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Revision as of 21:33, 23 September 2015 editBrustopher (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users, Pending changes reviewers5,111 edits →Criticism: No need for the massive laundry list of COI based on a single source, moving some alleged coi stuff and adding more. changing title to the more NPOV "marketing"← Previous edit Revision as of 21:51, 23 September 2015 edit undoAdrian232 (talk | contribs)Extended confirmed users1,506 edits Undid revision 682460033 by Brustopher (talk) This has been discussed in depth on the talk page archive. No consensus to remove.Next edit →
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Yvette d'Entremont, an analytical chemist and toxicologist, writing for '']'' detailed significant problems with Hari's claims, describing her writing as "the worst assault on science on the internet".<ref name="gawker">{{cite web| url=http://gawker.com/the-food-babe-blogger-is-full-of-shit-1694902226|first=Yvette|last=d'Entremont|date=6 April 2015|title=The "Food Babe" Blogger Is Full of Shit|work=Gawker|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="bostinno">{{cite web|url=http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/04/07/the-food-babe-doctrine-science-babe-takes-down-vani-hari/|title= A Boston-Bred Chemist Takes Down 'Food Babe'|date=7 April 2015|work=BostInno|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref> d'Entremont received ] for her criticism of Hari following her article.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/04/08/food-babe-critic-known-as-science-babe-gets-death-threats/|date=8 April 2015|title='Science Babe' Gets Death Threats Following Her Takedown of 'Food Babe'|work=BostInno|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref> Yvette d'Entremont, an analytical chemist and toxicologist, writing for '']'' detailed significant problems with Hari's claims, describing her writing as "the worst assault on science on the internet".<ref name="gawker">{{cite web| url=http://gawker.com/the-food-babe-blogger-is-full-of-shit-1694902226|first=Yvette|last=d'Entremont|date=6 April 2015|title=The "Food Babe" Blogger Is Full of Shit|work=Gawker|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref><ref name="bostinno">{{cite web|url=http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/04/07/the-food-babe-doctrine-science-babe-takes-down-vani-hari/|title= A Boston-Bred Chemist Takes Down 'Food Babe'|date=7 April 2015|work=BostInno|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref> d'Entremont received ] for her criticism of Hari following her article.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://bostinno.streetwise.co/2015/04/08/food-babe-critic-known-as-science-babe-gets-death-threats/|date=8 April 2015|title='Science Babe' Gets Death Threats Following Her Takedown of 'Food Babe'|work=BostInno|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref>

In an article in '']'', Duane D. Stanford wrote that Hari has an apparent financial interest in generating controversy in order to draw traffic to her website to increase ad sales and drive readers to buy a subscription to her organic Eating Guide, which Hari says is her primary source of revenue.<ref name=bloomberg>{{cite news| url=http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-09-25/food-babe-vani-hari-draws-criticism-over-her-science | work=Bloomberg | title=This Activist Is No Babe in the Woods}}</ref>


===Promotion of pseudoscience=== ===Promotion of pseudoscience===
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Hari responded stating that the quote was taken out of its context of hormone-mimicking chemicals and growth stimulants, which can cause problems even in very small amounts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foodbabe.com/response-to-gawker-the-food-babe-blogger-is-full-of-shit/|title=Response to Gawker "The Food Babe Blogger is Full of…"|first=Vani|last=Hari|publisher=Food Babe|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref> Hari responded stating that the quote was taken out of its context of hormone-mimicking chemicals and growth stimulants, which can cause problems even in very small amounts.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foodbabe.com/response-to-gawker-the-food-babe-blogger-is-full-of-shit/|title=Response to Gawker "The Food Babe Blogger is Full of…"|first=Vani|last=Hari|publisher=Food Babe|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref>


===Marketing=== ===Conflicts of interest===
A 2015 article in '']'' details products Hari declares as having toxic ingredients while Hari promotes and profits from products containing the same or similar ingredients. Hari's claims that these chemicals are dangerous have been strongly refuted by experts in science and medicine.<ref name=Alsip>{{cite journal|last1=Alsip|first1=Mark Aaron|title=The ‘Food Babe’: A taste of Her Own Medicine|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/archive/category/volume_39.3|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|volume=39|issue=3|pages=39–41|year=2015|publisher=Center for Inquiry}}</ref> In an article in '']'', Duane D. Stanford wrote that Hari has an apparent financial interest in generating controversy in order to draw traffic to her website to increase ad sales and drive readers to buy a subscription to her organic Eating Guide, which Hari says is her primary source of revenue.<ref name=bloomberg>{{cite news| url=http://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-09-25/food-babe-vani-hari-draws-criticism-over-her-science | work=Bloomberg | title=This Activist Is No Babe in the Woods}}</ref> Hari's critics have drawn attention to her affiliated marketing partnerships with small organic and non-GMO brands, that she profits from recommending above mainstream brands. Hari has stated "I'm not doing this to make money. This is my life. This is my passion. This is my calling. There is no way I would put myself on the line like I do because of money. This is all about what I've learned, and I have to tell everyone."<ref name="NPR-20141204"/><ref name=adage>{{cite news|last1=Morrison|first1=Maureen|last2=Schultz|first2=E. J.|title=Activist or Capitalist? How the 'Food Babe' Makes Money|url=http://adage.com/article/news/activist-capitalist-food-babe-makes-money/294032/|accessdate=23 September 2015|work=AdvertisingAge|date=14 July 2014}}</ref> A 2015 article in '']'' details products Hari declares as having toxic ingredients while Hari promotes and profits from products containing the same or similar ingredients. Hari's claims that these chemicals are dangerous have been strongly refuted by experts in science and medicine.<ref name=Alsip>{{cite journal|last1=Alsip|first1=Mark Aaron|title=The ‘Food Babe’: A taste of Her Own Medicine|url=http://www.csicop.org/si/archive/category/volume_39.3|journal=Skeptical Inquirer|volume=39|issue=3|pages=39–41|year=2015|publisher=Center for Inquiry}}</ref>
*Hari claims ] in modern ] leads to ] and ]. Her recommended 'Naturally Fresh' deodorant contains ] (ammonium aluminum disulfate dodecahydrate) and ] (aluminum potassium sulfate).<ref name=Alsip/>
*Hari claims ] in ] could lead to ]. Several skin care products on her site contain vitamin A.<ref name=Alsip/>
*Hari campaigned against ] for their use of a caramel coloring in pumpkin lattes, claiming that the coloring contains ] (classified as 2B ]). She recommends a list of skin lotions containing ] (a "must-have ingredient"), which is also classified as a 2B carcinogen by the ] (IARC).<ref name=Alsip/>
*Hari claims any beauty product with ingredients ending in '-siloxane' should be avoided because chemicals containing the ] group are ]. She promotes Tarte Cosmetics Lights Camera Lashes Mascara, which contains ].<ref name=Alsip/>
*Hari warned readers against packaged ] because it contains ], which she claims causes skin allergies, and ], which she claims causes ] and other cancers when combined with ]. She recommends Avalon Organics Facial Cleansing Milk, which contains both of these ingredients.<ref name=Alsip/>


==References== ==References==

Revision as of 21:51, 23 September 2015

Vani Hari
Hari in a 2012 interview with the Charlotte Video Project
BornVani Deva Hari
(1979-03-22) March 22, 1979 (age 45)
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte
Known forFood blogger, food activist
Websitewww.foodbabe.com

Vani Deva Hari (born March 22, 1979), also known on her blog as the Food Babe, is an American author and activist known for her criticism of the food industry. A New York Times best-selling author, Companies such as Chick-fil-A and Subway have changed or reconsidered ingredients in their products as a result of her campaigns. Her views on food safety have been strongly criticised by scientists.

Career

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina to Indian immigrant parents from Punjab state, Hari first attended the University of Georgia before transferring to University of North Carolina at Charlotte. After graduating in 2001 with a degree in computer science, she worked as a management consultant for Accenture. She started the Food Babe blog in 2011, which Hari says received over 52 million views in 2014.

In 2011, Hari wrote a piece about ingredients in Chick-fil-A sandwiches which she alleged to be harmful. Chick-fil-A responded to Hari's post in May 2012, inviting her to its headquarters in Atlanta to discuss her concerns. As part of a larger effort to improve the nutrition of their products, Chick-fil-A announced in late 2013 it was removing dyes, corn syrup, and TBHQ from their products. They also announced a plan to only use antibiotic-free chickens within the next five years.

During the 2012 Democratic National Convention, which she attended as an elected delegate, Hari sat in the first row on the convention floor and held a sign that read "Label GMOs!" during Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack's speech. Hari said President Barack Obama broke a promise that he made during his 2008 presidential campaign to label genetically modified food.

In February 2014, Hari launched a petition on Change.org asking Subway to remove azodicarbonamide (a common flour bleaching agent and dough conditioner) from their sandwich bread. The petition gathered more than 50,000 signatures in 24 hours. Subway responded by announcing a plan to remove the ingredient from all of their sandwich breads. NPR performed a follow up story about Hari's petition to Subway in which several food science experts said that the level of azodicarbonamide permitted by the FDA for use in bread is too low to pose significant risk.

In March 2014 Hari posted another petition on Change.org asking Kraft Foods to remove FD&C yellow #5 and FD&C yellow #6 food dyes from their Mac & Cheese; by the end of October of that year the petition had received about 348,000 signatures. In October, Kraft changed the ingredients in three of its Mac & Cheese products aimed at children, which included the use of whole grains, reduction in salt and some fats, and changing the coloring; Kraft said that the changes were not a response to the petition but rather were part of an ongoing effort to improve the nutrition of the offerings, which takes several years to plan and implement. Hari claimed credit for the changes.

In June 2014, Hari posted a petition asking major brewers to list the ingredients in their products, something which US brewers are not required to do. As part of this campaign she claimed that commercial brewers "even use fish swim bladders" in their beer, as an undisclosed ingredient. NPR cited this as an example of fearmongering and lack of subject matter knowledge, as isinglass, derived from fish swim bladders, has been used as a natural fining agent in food and drink for centuries, and is in any case used primarily in cask ale, not vat-brewed beers, which are normally cleared by filtering. The next day, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors released ingredients in many of their products. The trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights called Hari's petition an "attempt of fear mongering in the name of advocacy."

Influence and awards

Hari's petitions regularly get hundreds of thousands of signatures. Her petition about Kraft's ingredients received over 365,000 signatures and her Subway petition received over 50,000 signatures in the first 24 hours. Her site had a reported 52 million visitors in 2014, and over 3 million unique visitors per month.

In March 2015, Time named Hari among "The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet".

The Food Babe Way

Hari's first book, The Food Babe Way, was released on February 10, 2015. The book was a #1 Wall Street Journal and New York Times bestseller.

Criticism

Hari has no qualifications in nutrition or food science (she is a former management consultant who studied computer science) and that lack of training often leads her to misinterpret peer-reviewed research and technical details about food chemistry, nutrition and health. In response to such accusations Hari noted that she "never claimed to be a nutritionist. I'm an investigator."

Cheryl Wischhover in Elle described Hari's tactics as "manipulative", "sneaky", and "polarizing rather than productive." Wischhover also noted cases of Hari deleting and failing to acknowledge past articles and stated "The fact that she tried to disappear these stories makes me distrust and discredit anything else she has to say, and it's mindboggling that others still take her seriously."

Yvette d'Entremont, an analytical chemist and toxicologist, writing for Gawker detailed significant problems with Hari's claims, describing her writing as "the worst assault on science on the internet". d'Entremont received death threats for her criticism of Hari following her article.

In an article in Bloomberg Businessweek, Duane D. Stanford wrote that Hari has an apparent financial interest in generating controversy in order to draw traffic to her website to increase ad sales and drive readers to buy a subscription to her organic Eating Guide, which Hari says is her primary source of revenue.

Promotion of pseudoscience

Hari has been widely criticized by scientists and others for promoting pseudoscience. Horticultural scientist Kevin Folta has been heavily critical of Hari accusing her of being "afraid of scientific engagement." Folta stated that while her campaigns have been driven by "honest intention," they had the effect of spreading scientific disinformation. Dr. Joseph A. Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office of Science and Society and a chemistry professor, states Hari "has no understanding of chemistry or food science" and that "her scientific background is nonexistent". He describes azodicarbonamide, a chemical Hari opposes the usage of, as being safe for use in food but unessential.

Following her beer campaign, David Gorski, a surgeon, stated that she was "peddling pseudoscience" by portraying the chemicals used in the making of beer as dangerous.

In a July 2012 post (since removed), Hari quoted the ideas of Masaru Emoto, namely that microwave ovens cause water molecules to form crystals that resemble crystals exposed to negative thoughts or beliefs, such as when the words "Hitler" and "Satan" were exposed to the water. Dr. Novella calls Emoto's claims "pure pseudoscience" and states that "Hari's conclusions about microwaves are all demonstrably incorrect and at odds with the scientific evidence." In a widely discredited 2011 post Hari warned readers that the air pumped into aircraft cabins was not pure oxygen, complaining it was "mixed with nitrogen, sometimes almost at 50 per cent" despite ambient air being 78% nitrogen. Hari deleted the post, later claiming it contained an "inadvertent error."

In an October 2011 blog post, Hari questioned the efficacy of flu shots, and in a 2011 Twitter post stated that flu vaccines have been used as a "genocide tool" in the past. Hari's position was criticised as false and dangerous by the American Council on Science and Health.

In The Food Babe Way, Hari states "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever."This quote was noted by The Atlantic in its review of the book, used as a pull quote and criticised at length. The statement became widely controversial in the press and with public organisations promoting science, such as McGill University's Office for Science & Society and the American Council on Science and Health.

Hari responded stating that the quote was taken out of its context of hormone-mimicking chemicals and growth stimulants, which can cause problems even in very small amounts.

Conflicts of interest

A 2015 article in Skeptical Inquirer details products Hari declares as having toxic ingredients while Hari promotes and profits from products containing the same or similar ingredients. Hari's claims that these chemicals are dangerous have been strongly refuted by experts in science and medicine.

References

  1. Sheridan, Ann (August 29, 2012). "Food blogger hopes to get Obama's attention". NBC News.
  2. Cowles, Gregory. "Best Sellers: Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous". newyorktimes.com. newyorktimes. Retrieved March 7, 2015.
  3. ^ Strom, Stephanie (December 30, 2013). "Social Media As A Megaphone To Pressure The Food Industry". The New York Times.
  4. ^ Horowitz, Bruce (February 10, 2014). "Subway to remove chemical from bread". USA Today.
  5. Belluz, Julia (April 7, 2015). "Why the "Food Babe" enrages scientists". Vox Media.
  6. Buckley, Bob (April 9, 2013). "'The Food Babe' takes on processed foods". MyFox8.com. WGHP. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  7. Fernandes, Joeanna Rebello (June 15, 2014). "The food babe who has bite". Times of India. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  8. ^ Purvis, Kathleen (September 8, 2014). "Charlotte's Food Babe has lots of fans – and some critics". Charlotte Observer.
  9. Susannah Cahalan (March 29, 2015). "The controversial rise of the 'Food Babe'". New York Post. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  10. ^ Parvati Shallow (April 1, 2015). "Vani Hari sounds the alarm for changing the food industry". CBS. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  11. ^ Somers, Meredith (September 5, 2012). "Delegate's front-row seat a bully pulpit on what we eat". The Washington Times. Washington, D.C.: Unification Church. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  12. Perlmutt, David; Bryan, Florence; Mayhew, Justin (September 4, 2012). "Fried chicken, political buttons and a little darkness: Delegates find it all". The Charlotte Observer. Charlotte, North Carolina: The McClatchy Company. Archived from the original on March 9, 2014. Retrieved May 6, 2014.
  13. Dougherty, Elizabeth (September 18, 2012). "DNC Delegate Stands Up To Obama And USDA At Convention". News Talk Florida. Largo, Florida: Genesis Communications Network. Retrieved May 2, 2014.
  14. FDA Frequently Asked Questions on Azodicarbonamide (ADA) Page Last Updated: 20 June 2014
  15. Donaldson James, Susan (February 5, 2014). "Subway Takes Chemical Out of Sandwich Bread After Protest". ABC News.
  16. Miller, Tracy (February 6, 2014). "Subway will remove additive found in plastics from its bread after blogger's online petition". New York Daily News. New York City. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  17. Cornish, Audi (March 6, 2014). "Almost 500 Foods Contain The 'Yoga Mat' Compound. Should We Care?". National Public Radio. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  18. Cornish, Audi (March 6, 2014). "Almost 500 Foods Contain The 'Yoga Mat' Compound. Should We Care? (Audio Transcript)". National Public Radio. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  19. ^ Staff writer (October 31, 2013). "Kraft to remove artificial dyes from three macaroni and cheese varieties". The Guardian. New York City. Associated Press. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  20. Pisani, Joseph (June 12, 2014). "Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors Post Beer Ingredients". Associated Press.
  21. ^ Sacks, Brianna (June 13, 2014). "Pressed by blogger, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors post beer ingredients". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  22. ^ Godoy, Maria (December 4, 2014). "Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out". NPR. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  23. "Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors list ingredients in key brands". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Associated Press. June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  24. ^ Schwabel, Dan. "Vani Hari: How She Grew Her Food Blog Into An Empire". Forbes.
  25. "The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet". Time. March 5, 2015.
  26. "Best-Selling Books Week Ended Feb. 15". Wall Street Journal. February 19, 2015.
  27. Wilson, Jen. "Charlotte's Food Babe hits New York Times' Best Sellers list". Biz Journals.
  28. ^ Stanford, Duane (September 17, 2014). "Food Babe's attacks draw 'quackmail' backlash". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014.
  29. ^ Godoy, Maria (December 4, 2014). "Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out: The Salt". NPR. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  30. ^ http://www.elle.com/culture/a27692/food-babe-problem/
  31. d'Entremont, Yvette (April 6, 2015). "The "Food Babe" Blogger Is Full of Shit". Gawker. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  32. "A Boston-Bred Chemist Takes Down 'Food Babe'". BostInno. April 7, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  33. "'Science Babe' Gets Death Threats Following Her Takedown of 'Food Babe'". BostInno. April 8, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  34. ^ "This Activist Is No Babe in the Woods". Bloomberg.
  35. White, Nancy J. (June 14, 2014). "Why Big Food fears the 'Food Babe'". The Toronto Star.
  36. Schwarcz, Joseph A. (April 26, 2014). "The Food Babe is anything but an expert on food matters". The Gazette. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  37. Gorski, David (June 16, 2014). "Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe): The Jenny McCarthy of food". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  38. Crislip, Mark (October 18, 2013). "Scam Stud". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  39. Novella, Steven (April 30, 2014). "Microwaves and Nutrition". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  40. Rubin, Courtney (March 13, 2015). "Taking On the Food Industry, One Blog Post at a Time". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  41. Brown, Eryn (April 16, 2015). "EDGY BLOGGER SENSATION SCIBABE TAKES THE LAB COAT OFF SCIENCE". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  42. Brown, Eryn (April 20, 2015). "Science Babe set to become a star after online takedown of Food Babe". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  43. Hari, Vani (October 4, 2011). "Should I get the Flu Shot?". Food Babe. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  44. "Charlotte's Food Babe has lots of fans – and some critics". Charlotte Observer. 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  45. "Did you know the #flushot has been used as a genocide tool in the past. Think twice - more info at http://foodbabe.com". Twitter. October 5, 2011. Archived from the original on May 9, 2015. {{cite web}}: |archive-date= / |archive-url= timestamp mismatch; April 9, 2015 suggested (help); External link in |title= (help); Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  46. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/collapse-food-babe-how-manage-crisis-morgan-fisher
  47. ^ ""Food Babe" or food poisoning — which is more harmful?". American Council on Science and Health. February 19, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  48. Hamblin, James (February 11, 2015). "http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/". The Atlantic. Retrieved August 6, 2015. {{cite web}}: External link in |title= (help)
  49. Cahalan, Susannah (March 29, 2015). "The controversial rise of the 'Food Babe'". New York Post. Retrieved August 6, 2015. Critics take umbrage with a statement in her book that 'There is no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest ever.'
  50. "The Food Babe Decoded". McGill Office for Science & Society. March 15, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  51. Hari, Vani. "Response to Gawker "The Food Babe Blogger is Full of…"". Food Babe. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  52. ^ Alsip, Mark Aaron (2015). "The 'Food Babe': A taste of Her Own Medicine". Skeptical Inquirer. 39 (3). Center for Inquiry: 39–41.

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