Exclusivity and inclusion can greatly influence our relationships with food, and even create fanatic communities around certain food brands. But we’ve been wondering, what’s the line between what’s trendy and cult-y? We take a hard look at that question and how it plays out in our consumption today. Plus we discover some surprising connections between familiar food brands and fringe religious groups and far-fetched beliefs about health, wellness, and nutrition. 

Further Reading and Listening:

Interested in learning more about the Rancho Gordo Bean Club? Check out their website.

Carlnita Greene, Tina Sikka and Leighann Chaffee all contributed chapters to Food Cults: How Fads, Dogma, and Doctrine Influence Diets (2016), a book edited by Dr. Kima Cargill, a professor of psychology at University of Washington whose research focuses on nutrition and overeating.

Learn more about the psychology of eating from Chaffee’s most recent book, co-authored with Stephanie p. da Silva and released in January 2022.

And, read more from Dr. Greene in her book on gluttony and gourmands, or in this volume that she edited on foodscapes.

Learn more about Benjamin Lorr’s work investigating the modern day supermarket in his book, The Secret Life of Groceries and in this article.

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