Tobacco Firms Turned Food Giants: How They Spread Processed Snacks Worldwide

US tobacco companies once ruled the smoke market, but by the 1980s they were also moving into food. They set up huge new businesses that sold sugary, salty, and ready‑to‑eat products across continents. Their food ventures grew faster because they copied the same global tactics used for cigarettes: cheap marketing, big advertising budgets, and partnerships with local distributors. Industry papers show that these companies used their knowledge of how to keep people buying addictive products to push processed foods into households around the world.Between the 1980s and mid‑2000s, their snack brands were a common sight in grocery aisles far beyond the United States. The result is a worldwide spread of ultra‑processed foods that are high in sugar, salt, and fat. Public health experts argue that the same rules that limit tobacco sales might also need to apply to these food products, because they can be equally harmful. If governments do not step in, more people could face health problems linked to these highly palatable foods.