Just how much freedom do you really have when it comes to buying consumer food brands?
While the large number of products on the shelves may make it seem like we have more choices than ever, that just may be a carefully crafted illusion. For example, when deciding what kind of water to buy, you may feel like the choice between Arrowhead, Deer Park, Ozarka, Perrier, Poland Spring, and Pure Life gives you almost unlimited options. But the truth is that “choice” is anything but — all of those brands are actually owned by Nestlé Global.
In fact, only a few companies control the majority of the consumer food and beverage industry. They control everything from what cereal we eat to what toothpaste we use. To get a better idea of just how limited our choices really are, Wikibuy took a closer look at which companies own which brands within the food and beverage space. They found that a limited 11 companies control over 400 major brands.
What’s even more shocking is that people do not really know who owns which brand. For example, in a survey Wikibuy conducted of 1,000 Americans only 27 percent of respondents knew that General Mills owns natural food company Annie’s Homegrown. Instead, the majority of respondents thought the brand was owned by an “organic-sounding” company.
Do you know who you’re buying from? Take a look at the graphic of food brands and their owners below to find out.
Image source: https://wikibuy.com/
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