Beware the diet influencer

General Mills is funding an "anti-diet" campaign

I love Brooklyn Delhi.

Founded in 2009 by cookbook author, Chitra Agarwal, to reflect her culinary heritage, she wanted to create high-quality Indian condiments and sauces with an American twist. While the entire selection of chutneys and sauces are delicious, the tomato achaar is a must-have in my refrigerator.

So reading about what Trader Joe’s did to Agarwal’s small business infuriated me. In a nutshell: the corporate giant contacted Agarwal to potentially sell Brooklyn Delhi in its stores, a huge opportunity for any independent startup. She enthusiastically replied, sending samples and wholesale pricing. Then, silence.

They ghosted her.

Sort of. A few months later, TJ’s launched its own knockoff, even spelling achaar with an extra “a,” which Agarwal did so that Americans would have an easier time pronouncing the word. The shadiness didn’t stop there.

Even though traditional achar is made with raw garlic, Trader Joe’s roasted the garlic in its formula (although in diluted, pureed form), mimicking the signature twist that makes Brooklyn Delhi’s product so unique.

This is a common practice. If you shop at TJ’s, however, you already know that: there are many similar-sounding private label products that remind you of something else, something familiar, yet less expensive—which a corporate behemoth can do thanks to the scale of its operations. 

For example: TJ’s was considering white labeling Auria’s Malaysian Kitchen’s Lime Leaf Sambal. But it would have been too expensive for that small company’s owner, Auria Abraham. So TJ did what it does best: it stole the recipe. Since recipes can’t be trademarked, Abraham lost out. 

Abraham says that had she private labeled her Lime Leaf Sambal with Trader Joe’s using the original recipe, her wholesale unit cost to them would’ve been around $7. The Thai-Style Green Chili Sauce that the company released after their negotiations stalled went on sale for a mere $2.99.

Trader Joe’s isn’t the only corporation manipulating the food industry. A joint investigation by The Examination and the Washington Post discovered that at least part of the “anti-diet” movement is being funded by companies with a vested interest in steering consumers away from healthier food options. The main offender is General Mills, which has been sponsoring anti-diet influencers to push sugar-heavy breakfast cereals.

What’s worse: these influencers were all registered dietitians.