References that Refute Misinformation propagated by Vani Hari, “the Food Babe”
Vani Hari: Context, History, and Content
Charlotte’s Food Babe has lots of fans – and some critics. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article9140060.html
Vani Hari – Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vani_Hari
Interview with Vani Hari, The Food Babe. https://healthywithnedi.com/food-babe/
Brandolini’s Law. https://www.instagram.com/p/C815MsMS3LG/?img_index=1
Chemistry Lessons for the Food Babe (a series). www.mcgill.ca/oss
7 Ways “The Food Babe” Spectacularly Fails To Grasp Science. https://whatculture.com/offbeat/7-ways-39-the-food-babe-39-spectacularly-fails-to-grasp-science
Operating like the Food Babe: Product referrals, inconsistencies in data and bad science. http://www.insufferableintolerance.com/how-to-make-money-like-the-food-babe/
Vani Hari called out for fearmongering about Banana Baby Pouches & Undeclared #Ad. https://www.tiktok.com/@dr_idz/video/7348500668736441632?lang=en
Food Babe Lie. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNMvddVfwzU
The Fear Babe: Shattering Vani Hari’s Glass House eBook. https://www.amazon.com.au/Fear-Babe-Shattering-Haris-Glass-ebook/dp/B0178OF9R4
The “Food Babe” Blogger Is Full of Shit. http://web.archive.org/web/20150412181418/http://gawker.com/the-food-babe-blogger-is-full-of-shit-1694902226
Food Babe book and blog claims: Beaver ass, coal tar, and yoga mat in your food. https://slate.com/technology/2015/02/food-babe-book-and-blog-claims-beaver-ass-coal-tar-and-yoga-mat-in-your-food.html
Food Babe Vani Hari Attacking Public Scientists Again. https://kfolta.blogspot.com/2017/02/food-babe-vani-hari-attacking-public.html
5 More “Food Babe” Myths You Shouldn’t Believe. https://web.archive.org/web/20191018183434/https://www.health.com/food/vani-hari-food-babe-myths-you-shouldnt-believe
Vani Hari (Food Babe): Does inability to understand science of food make one an expert on GMOs and chemicals? https://geneticliteracyproject.org/glp-facts/vani-hari/#ref_15
Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe): The Jenny McCarthy of food. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/vani-hari-a-k-a-the-food-babe-the-jenny-mccarthy-of-food/
Evolution of Food Babe: From misguided consumer advocate to crude bully. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2014/12/10/evolution-of-food-babe-from-misguided-consumer-advocate-to-crude-bully/
The Food ‘Babe’ and Flu Vaccination. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/scam-stud/
Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/04/364745790/food-babe-or-fear-babe-as-activist-s-profile-grows-so-do-her-critics
What’s In YOUR Beer? Or, The Dangers of Dumbassery [Internet]. https://www.maureenogle.com/maureen-ogle/2013/08/18/whats-in-your-beer-or-the-dangers-of-dumbassery
Food Babe or food poisoning which is more harmful? https://www.acsh.org/news/2015/02/19/food-babe-food-poisoning-harmful
The Food Babe is a Raving Lunatic. https://www.jezebel.com/the-food-babe-is-a-raving-lunatic-1685840128
Watch scientist challenge the scare-promoting Food Babe. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2015/04/07/watch-scientist-challenge-the-scare-promoting-food-babe/
The Food Babe has No Idea how Physiology Works. https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/quackery/food-babe-has-no-idea-how-physiology-works
Eating Yoga Mats. https://theness.com/neurologicablog/eating-yoga-mats/
Scam Stud. The Food ‘Babe’ and Flu Vaccination. https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/scam-stud/
The Food Babe says she’s won a victory over Kraft. The Science Babe says otherwise. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2015/04/22/the-food-babe-says-shes-won-a-victory-over-kraft-the-science-babe-says-shes-ruining-mac-and-cheese/
Vani Hari’s Kooky Response to Critical Students. https://kfolta.blogspot.com/2015/01/vani-haris-kooky-response-to-critical.html
Debunking Food Industry Myths with Erin from Food Science Babe. https://lynzyandco.com/episode-35-debunking-food-industry-myths-with-erin-from-food-science-babe/
Food Babe Scam: My Response To The Attacks On Me and Our Movement. https://foodbabe.com/food-babe-critics/comment-page-21/
Food Babe Hypocrisy. https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Food_Babe#Hypocrisy
Vani Hari “Show Me the Ingredients” image. https://www.facebook.com/thefoodbabe/photos/pb.100047100825725.-2207520000/890327901001922/?type=3
Food Babe. https://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Food_Babe
Media Bias/Fact Check. Food Babe - Bias and Credibility. https://mediabiasfactcheck.com/food-babe/
Food Babe blogger Vani Hari taking heat over health science https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-3052566/Food-Babe-blogger-Vani-Hari-taking-heat-health-science.html
Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Web Sites. https://skeptoid.com/episodes/4495
Refutations to Vani’s Anti-Vaccine Rhetoric
37. Food Babe on Twitter. “Did you know the #flushot has been used as a genocide tool in the past. Think twice”. https://archive.md/SDk1W
38. Echo chambers and opinion dynamics explain the occurrence of vaccination hesitancy. DOI:10.1098/rsos.220367
39. Words matter: Vaccine hesitancy, vaccine demand, vaccine confidence, herd immunity and mandatory vaccination. DOI:10.1016/j.vaccine.2019.11.056
40. Progress Toward Measles Elimination — Worldwide, 2000–2022. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7246a3.htm
41. The Impact of the Anti-Vaccination Movement and Vaccine Hesitancy on the Health of the Child. https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/en/publications/the-impact-of-the-anti-vaccination-movement-and-vaccine-hesitancy
42. Who benefits from vaccines? https://www.science.org.au/education/immunisation-climate-change-genetic-modification/science-immunisation/3-who-benefits
43. The flu jab, explained. https://www.nps.org.au/consumers/the-flu-shot-explained
44. About immunisation. https://www.health.gov.au/topics/immunisation/about-immunisation
Refutations to Vani’s Misinformation about Cereals
45. Fortified breakfast cereal consumed daily for 12 wk leads to a significant improvement in micronutrient intake and micronutrient status in adolescent girls: a randomised controlled trial. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12937-016-0185-6
46. Williams PG. The Benefits of Breakfast Cereal Consumption: A Systematic Review of the Evidence Base. DOI: 10.3945/an.114.006247
47. Associations of Ready-to-Eat Cereal Consumption and Income With Dietary Outcomes: Results From the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2015–2018. DOI:10.3389/fnut.2022.816548/full
48. The Health Benefits of Dietary Fibre. DOI:10.3390/nu12103209
49. Benefits of wholegrain cereals. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/cereals-and-wholegrain-foods#benefits-of-wholegrain-cereals
50. Effects of Dietary Fiber and Its Components on Metabolic Health. DOI:10.3390/nu2121266
51. Effects of Ready-to-Eat-Cereals on Key Nutritional and Health Outcomes. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0164931
52. Dietary fibre and whole grains in diabetes management: Systematic review and meta-analyses. DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003053
Current data on claims about sugar and food addiction
53. Five years of the Yale Food Addiction Scale: Taking stock and moving forward. DOI:10.1007/s40429-014-0021-z
54. The plausibility of sugar addiction and its role in obesity and eating disorders. DOI:10.1016/j.clnu.2009.12.001
55. Sugar addiction: the state of the science. DOI:10.1007/s00394-016-1229-6
56. The Relationship between Addictive Eating and Dietary Intake: A Systematic Review. DOI:10.3390/nu14010164
57. Why animal studies are often poor predictors of human reactions to exposure. DOI:10.1258/jrsm.2008.08k033
58. Logical fallacies in animal model research. DOI:10.1186/s12993-017-0121-8
59. Of mice and men: why animal trial results don’t always translate to humans. https://theconversation.com/of-mice-and-men-why-animal-trial-results-dont-always-translate-to-humans-73354
60. The Cognitive, Behavioral, and Emotional Aspects of Eating Habits and Association With Impulsivity, Chronotype, Anxiety, and Depression: A Cross-Sectional Study. DOI:10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00204
61. Genetic variation in sensation affects food liking and intake. DOI:10.1016/j.cofs.2021.07.001
62. Food Insecurity and Food Addiction in a Large, National Sample of Lower-Income Adults. DOI:10.1016/j.cdnut.2023.102036
63. Co-occurrence of food addiction, obesity, problematic substance use, and parental history of problematic alcohol use. DOI:10.1037/adb0000870
64. Blame it on mum and dad: how genes influence what we eat. https://theconversation.com/blame-it-on-mum-and-dad-how-genes-influence-what-we-eat-45244
65. Health-Promoting Food Ingredients During Processing. 1st ed. Taylor & Francis Group.
How food safety is analyzed, monitored, and regulated.
66. Monitoring the safety of our food supply. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science-data/monitor
67. Dietary exposure and intake assessments. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science-data/dietaryexposureandintakeassessments
68. Food Chemical Safety. https://www.fda.gov/food/food-ingredients-packaging/food-chemical-safety
69. Food safety. https://www.food.gov.uk/food-safety
70. All in the dose — Science Learning Hub. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/365-all-in-the-dose
Legal status of Food Additives, by Country.
71. European Food Safety Authority. Re-evaluation of butylated hydroxytoluene - BHT (E 321) as a food additive. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/2588
72. European Food Safety Authority: Food Additives. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/food-additives
73. Health Canada: List of Permitted Preservatives (Lists of Permitted Food Additives). https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-additives/lists-permitted/11-preservatives.html#a4
74. Health Canada: Lists of Permitted Food Additives. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/services/food-nutrition/food-safety/food-additives/lists-permitted.html
75. Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Supplementary food colours report. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/science-data/surveillance/supplementaryfoodcol
76. Summary of Color Additives for Use in the United States in Foods, Drugs, Cosmetics, and Medical Devices. https://www.fda.gov/industry/color-additives/summary-color-additives-use-united-states-foods-drugs-cosmetics-and-medical-devices
77. US Labeling requirements for Cochineal. https://docs.regulations.justia.com/entries/2006-01-30/E6-1104.pdf
78. Vegetable Carbon, chemical properties and legal status by country. https://www.atamanchemicals.com/vegetable-carbon_u26646/
79. Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Colours and food additives reported as banned. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/colours-food-additives
80. Australian Institute of Food Safety. Food Additives that Have Been Unfairly Banned. https://blog.foodsafety.com.au/food-additives-that-have-been-unfairly-banned
81. Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Food colours. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/foodcolour
82. Green Natural Colorants. DOI:10.3390/molecules24010154
Glyphosate: Safety Assessments from Global Regulatory Agencies
83. Food Standards Australia New Zealand: Glyphosate. https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/chemicals/Glyphosate
84. World Health Organisation, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Summary Report from the May 2016 Joint FAO/WHO Meeting on Pesticide Residues. https://www.fao.org/fileadmin/templates/agphome/documents/pests_pesticides/jmpr/2016_jmpr_summary_special.pdf
85. EPA Office of Pesticide Programs. Glyphosate Issue Paper: Evaluation of Carcinogenic Potential EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs. https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2016-09/documents/glyphosate_issue_paper_evaluation_of_carcincogenic_potential.pdf
86. Statement from Health Canada on Glyphosate. https://www.canada.ca/en/health-canada/news/2019/01/statement-from-health-canada-on-glyphosate.html
87. European Food Safety Authority. Peer review of the pesticide risk assessment of the active substance glyphosate. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/8164
88. Glyphosate: WHO cancer agency edited out “non-carcinogenic” findings. https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/who-iarc-glyphosate/
89. European Commission. Status of glyphosate in the EU. https://food.ec.europa.eu/plants/pesticides/approval-active-substances-safeners-and-synergists/renewal-approval/glyphosate_en#latest
90. A Skeptical Guide to Glyphosate: Toolkit for Ten Common Claims. https://skepticalinquirer.org/exclusive/a-skeptical-guide-to-glyphosate-toolkit-for-ten-common-claims/
91. Characterization of scientific studies usually cited as evidence of adverse effects of GM food/feed. DOI:10.1111/pbi.12798
92. Lack of adverse effects in subchronic and chronic toxicity/ carcinogenicity studies on the glyphosate-resistant genetically modified maize NK603 in Wistar Han RCC rats. DOI:10.1007/s00204-019-02400-1
93. Estimated exposure to glyphosate in humans via environmental, occupational, and dietary pathways: an updated review of the scientific literature. DOI:10.1002/ps.5717
94. Residues of glyphosate in food and dietary exposure. DOI:10.1111/1541-4337.12822
Production of Citric Acid by Aspergillus niger.
95. Advances in citric acid fermentation by Aspergillus niger: Biochemical aspects, membrane transport and modeling. DOI:10.1016/j.biotechadv.2007.01.002
96. Scientific Opinion on the safety and efficacy of citric acid when used as a technological additive (preservative) for all animal species. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/4009
97. Biotechnological production of citric acid. DOI:10.1590/S1517-83822010000400005
98. Evaluation of certain food additives and contaminants: fifty-third report of the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives. https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/42378
99. Citric acid and its calcium, potassium and sodium salts. https://www.inchem.org/documents/jecfa/jecmono/v05je24.htm
100. Chemophobia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemophobia
101. Ascorbic acid | C6H8O6. https://www.chemspider.com/Chemical-Structure.12283687.html
102. Understanding the interplay of individual and social–developmental factors in the progression of substance use and mental health from childhood to adulthood. https://www.cambridge.org/core/product/identifier/S0954579416000274/type/journal_article
103. All Natural! All Safe? Everything is a Chemical - Toxicology Education Foundation. https://toxedfoundation.org/all-natural-all-safe-everything-is-a-chemical/
The science - and disinformation - around GMO crops and genetic technologies.
104. GMO Crops, Animal Food, and Beyond. https://www.fda.gov/food/agricultural-biotechnology/gmo-crops-animal-food-and-beyond
105. FDA. Agricultural Biotechnology. https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/agricultural-biotechnology
106. Monetizing disinformation in the attention economy: The case of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2019.11.002
107. A Meta-Analysis of the Impacts of Genetically Modified Crops. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0111629
108. Genetically Modified (GM) Crop Use 1996–2020: Environmental Impacts Associated with Pesticide Use Change. DOI:10.1080/21645698.2022.2118497
109. Genetically Engineered Crops: Experiences and Prospects. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/23395/genetically-engineered-crops-experiences-and-prospects
110. International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications. ISAAA Brief 55-2019: Executive Summary https://www.isaaa.org/resources/publications/briefs/55/executivesummary/default.asp
111. Genetically engineered crops and pesticide use in U.S. maize and soybeans. DOI:10.1126/sciadv.1600850
The scam of the non-gmo project.
112. Non-GMO Project: Pro-organic group wants to “shrink” market for conventional foods, kill biotechnology. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/glp-facts/non-gmo-project-pro-organic-group-wants-to-shrink-market-for-conventional-foods-kill-biotechnology/
113. Viewpoint: The disinformation-promoting Non-GMO Project takes on synthetic biology on behalf of the consumer. Are they really on your side? https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2024/06/07/viewpoint-the-disinformation-promoting-non-gmo-project-takes-on-synthetic-biology-on-behalf-of-the-consumer-are-they-really-on-your-side/
114. FDA Could Put “Non-GMO Project” Out of Business. https://www.acsh.org/news/2019/04/12/fda-could-put-non-gmo-project-out-business-13953
115. Cost Of Ignoring Science: Non-GMO Labels Lead to Lawsuits. https://www.acsh.org/news/2022/01/31/cost-ignoring-science-non-gmo-labels-lead-lawsuits-16091
116. Going green’ means big bucks for corporations, but a lot of these campaigns are bunk. https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2019/09/20/going-green-means-big-bucks-corporations-these-campaigns-scams-column/2310830001/
Organic farming uses pesticides and offers no health benefits
117. Myth busting on pesticides: Despite demonization, organic farmers widely use them. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2022/02/04/myth-busting-on-pesticides-despite-demonization-organic-farmers-widely-use-them/
118. Organic foods are not healthier...or pesticide free. https://immunologic.substack.com/p/organic-foods-are-not-healthieror
119. Nobody Knows What “Clean Eating” Means. https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/beauty-sick/202109/nobody-knows-what-clean-eating-means
120. Digging up the dirt on “clean” dietary labels: Public health considerations and opportunities for increased Federal oversight. DOI:10.1002/eat.23585
121. Vani Hari Sells Processed Foods. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1033591321554219&set=pb.100047100825725.-2207520000&type=3
122. Dietary Exposure to Pesticide Residues from Commodities Alleged to Contain the Highest Contamination Levels. DOI:10.1155/2011/589674
The Environmental Working Group is an Anti-Science Activist Organization
123. Environmental Working Group (EWG). https://www.influencewatch.org/non-profit/environmental-working-group/
124. 5 Things You Didn’t Know About the Environmental Working Group. https://consumerfreedom.com/2013/10/5-things-you-didnt-know-about-the-environmental-working-group/
125. Environmental Working Group: EWG challenges safety of GMOs, food pesticide residues. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/glp-facts/environmental-working-group/
126. A Case Against the EWG. https://www.theecowell.com/blog/a-case-against-the-ewg
127. Viewpoint: Exploiting chemophobia—Environmental Working Groups’s manufactured study claiming oat cereal contains dangerous pesticides designed to manipulate the media. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2024/02/23/viewpoint-exploiting-chemohobia-environmental-working-groupss-manufactured-study-claiming-oat-cereal-contains-dangerous-pesticides-designed-to-manipulate-the-media/
Food misinformation creates fear and health anxiety
128. A Mom’s Journey From Food Babe To Overcoming Food Fears. https://www.mnfarmliving.com/2014/12/moms-journey-food-babe-overcoming-food-fears.html
129. Beware Of The “Food Babe Fallacy” In Your Mac And Cheese. https://www.forbes.com/sites/kavinsenapathy/2017/07/19/beware-of-the-food-babe-fallacy-in-your-mac-and-cheese/
130. A risk-based approach to Food Babe’s misinformation. https://www.agdaily.com/insights/food-science-babe-risk-based-approach-food-babes-misinformation/
131. The Five Food Groups. https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/five-food-groups
132. Balanced diet - meaning and food groups. https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/balanced-diet
Vani Hari has conflicts of interest and is not a real health advocate
133. Vani Hari - Co-Founder @ Truvani - Crunchbase Person Profile. https://www.crunchbase.com/person/vani-hari
134. Serenity Kids Baby Food Closes $1.5 Million Round of Funding Led by Wild Ventures. https://www.qualityassurancemag.com/news/serenity-kids-baby-food-closes-round-of-funding-led-by-wild-ventures/
135. Activist or Capitalist? How the “Food Babe” Makes Money. https://adage.com/article/news/activist-capitalist-food-babe-makes-money/294032
136. Beware of Wellness Buzzwords. https://www.instagram.com/p/CsxROy7y3ki/
137. 20 Heroines Revolutionizing Food Activism to Improve the Planet. https://foodtank.com/ news/2020/03/20-heroines-revolutionizing-food-activism-to-improve-the-planet/
138. The Food Activist Handbook by Ali Berlow. https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/ali-berlow/the-food-activist-handbook/9781603429290/
139. Food Activism Today. https://nyupress.org/9781479810987/food-activism-today/
Emotion motivates belief in misinformation.
140. Reliance on emotion promotes belief in fake news. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41235-020-00252-3
141. Emotions: The unexplored fuel of fake news on social media. DOI: 10.1080/07421222.2021.1990610
142. Anger Increases Susceptibility to Misinformation. https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1027/1618-3169/a000489
143. Anger can make fake news viral online. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphy.2022.970174
Images of Vani Used:
Truvani Instagram, Vani holding protein bars