re: serve up the bland, unhealthy rubbish that the ad men tell us we like

Food can be bland and still be good. French food rarely has strong spices, yet it's very good.

In my opinion, the things that make for food are cheap ingredients and the need for a long shelf-life.

However, if I were a manufacturer and I had to choose between long shelf-life and putting at people at risk of eating spoiled food, I would go for the shelf life.

Sorcha: thanks for the link to the recipe. I believe I'll try making bangers again.