Michael F. Jacobson

Michael F. Jacobson holds a BA in chemistry from the University of Chicago and a PhD in microbiology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. After graduating from MIT, Jacobson moved to Washington, DC, to volunteer with Ralph Nader. He soon met two other Nader's Raiders with doctorates, and the three created a new nonprofit organization, the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Jacobson began his career in Washington by writing books about food additives (Eater's Digest) and nutrition (Nutrition Scoreboard) and has been working ever since to improve the healthfulness of the food supply by promoting better government policies, improved corporate practices, and more knowledgeable consumers. Jacobson and CSPI led efforts to ban trans fat, publicize the harms from consuming too much sugar (especially from soft drinks) and salt, and win passage of the law that required Nutrition Facts labels on foods. After serving as the Co-director or Executive Director of CSPI for four decades, in 2017 he stepped down and is now a Senior Scientist at the organization.

His latest book is Salt Wars (October 20, 2020). He previously co-authored Restaurant Confidential; Fast-Food Guide; Food for People, Not for Profit; and Marketing Madness.