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Welcome to VITAMIN C®
If you missed the last editions, check them out here.
Read time today: 2:26 min
Hi friend,
It’s Friday morning. You are reading VITAMIN C 🍋.
I scroll the internet so you don’t have to.
Here are my top links and inspirations of the week to help you stay ahead in food tech & food innovation:
1. [Science | Reports] 🕵️♀️ The Secret PR War Against the Eat Lancet Report
Changing Markets, a UK NGO known for exposing corporate greenwashing and misconduct, just released a great new report.
It reveals how the meat and dairy industry orchestrated a full-scale social media attack to discredit the 2019 Eat-Lancet dietary guidelines (which called for a shift toward more sustainable, plant-based eating).
Fake “experts”, paid influencers, coordinated hashtags, and manufactured outrage - all engineered to confuse the public and protect profits.
Scary yet somehow not surprising!
Check out the full report here.
2. [Food for Thought] 👶 Food Brands, meet Your New Boss: Gen Alpha
Born between 2010 and 2025, generation Alpha (1–15y old today) are shaping how families live, eat, and buy - long before they own a credit card.
I see that at my own home: our daughter’s current obsession is Gilmore Girls. For her, it’s a brand new show. For me, it’s a trip down memory lane.
This mix of shared nostalgic memories and digital fluency is gold for brands, especially in food.
Whether it’s retro snacks, TikTok-inspired recipes, or co-cooking moments, food brands that create playful, cross-generational moments (online and offline) won’t just win kids. They’ll win the whole household.
Read more on how brands can win the next generation.
3. [People & Startups] 🎨 The 3-Second Story of Great Packaging
I just came across Franziska Böttcher on LinkedIn - a freelance packaging designer for FMCG brands who nailed it with her post on 2025 packaging trends.
Some packagings are soft and nostalgic. Some indulgent. Some just look like they’re having fun.
I’ve always been a fan of using visual design as a crucial part of storytelling.
If you’re into food or brand design, check out Franziska’s trend overview here.
4. [Recommendation] 📖 Ultra-processed foods aren’t the problem. The system is.
During my recent trip to Sweden, I met Kevin Hall, a pioneering researcher on ultra-processed foods and weight loss.
He recently left the US National Institutes of Health, claiming his work was censored by political appointees.
Now, he’s speaking out.
In his new book, Food Intelligence, Kevin unpacks a deceptively simple question:
Why do we eat the way we eat?
This book takes a deeply human, science-driven look at how our food environment programs us and how we can take back control.
I haven’t finished it yet, but already like it. Warm recommendation for anyone working in food, health, or behavior science.
Check out the book.
5. [Inspiration] 💡 The Golden Rule of Marketing
If you try to reach everyone, you’ll reach no one.
This tweet nailed it.
The tighter your message, the bigger your impact.
Take O'Donnell Moonshine, founded by friends of mine.
They started with a very specific vibe: sweet alcoholic liqueurs, sold at tattoo fairs.
Their primary target audience: men who liked sweet tastes but wouldn’t have touched it before because the branding felt too feminine. Now, the liqueur is served in a bold and rebellious mason jar.
They didn’t try to please everyone. They picked their people.
And it worked.
From that niche, they built a strong brand, have now 120+ employees and are stocked across Europe, all while staying true to their roots.
That’s how you grow a food (or drink) brand people actually remember.
Stay awesome,
Lia
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