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    I recently read a book called The Dorito Effect, by Mark Schatzker. It was published in 2015, nearly ten years ago, and it’s been on my shelf almost that long. So why am I telling you about it now? Well, I’ve had a busy decade, and somehow this book wound up on the back burner. This July, I decided to retrieve it from the “to be read” pile. And I’m glad I did.

    The author discusses the link between flavor and nutritional value. As it turns out, many of the compounds produced by plants that make a food flavorful are also compounds that are very nutritionally valuable. The signaling provided by flavor may explain "nutritional wisdom," the observation that when people or animals have free choice of nutritious options, they will choose the foods that are good for them. As an example, the author described a research project done just before World War II, where young children were allowed to self-select their food, resulting in excellent health.

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    The book also reviews similar findings in goats and sheep. As an example, sheep would avoid food that had been treated with a tannin from the quebracho tree, unless the investigators infected them with a parasite. The tannin can kill parasites, and infected sheep ate the tannin-laced food very enthusiastically. Once the parasite was cleared, the sheep refused to continue eating the tannin.

    However, there is now an entire industry devoted to creating flavorings to add to poor quality animal food to induce them to eat it. These chemicals are called “palatants.” To show how powerful these can be, an animal nutritionist put a dab of cat palatant on a piece of tissue paper; the cat devoured it.

    Are human foods laced with palatants? Yes. Many of the processed foods available in stores include “natural flavorings,” which you might assume are herbs and spices. But as long as they are not derived from petrochemicals, a flavoring can be called “natural” even if it is highly processed. These flavorings have been carefully chosen to make us want to eat more.

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    The book also reviews how modern food has been bred for rapid growth and ease of shipping, not for flavor. As a result, it is watery and tasteless. Whether the food is packaged or prepared at home, we gravitate towards adding high calorie dressings and sauces that were not necessary for foods in the past. The commonly labelled culprits of the obesity epidemic, sugar, fat, and salt, are not all that palatable in and of themselves. But when flavorings are added, they become irresistible.

     Is organic food better? I recommend it because it does not include pesticides or herbicides, chemicals the body will have to process and get rid of. But if the organically grown produce is a modern variety bred for rapid growth and ease of shipping, it may still be a tasteless product with lesser nutritional value. This certainly explains organic chicken – it may be cleaner, but it still doesn’t taste all that great. The heritage breed birds I have bought recently are much better.

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     What to do with all this? I hope you do not eat processed food, but I would suggest avoiding anything that includes “natural flavoring.” If the label says “organic spices,” that’s OK, but “natural flavorings” can include processed items and palatants. When possible, buy heritage breeds of produce and animal protein. And use herbs and spices, to make your food more interesting.

     I think you will like this book. It is well written and full of useful information, with fascinating stories that keep it from being dry. Look for it in your library or bookstore.