCo (Lay’s, Ruffles, Munchos); Kellogg Co. (Pringles); Snyder’s-Lance, Inc. (Cape Cod, Jay’s, Tom’s); and Utz Quality Foods, Inc. (Utz).
Tortilla chips: PepsiCo (Doritos, Tostitos, Santitas, Sabritas); Gruma SA (Mission); Truco Enterprises, LP (On the Border); Grupo Bimbo (Bimbo)
Chocolate: Neslte (Butterfinger, Baby Ruth, Crunch); Hershey (Reese’s, Hershey’s, KitKat, York, Almond Joy); Mars Inc. (M&M’s, Snickers, Twix, Three Musketeers,
Milky Way, Dove); Russell Stover (Russell Stover, Whitman’s)
Ice cream: Unilever (Breyers, Klondike, Popsicle, Magnum, Fudgsicle, Good Humor, Ben & Jerry’s); Nestle (Skinny Cow, Dreyer’s/Edy’s, Nestlé, Häagen-Dazs); Wells Enterprises, Inc. (Weight Watchers, Wells Blue Bunny); Blue Bell Creameries (Blue Bell)
Big Companies Also Want to Dominate the Whole Grocery Market
Top food conglomerates are taking over more and more grocery aisles:
Top 6 Food Companies with Widest U.S. Grocery Presence (No. of grocery categories)
Kraft Foods (Mondelez Intl.) is present in 22 categories
Dry Mac & Cheese, Processed Cheese, Lunch Meat, Mayonnaise, Meat Sauces, Fruit Drinks, Salad Dressing, Bacon, Cottage Cheese, Sour Cream, Nuts, Natural Cheese, Packaged Red Meat, Breakfast Meat, Meat Substitute, Coffee, Mustard, Shelf-Stable Dips, Pickles/Olives/Relish, Refrigerated and Frozen Cakes and Pies, Peanut Butter, Hispanic Food
PepsiCo is present in 20 categories
Mediterranean Food, Sports Drinks, Tortilla Chips, Shelf-Stable Dips, Potato Chips, Hot Cereal (Oatmeal), Carbonated Soft Drinks, Carbonated Soft Drinks (Diet), Granola Bars, Pretzels, Fruit Juice 100%, Bottled Water (Single Serve), Breakfast Cereal, Dry Rice/ Rice Mixes, Popcorn, Fruit Drinks, Hispanic Food, Waffles/Pancakes, Cereal/Snack Bars, Nuts
ConAgra Foods is present in 19 categories
Egg Substitute, Microwaveable Packaged Dinners Popcorn, Chili and Sloppy Joe Sauce, Frozen Meals, Refrigerated and Frozen Cakes and Pies, Ketchup, Baked Beans, Peanut Butter, Canned and Jarred Vegetables, Dry Pasta, Asian Food, Butter/Margarine, Pasta Sauces, Hispanic Food, Mustard, Packaged Red Meat, Nuts, Meat Sauces
Nestle is present in 19 categories
Baby Food and Snacks, Pizza, Frozen, Pet Food, Cream/Creamers, Bottled Water (Sparkling and Mineral), Athletic Bars, Frozen Handheld Food, Frozen Meals, Bottled Water (Single Serve), Ice Cream and Novelties, Frozen Yogurt, Baby Formula, Refrigerated and Frozen Dough, Non-Chocolate Candy, Chocolate, Frozen Appetizers, Flavored Milk, Fruit Juice 100%, Coffee
General Mills is present in 17 categories
Refrigerated and Frozen Dough, Granola Bars, Cake/Cupcake/Pie Mixes, Wellness/Granola Bars, Refrigerated Yogurt, Breakfast Cereal, Frozen Appetizers, Soup, Tortillas, Cereal/Snack Bars, Pizza (Frozen), Canned Green Beans, Canned and Jarred Vegetables, Hispanic Food, Microwaveable Packaged Dinners, Asian Food, Refrigerated and Frozen Cakes and Pies
Campbell Soup Co. is present in 13 categories
Soup, Pasta Sauces, Crackers, Refrigerated and Frozen Bread/Bagels/English Muffins, Fresh Loaf Bread, Cookies and Cookie Bars, Hispanic Food, Chili and Sloppy Joe Sauce, Rolls/Buns/Croissants, Baked Beans, Fruit Drinks, Refrigerated and Frozen Dough, Fruit Juice 100%
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