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0 pointsst3v3r9y ago0 comments

"Soylent is trying to do something more ambitious than other packaged food manufacturers"

No, they aren't. There is nothing special about what they're trying to do compared to any other packaged food manufacturer. That's why they shouldn't be cut any more slack than any other manufacturer.

"It's not unreasonable to expect there to be some small hiccups."

It entirely is. If this happened to Twinkies, people would be livid. I see no reason that shouldn't be the same response here.

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13 comments · 5 top-level

baby9y ago· 4 in thread

> There is nothing special about what they're trying to do compared to any other packaged food manufacturer

I'm neutral on this debate, but I think you are wrong here. Soylent is a meal replacer. It is supposed to bring you all nutrients you need in a meal.

nommm-nommm9y ago

Haven't you ever seen a commercial for meal replacement shakes before? They've been a staple in the diet industry as long as I've been alive. Liquid diets are also a "thing" in medical settings for patients who are unable to take solid foods. Remember "Carnation Instant Breakfast"? That's been around since the 60s. Its really not an original idea.

baby9y ago

People keep saying that, but no one point me to a webpage where I can buy these.

(even getting downvoted =) the hate against soylent is strong)

2 more replies

DanBC9y ago

Dozens of those already exist and are used everyday in hospitals across the US.

They come in a wide variety of types - high and low protein, high and low calorie, with or without fibre, designed for naso-gastric tube feeding or for drinking, flavoured or unflavoured, designed to be eaten on their own or to be mixed with some other food stuff, designed to be eaten cold or hot.

The novelty of Soylent is (irresponsibly) marketing these to the public.

st3v3rOP9y ago

Those have existed for quite some time. And, quite frankly, they're just packaging food. That's not novel. Every other food maker is responsible for making sure their product is safe. Why should Soylent be any different?

ng129y ago· 3 in thread

> That's why they shouldn't be cut any more slack than any other manufacturer.

I think it's the opposite, people are unnecessarily critical of Soylent. The problem is consumers weren't aware they were allergic to algae flour. It has nothing to do with Soylent's hygiene or formulation practices.

cptskippy9y ago

I think the attention received is relative to the attention solicited. Soylent has been everywhere in the news talking up their revolutionary product. It's not unlike Apple's Macbook debacle. They launched a product and made a big deal about it, it had a flaw and everyone latched onto it to complain.

nilkn9y ago

It seems to me that Soylent barely even has a marketing budget compared to Apple. To compare it to Apple's marketing of the MacBook Pro seems like a huge stretch. In my honest estimation, word about it has largely spread precisely due to the large amount of vitriol it receives and the fact that it easily and naturally leads to controversial forum discussions on nutrition.

Something about the very idea of Soylent causes people on lots of internet forums to pop out of the woodwork and discuss it quite passionately, from both directions. The basic concept seems to engender a lot of excitement from some and a lot of disgust from others, and when those folks clash online you immediately get 200+ comment threads like the one we're in. This phenomenon has been going on for years at this point, over and over, both here and elsewhere.

jacobolus9y ago

> Apple's Macbook debacle

Are you talking about the machines that haven’t been released yet, that nobody outside of Apple has ever tried?

Can you explain how it’s a “debacle”?

Here’s a response from Bret Victor, who apparently worked on prototypes 8 years ago: https://twitter.com/worrydream/status/793508197336178688

Zikes9y ago· 1 in thread

I think a lot of people are forgetting about Olestra.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olestra#Side_effects

Edit: I think that a well-known incidence of a popular food product which got FDA approval and saw widespread use also causing gastrointestinal distress is entirely relevant to the discussion.

If you disagree with me feel free to use the comments.

lanebrain9y ago

Anal leakage - thanks Olestra, didn't know that was even a thing.

dragonwriter9y ago

Soylent pretends to be more ambitious in substance, but that's mostly hype. OTOH, it's the hype that's the only reason anyone pays attention to Soylent at all, so they are kind of stuck accepting the bad side of that along with the good.

mrtron9y ago

If I replaced a meal with Twinkies, I would expect to get sick.

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