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===Quote: "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever."===
===Quote: "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever."===


In ''The Food Babe Way'', Hari states, in the context of a discussion of [[Sympathomimetic drug | sympathomimetic drugs]] and [[Growth hormone | growth hormones]], "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever." This quote was printed by ''The Atlantic'' in its review of the book,<ref name="atlantic">{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/|title=http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/|work=The Atlantic|first=James|last=Hamblin|date=11 February 2015|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref> used as a [[pull quote]] and used without its context in the following passage:
In ''The Food Babe Way'', Hari states:


{{quotation|There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever.}}
<blockquote>Her stance on food additives is an absolute one: "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever."</blockquote>


This quote was noted by ''The Atlantic'' in its review of the book,<ref name="atlantic">{{cite web|url=http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/|title=http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/|work=The Atlantic|first=James|last=Hamblin|date=11 February 2015|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref> used as a [[pull quote]] and criticised at length. The statement became widely controversial in the press<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nypost.com/2015/03/29/the-controversial-rise-of-the-food-babe/|title=The controversial rise of the ‘Food Babe’|first=Susannah|last=Cahalan|date=29 March 2015|accessdate=6 August 2015|work=New York Post|quote=Critics take umbrage with a statement in her book that 'There is no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest ever.'}}</ref> and with public organisations promoting science, such as the [[McGill University]] Office for Science & Society<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcgill.ca/oss/channels/news/food-babe-decoded-243591|title= The Food Babe Decoded |date=15 March 2015|accessdate=6 August 2015|publisher=McGill Office for Science & Society}}</ref> and the [[American Council on Science and Health]].<ref name=acsh>{{cite web|url=http://acsh.org/2015/02/food-babe-food-poisoning-harmful/|title="Food Babe" or food poisoning — which is more harmful?|date=19 February 2015|publisher=American Council on Science and Health|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref>
The statement became widely quoted in the press<ref>{{cite news|url=http://nypost.com/2015/03/29/the-controversial-rise-of-the-food-babe/|title=The controversial rise of the ‘Food Babe’|first=Susannah|last=Cahalan|date=29 March 2015|accessdate=6 August 2015|work=New York Post|quote=Critics take umbrage with a statement in her book that 'There is no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest ever.'}}</ref> and with public organisations promoting science, such as the [[McGill University]] Office for Science & Society<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mcgill.ca/oss/channels/news/food-babe-decoded-243591|title= The Food Babe Decoded |date=15 March 2015|accessdate=6 August 2015|publisher=McGill Office for Science & Society}}</ref> and the [[American Council on Science and Health]].<ref name=acsh>{{cite web|url=http://acsh.org/2015/02/food-babe-food-poisoning-harmful/|title="Food Babe" or food poisoning — which is more harmful?|date=19 February 2015|publisher=American Council on Science and Health|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=
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:

Response to Gawker "The Food Babe Blogger is Full of…"|first=Vani|last=Hari|publisher=Food Babe|accessdate=6 August 2015}}</ref>
<blockquote>My statement that “There is no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest ever” was taken from my book on page 40 from the section regarding ractopamine and growth hormones. My critics took it out of context (after The Atlantic decided to highlight the quote as a side bar). My point was in the context of hormone mimicking chemicals and growth stimulants. Extremely low levels of compounds that mimic hormones work in the body like hormones. That is why I don’t believe there is any acceptable level of these chemicals to ingest, ever. Certainly reducing all synthetic, artificial chemicals is best, but it is difficult to avoid each and every one of them in all 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></blockquote>


===Promoting products with ingredients she warns against===
===Promoting products with ingredients she warns against===

Revision as of 14:16, 16 September 2015

Vani Hari
Vani Hari in a 2012 interview with the Charlotte Video Project
Born
Vani Deva Hari

(1979-03-22) March 22, 1979 (age 45)
Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
Alma materUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte[1]
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,[2] Hari claims companies including Kraft, Chipotle Mexican Grill, Chick-fil-A, Starbucks,[3] and Subway have changed or reconsidered ingredients in their products as a result of her campaigns.[4][5] Her claims have been strongly criticised by scientists.[6]

Career

Born in Charlotte, North Carolina to Indian immigrant parents from Punjab state,[7][8] 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.[9] She started the Food Babe blog in 2011, which Hari says received over 52 million views in 2014.[10][11]

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.[4]

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.[12][13][14] Hari said President Barack Obama broke a promise that he made during his 2008 presidential campaign to label genetically modified food.[12]

In February 2014, Hari launched a petition on Change.org asking Subway to remove azodicarbonamide (a flour bleaching agent and dough conditioner[15]) from their sandwich bread. The petition gathered more than 50,000 signatures in 24 hours.[16] Subway responded by announcing a plan to remove the chemical from all of their sandwich breads.[5][17]

NPR performed a follow up story about Hari's petition to Subway in which several food science experts said that azodicarbonamide use in bread is reasonable and claims about its health risks are false.[18][19]

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.[20] 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.[4][20] Hari claimed credit for the changes.[20]

In June 2014, Hari posted a petition asking major brewers to list the ingredients in their products,[21] something which US brewers are not required to do.[22] 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.[23] The next day, Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors released ingredients in many of their products.[24] The trade publication Beer Marketer's Insights called Hari's petition an "attempt of fear mongering in the name of advocacy."[22]

Influence and awards

Hari's petitions regularly get hundreds of thousands of signatures. Her petition about Kraft received over 365,000 signatures and her Subway petition received over 50,000 signatures in the first 24 hours.[11][25] Her site had a reported 52 million visitors in 2014, and over 3 million unique visitors per month.[11][25]

In March 2015, Time named Hari among "The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet".[26]

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.[27][28]

Criticism

Critics state that Hari lacks credentials 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.[29][30]

Cheryl Wischhover in Elle described Hari's tactics as "manipulative", "sneaky", and "polarizing rather than productive." Wischhover also noted Hari's tendency to delete and fail 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." [31]

Promotion of pseudoscience

Hari has been widely criticized by scientists and others for promoting pseudoscience.[9][29][30] Following Hari's Subway petition, Dr. Steven Novella, a neurologist from the New England Skeptical Society, described the campaign as "unscientific" and a case of "food-based fear mongering."[32] 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."[33] He describes several chemicals that Hari criticizes, such as calcium carbonate, sodium hydrogen sulfate, and azodicarbonamide, as being safe.[34]

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.[29][35]

Her critics say that since her website is driven by ad revenue, she has a vested financial interest in making controversial claims in order to increase traffic. Critics consider the level of media recognition which she has received unwarranted. Media attention, they believe, is due to her attractive physical appearance and despite her lack of knowledge and credentials in the field of food science and nutrition. Schwarcz says her scientific background is "virtually non-existent".[36]

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.[37] 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."[38] In a widely discredited[39] 2011 post Hari warned readers that the air pumped into aircraft cabins wasn't pure oxygen, complaining it was "mixed with nitrogen, sometimes almost at 50 per cent" despite ambient air being 78% nitrogen.[40][41]

Vaccine effectiveness

In an October 2011 blog post, Hari questioned the efficacy of flu shots,[42][43] and in a 2011 Twitter post stated that flu vaccines have been used as a "genocide tool" in the past.[44][45] Hari's position was criticised as false and dangerous by the American Council on Science and Health.[46]

Quote: "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever."

In The Food Babe Way, Hari states, in the context of a discussion of sympathomimetic drugs and growth hormones, "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever." This quote was printed by The Atlantic in its review of the book,[47] used as a pull quote and used without its context in the following passage:

Her stance on food additives is an absolute one: "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever."

The statement became widely quoted in the press[48] and with public organisations promoting science, such as the McGill University Office for Science & Society[49] and the American Council on Science and Health.[46]

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:

My statement that “There is no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest ever” was taken from my book on page 40 from the section regarding ractopamine and growth hormones. My critics took it out of context (after The Atlantic decided to highlight the quote as a side bar). My point was in the context of hormone mimicking chemicals and growth stimulants. Extremely low levels of compounds that mimic hormones work in the body like hormones. That is why I don’t believe there is any acceptable level of these chemicals to ingest, ever. Certainly reducing all synthetic, artificial chemicals is best, but it is difficult to avoid each and every one of them in all amounts.[50]

Promoting products with ingredients she warns against

A 2015 article in Skeptical Inquirer details products Hari declares as having toxic ingredients while Hari promotes and profits from products containing said ingredients. Hari's claims that these chemicals cited above are dangerous have been debunked by experts in science and medicine.[51]

Yvette d'Entremont, an analytical chemist and toxicologist, has detailed similar significant problems in Hari's claims.[52][53] d'Entremont received death threats for her criticism of Hari.[54]

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. ^ Little, Katie (February 7, 2014). "That Chemical Subway Ditched? McDonald's, Wendy's Use it Too". NBCNews.com. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  4. ^ a b c Strom, Stephanie (December 30, 2013). "Social Media As A Megaphone To Pressure The Food Industry". The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b Horowitz, Bruce (February 10, 2014). "Subway to remove chemical from bread". USA Today.
  6. ^ Belluz, Julia (April 7, 2015). "Why the "Food Babe" enrages scientists". Vox Media.
  7. ^ Buckley, Bob (April 9, 2013). "'The Food Babe' takes on processed foods". MyFox8.com. WGHP. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  8. ^ Fernandes, Joeanna Rebello (June 15, 2014). "The food babe who has bite". Times of India. Retrieved July 8, 2015.
  9. ^ a b Purvis, Kathleen (September 8, 2014). "Charlotte's Food Babe has lots of fans – and some critics". Charlotte Observer.
  10. ^ Susannah Cahalan (March 29, 2015). "The controversial rise of the 'Food Babe'". New York Post. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  11. ^ a b c Parvati Shallow (April 1, 2015). "Vani Hari sounds the alarm for changing the food industry". CBS. Retrieved April 8, 2015.
  12. ^ a b 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.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ FDA Frequently Asked Questions on Azodicarbonamide (ADA) Page Last Updated: 20 June 2014
  16. ^ Donaldson James, Susan (February 5, 2014). "Subway Takes Chemical Out of Sandwich Bread After Protest". ABC News.
  17. ^ 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.
  18. ^ Cornish, Audi (March 6, 2014). "Almost 500 Foods Contain The 'Yoga Mat' Compound. Should We Care?". National Public Radio. Retrieved November 18, 2014.
  19. ^ 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.
  20. ^ a b c 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.
  21. ^ Pisani, Joseph (June 12, 2014). "Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors Post Beer Ingredients". Associated Press.
  22. ^ a b Sacks, Brianna (June 13, 2014). "Pressed by blogger, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors post beer ingredients". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  23. ^ Godoy, Maria (December 4, 2014). "Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out". NPR. Retrieved August 7, 2015.
  24. ^ "Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors list ingredients in key brands". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Associated Press. June 13, 2014. Retrieved June 17, 2014.
  25. ^ a b Schwabel, Dan. "Vani Hari: How She Grew Her Food Blog Into An Empire". Forbes.
  26. ^ "The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet". Time. March 5, 2015.
  27. ^ "Best-Selling Books Week Ended Feb. 15". Wall Street Journal. February 19, 2015.
  28. ^ Wilson, Jen. "Charlotte's Food Babe hits New York Times' Best Sellers list". Biz Journals.
  29. ^ a b c Stanford, Duane (September 17, 2014). "Food Babe's attacks draw 'quackmail' backlash". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014.
  30. ^ a b Godoy, Maria (December 4, 2014). "Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out: The Salt". NPR. Retrieved December 5, 2014.
  31. ^ http://www.elle.com/culture/a27692/food-babe-problem/
  32. ^ Novella, Steven (February 28, 2014). "More Yoga Mat Hysteria". Neurologica. NeuroLogicaBlog. Retrieved April 29, 2014.
  33. ^ White, Nancy J. (June 14, 2014). "Why Big Food fears the 'Food Babe'". The Toronto Star.
  34. ^ Schwarcz, Joseph A. (April 26, 2014). "The Food Babe is anything but an expert on food matters". The Gazette. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  35. ^ 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.
  36. ^ "This Activist Is No Babe in the Woods". Bloomberg.
  37. ^ Crislip, Mark (October 18, 2013). "Scam Stud". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved April 25, 2014.
  38. ^ Novella, Steven (April 30, 2014). "Microwaves and Nutrition". Science-Based Medicine. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  39. ^ Rubin, Courtney (March 13, 2015). "Taking On the Food Industry, One Blog Post at a Time". The New York Times. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  40. ^ Brown, Eryn (April 16, 2015). "EDGY BLOGGER SENSATION SCIBABE TAKES THE LAB COAT OFF SCIENCE". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 15, 2015.
  41. ^ 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.
  42. ^ Hari, Vani (October 4, 2011). "Should I get the Flu Shot?". Food Babe. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  43. ^ "Charlotte's Food Babe has lots of fans – and some critics". Charlotte Observer. 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
  44. ^ "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)
  45. ^ https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/collapse-food-babe-how-manage-crisis-morgan-fisher
  46. ^ a b ""Food Babe" or food poisoning — which is more harmful?". American Council on Science and Health. February 19, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  47. ^ 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)
  48. ^ 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.'
  49. ^ "The Food Babe Decoded". McGill Office for Science & Society. March 15, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  50. ^ Hari, Vani. "Response to Gawker "The Food Babe Blogger is Full of…"". Food Babe. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  51. ^ a b c d e f Alsip, Mark Aaron (2015). "The 'Food Babe': A taste of Her Own Medicine". Skeptical Inquirer. 39 (3). Center for Inquiry: 39–41.
  52. ^ d'Entremont, Yvette (April 6, 2015). "The "Food Babe" Blogger Is Full of Shit". Gawker. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  53. ^ "A Boston-Bred Chemist Takes Down 'Food Babe'". BostInno. April 7, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.
  54. ^ "'Science Babe' Gets Death Threats Following Her Takedown of 'Food Babe'". BostInno. April 8, 2015. Retrieved August 6, 2015.

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