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Scroll through any social media feed and you’ll find influencers raving about their favorite meal delivery services, protein powders or snack brands. They share what feels like genuine advice — so relatable and friendly that it’s easy to forget it’s a paid promotion. That’s right: What often goes unseen is the hefty paycheck behind these posts.

The food and beverage industry pours nearly $14 billion dollars annually into advertising, and influencer marketing now commands a significant share of that budget. Influencers are trusted because they seem like regular, everyday people who could be your friends — friends whose opinions carry weight, especially among adolescents who spend almost three hours a day on platforms like TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.

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Because of the casual way influencers engage with the followers on social media, they blur the line between

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