Perhaps more than any other, the food industry is very sensitive to consumer demand.

Pollan’s point is that food production, marketing, and product formulation tend to track what shoppers will reliably buy—often faster and more visibly than in other sectors—because food is purchased frequently and margins can depend on high-volume, repeat sales. The quote also implies a reciprocal dynamic: “consumer demand” is not purely spontaneous but is shaped by pricing, advertising, labeling, and the retail environment. Read this way, the line functions as both a statement of consumer power (choices can move the system) and a caution (demand can be engineered), underscoring Pollan’s broader interest in how everyday eating decisions connect to industrial practices and public health.