STAT+: Doritos as farm-to-table snacks? Big Food, under duress, gets creative

STAT PlusHealth Doritos as farm-to-table snacks? Big Food, under duress, gets creative As the MAHA movement exerts its influence, marketing efforts seek to reframe product narratives Manage alerts for this article Email this article Share this article By Sarah ToddAug. 18, 2026 Reporter, Commercial Determinants of Health Sarah Todd[email protected]Sarah covers how industries like food and tobacco affect Americans’ bodies and minds.

Her interests include ultra-processed foods; smoke-free tobacco; and wellness trends like perimenopause products and peptides. Confidential tips can be sent on Signal at sarahlizchar.47. Ah, Doritos: a classic farm-to-table food right up there with heirloom tomatoes, organic roasted chicken, and artisanal cheese boards sourced from local cows greeted each morning by name.

At least that’s what new marketing for the tangy chips seems to imply, with slogans like “PepsiCo partners with farmers to bring Doritos from the field to you” and images of corn seedlings and a farmer, clad in a PepsiCo hat, astride a rusted tractor.Advertisement Yet Doritos are famously ultra-processed, the antithesis of the “Eat Real Food” edict rolled out by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as part of his Make America Healthy Again movement to fight chronic disease.

Food industry experts say the Doritos ads show the food industry is scrambling to improve its image while avoiding more fundamental changes to the ultra-processed products that make up 60% of the American diet. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus in-depth analysis, newsletters, premium events, and news alerts.

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2-10 Users $300 Annually per user $300/year Get Started $300 Annually per user View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe Log In chronic disease, nutrition, public health, RFK Jr., STAT+ Submit a correction requestReprints Sarah Todd Reporter, Commercial Determinants of Health Sarah covers how industries like food and tobacco affect Americans’ bodies and minds. Her interests include ultra-processed foods; smoke-free tobacco; and wellness trends like perimenopause products and peptides.

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