One thing about that nutri-food that "was so bland that it was pretty much designed to kill even the sensation of taste" That would, I bet, be gentle enough for people who were very, very sick and, due to being sick, was unable to eat anything else while their systems recovered.
A potential crime against the nature of food itself, turned into medicine. Heh, that would definitely be a way to "stick it" to those that were using it to keep their population obedient. Be a great way to help people dealing with a nasty norovirus. Blarg!
It probably did begin as medicinal... and then vile people weaponised it. Because of course they would.
True enough. Anything designed to be for the good will, sooner or later, be weaponized to do harm by those to whom cruelty isn't a bug in their thinking, it's a feature.
And it's so profitable 9_9