Video

The Wide, Weird World of Food-Processing Videos

YouTube’s oddest and most satisfying rabbit hole.  

What if I told you that some of the weirdest, funniest, and most satisfying videos on YouTube were made exclusively for the eyes of food-processing factory engineers? Companies like Volm and NovaTec make these videos to show off their mechanical carrot-sorters and potato-washers to potential buyers in the industry. But I watch them recreationally. And so should everybody. 

I started watching ironically, but the casual viewing has since become earnest, and now I can’t separate my irony from sincere captivation. As the communications manager for one of these companies put it, upon my asking him about the artistic considerations behind the videos: “I assure you they’re all business … this is a really weird obsession you have.”

And yes, I suppose it is weird. But this far-flung corner of YouTube really is an amazing place. Watch the video above as I take you down the wonderfully strange rabbit hole. You won’t regret it.