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{{short description|American author and activist}} | |||
{{Use American English|date=April 2020}} | |||
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2014}} | {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2014}} | ||
{{Infobox person | {{Infobox person | ||
| name = Vani Hari | | name = Vani Hari | ||
| image = Vani Hari from Charlotte Video Project.jpg | |||
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1980|03|22|mf=y}} | |||
| caption = Hari in 2012 | |||
| birth_place = ], ] | |||
| birth_name = Vani Deva Hari | |||
| alma_mater = ] <ref name=wcnc>{{cite web|last=Sheridan|first=Ann|title=Food blogger hopes to get Obama's attention|url=http://www.wcnc.com/story/local/2014/09/01/10906632/|publisher=NBC News|date=August 29, 2012}}</ref> | |||
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1979|03|22|mf=y}} | |||
| known_for = ] ]ger, food ] | |||
| |
| birth_place = ], U.S. | ||
| alma_mater = ]<ref>{{cite web |last=Sheridan |first=Ann |title=Food blogger hopes to get Obama's attention |url= http://www.wcnc.com/story/local/2014/09/01/10906632/ |work=WCNC.com |agency=NBC News |date=August 29, 2012|access-date=2017-08-07|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170807084809/http://www.wcnc.com/news/politics/food-blogger-hopes-to-get-obamas-attention/373193149|archive-date=2017-08-07}}</ref> | |||
| website = {{URL|www.foodbabe.com}} | |||
| occupation = Blogger, author, speaker, affiliate marketer | |||
| known_for = Food activism | |||
| children = | |||
| website = {{URL|www.foodbabe.com}} | |||
}} | }} | ||
'''Vani Deva Hari''' (born March 22, 1979), who ]s as the '''Food Babe''', is an American author, activist, and ] who criticizes the ].<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/ |access-date=September 23, 2015 |work=] |date=July 14, 2014}}</ref> She started the Food Babe blog in 2011, and it received over 54 million views in 2014.<ref name="vox-enrages"/> | |||
'''Vani Hari''', also known on her blog as the '''Food Babe''', is an American blogger known for her criticism of the ]. She has gathered over 350,000 signatures via petitions pressuring food companies to remove ingredients from their products or change their production processes.<ref name=chicagobiz /><ref name=susan /> Companies including ], ], ], ], and ] have changed or reconsidered ingredients in their products as a result of her campaigns.<ref name=nyt>{{cite news|last=Strom|first=Stephanie|title=Social Media As A Megaphone To Pressure The Food Industry|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/business/media/social-media-as-a-megaphone-to-push-food-makers-to-change.html|publisher=The New York Times|date=December 30, 2013}}</ref><ref name=usatoday /> She has been frequently criticised for promoting ] claims and beliefs in her work, with some critics characterizing her methods as "quackmail."<ref name="Purvis 2014" /><ref name=trib>{{cite news|last=Stafford|first=Duane|title=Food Babe's attacks draw 'quackmail' backlash|url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-foodbabe17-20140917-story.html#page=1|publisher=]|date=September 17, 2014}}</ref> | |||
She is a '']'' best-selling author,<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers-books/2015-03-01/advice-how-to-and-miscellaneous/list.html |work=] |date=March 1, 2015 |access-date=March 7, 2015 |title=Best Sellers: Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous |first=Gregory |last=Cowles}}</ref> and companies such as ] and ]<ref name="Huffington Post">{{Cite news |url= http://www.huffingtonpost.com/pulin-modi/how-a-grassroots-movement_b_9517840.html |title=How a Grassroots Movement Convinced Kraft to Drop Artificial Dyes |first=Pulin |last=Modi |work=] |date=March 21, 2016 |access-date=March 21, 2016}}</ref><ref name="CBJ Kraft" /><ref name="theguardian" /> may have changed or reconsidered ingredients in their products following her campaigns.<ref name="nyt">{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/31/business/media/social-media-as-a-megaphone-to-push-food-makers-to-change.html |title=Social Media As A Megaphone To Pressure The Food Industry |work=The New York Times |date=December 30, 2013 |last=Strom |first=Stephanie}}</ref> | |||
Hari's ideas on ] have been criticized by scientists as ]<ref name="vox-enrages">{{cite web |last=Belluz |first=Julia|author-link=Julia Belluz |title=Why the "Food Babe" enrages scientists |url= https://www.vox.com/2015/4/7/8360935/food-babe |work=Vox.com |publisher=] |date=April 7, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Ward 2015">{{cite web |url= http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/diet-and-fitness/food-babe-blogger-called-out-for-pseudoscience-20150408-1mggil.html |title='Food Babe' blogger called out for pseudoscience |first=Mary |last=Ward |work=] |date=April 8, 2015 |access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Hiltzik 2015">{{cite web |url= http://www.latimes.com/business/hiltzik/la-fi-mh-reporting-on-quacks-and-pseudoscience-20150413-column.html |title=Reporting on Quacks and Pseudoscience: The Problem for Journalists |first=Michael |last=Hiltzik |date=April 13, 2015 |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref> and ],<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/food-fears/ |title=Food Fears |last=Novella |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Novella |date=June 25, 2014 |work=Science-Based Medicine |access-date=August 13, 2016}}</ref> and others have drawn attention to her financial interest through promotion and marketing of ].<ref name="adage" /><ref name="bloomberg" /><ref name="Alsip" /> | |||
==Career== | ==Career== | ||
Born in ] to ]n immigrant parents from ], ],<ref name="Times of India">{{cite news |last1=Fernandes |first1=Joeanna Rebello |title=The Food Babe Who Has Bite |url= http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/home/sunday-times/deep-focus/The-food-babe-who-has-bite/articleshow/36581233.cms |work=] |access-date=July 8, 2015 |date=June 15, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Buckley |first1=Bob |title='The Food Babe' takes on processed foods |url= http://myfox8.com/2013/04/04/the-food-babe-takes-on-processed-foods/ |work=MyFox8.com |publisher=WGHP |access-date=March 15, 2015 |date=April 9, 2013}}</ref> Hari first attended the ] before transferring to ]. After graduating in 2001 with a degree in ], she worked as a management consultant for ].<ref name="Purvis 2014"/> In her early 20s, Hari was hospitalized with ].<ref name="Times of India" /><ref name="atlantic" /> In response, she began looking into health and nutrition issues.<ref name="adage" /> She started the Food Babe blog in 2011, and left Accenture in 2012 to devote her time to activism and blogging, as well as marketing dietary and other products.<ref name="adage" /> By 2014, her blog was receiving over 54 million views.<ref name="vox-enrages" /><ref name="cbsnews">{{Cite news |url= http://www.cbsnews.com/news/vani-hari-food-babe-sounds-the-alarm-for-change-in-the-food-industry/ |title=Vani Hari Sounds the Alarm for Changing the Food Industry |date=April 1, 2015 |access-date=April 8, 2015 |work=] |first=Parvati |last=Shallow}}</ref> Hari has over 97,000 Twitter followers, and an official Facebook page with over one million likes. She refers to her followers and supporters as the "Food Babe Army."<ref>{{Cite web|title=Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out|url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/04/364745790/food-babe-or-fear-babe-as-activist-s-profile-grows-so-do-her-critics|access-date=2021-03-10|website=NPR.org|date=December 4, 2014 |language=en|last1=Godoy |first1=Maria }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Kelly|first=Debra|date=2018-09-25|title=Things Food Babe Doesn't Want You To Know|url=https://www.mashed.com/134058/things-food-babe-doesnt-want-you-to-know/|access-date=2021-03-10|website=Mashed.com|language=en-US}}</ref> | |||
Born in ], Hari first attended the ] before switching to ]. After graduating in 2001 with a degree in ], Hari worked as a management consultant for ].<ref name="Purvis 2014">{{cite news | url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/13/5040109/charlottes-food-babe-has-lots.html | title=Charlotte’s Food Babe has lots of fans – and some critics | work=Charlotte Observer | date=September 8, 2014 | last=Purvis |first=Kathleen}}</ref> She started the Food Babe blog in 2011.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foodbabe.com/about-me/|title=Join Me! Investigate Your Food: About Vani Hari|last=Hari|first=Vani|publisher=Food Babe|accessdate=10 November 2014}}</ref> | |||
Hari has capitalised on her following by selling books, subscriptions to her eating guide,<ref name="bloomberg" /> meal plans, products through which she gains affiliate commissions,<ref>Khamis, Susie; Ang, Lawrence; Welling, Raymond (2016) "Self-branding, 'micro-celebrity' and the rise of Social Media Influencers", ''Celebrity studies'', Vol. 8 (2), pp. 191–208.</ref><ref>Rubin, Courtney (March 15, 2015) "An Appetite for Controversy", ''The New York Times'', The New York Times Company.</ref><ref name="adage" /> and through marketing her own line of supplements under the ''Truvani'' brand.<ref name="Bezzant">{{cite news |last1=Bezzant |first1=Niki |title=Time to get off the social media diet |url=https://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/niki-bezzant-time-to-get-off-the-social-media-diet/2P73BMDBHM22TMT67RVZROC6MA/ |date=26 January 2020|access-date=25 September 2024 |work=NZ Herald |language=en-NZ}}</ref> Critics argue that the controversy she engenders through her activism helps drive sales through her site.<ref name="bloomberg" /> | |||
===Air travel=== | |||
In 2011, Hari wrote a piece about travelling by commercial airliner in which she discussed the pressurized air in the cabin "compressing" passengers bodies, and how the air brought in from the outside wasn't 100% oxygen but contained "up to 50% nitrogen" to "save fuel". This has been disputed by aviators, scientists, and doctors<ref name=neurologica >{{cite news | |||
|title=Food Babe Misinformation on Travel | |||
|url=http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/food-babe-misinformation-on-travel/ | |||
|publisher=New England Skeptical Society | |||
|website=Neurologica | |||
|author=] | |||
|date=13 November 2014 | |||
}}</ref> alike.<ref >{{Cite web | |||
|title=Be more skeptical, especially on the Internet | |||
|website=Technician Online | |||
|date=12 November 2014 | |||
|author=CR Denning | |||
|url=http://www.technicianonline.com/opinion/article_1ca4ab74-6aec-11e4-a179-a32f81492f09.html | |||
}}</ref> | |||
===Activism=== | |||
Cabin pressure on a commercial aircraft is typically set to the same as what you'd experience at 7,000 feet elevation, or lower than the pressure you naturally experience standing on a beach at sea level (not compressing people at all compared to normal atmosphere)<ref name=smithsonian >{{cite news | |||
|title=How Things Work: Cabin Pressure | |||
|url=http://www.airspacemag.com/flight-today/how-things-work-cabin-pressure-2870604/?no-ist | |||
|publisher=Smithsonian Air & Space | |||
}}</ref>. The Earth's natural atmosphere is 78% nitrogen<ref name=spacedotcom >{{cite news | |||
|title=Earth's Atmosphere: Composition, Climate & Weather | |||
|url=http://www.space.com/17683-earth-atmosphere.html/ | |||
|publisher=Space.com | |||
}}</ref>(and 100% oxygen would be extremely dangerous<ref name=asknewton >{{cite news | |||
|title=Flammability and Oxygen | |||
|url=http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03291.htm | |||
|publisher=] | |||
}}</ref>) | |||
In 2011, Hari wrote a piece about ingredients in ] sandwiches which she alleged to be harmful. Chick-fil-A responded to Hari's post in May 2012, inviting her to its headquarters in ] 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, ], and ] from their products. They also announced a plan to only use ] within the next five years.<ref name="nyt" /> | |||
===Chick-fil-A=== | |||
In 2011, Hari wrote a piece about over 100 ingredients in ] 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 work with the company and discuss her concerns.<ref name=nyt /><ref name="entrepreneur">{{cite web | url=http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/231480 | title=How This Food Blogger Convinced Chick-fil-A to Go Antibiotics Free | publisher=Entrepreneur.com | last=Taylor | first=Kate | date = February 12, 2014}}</ref> In large part because of Hari's efforts, Chick-fil-A announced in late 2013 it was removing dyes, artificial corn syrup, and ] from their products. They also announced a plan to only use antibiotic-free chickens within the next five years.<ref name=nyt /><ref name=huffpo>{{cite web|last=Choi|first=Candace|title=Chick-Fil-A Removing Artificial Dye, High Fructose Corn Syrup|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/03/chick-fil-a-artificial-dye_n_4379189.html|publisher=Huffington Post}}</ref><ref name=dailyfinance>{{cite web|last=Munarriz|first=Rick Aristotle|title=The Crazy Thing Chick-fil-A Is Afraid to Tell You About Its Menu|url=http://www.dailyfinance.com/on/chick-fil-a-stealth-health-menu-changes/|publisher=Daily Finance|date=December 17, 2013}}</ref><ref name=dailymail>{{cite news|title=Chick-Fil-EW! Chick-Fil-A announces it will remove butane, artificial dyes, and high fructose corn syrup from food by 2014|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2518215/Chick-Fil-A-announces-remove-chemicals-food.html|publisher=Daily Mail|agency=Associated Press|date=December 4, 2013}}</ref> | |||
Hari has said that President ] did not keep a promise that he made during his 2008 presidential campaign to force the labeling of ] (GMOs).<ref name="washtimes" /> During the ], which she attended as an elected delegate, Hari sat in the first row on the convention floor and held a sign that read "Label ]!" during ] ]'s speech.<ref name="washtimes">{{cite news |url= http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/5/delegates-front-row-seat-a-bully-pulpit-on-what-we/ |title=Delegate's Front-row Seat a Bully Pulpit on What We Eat |publisher=] |work=] |date=September 5, 2012 |access-date=May 6, 2014 |last=Somers |first=Meredith |location=Washington, DC}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=September 4, 2012 |access-date=May 6, 2014 |first1=David |last1=Perlmutt |first2=Florence |last2=Bryan |first3=Justin |last3=Mayhew |url= http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/04/3501868/fried-chicken-political-buttons.html |title=Fried Chicken, Political Buttons and a Little Darkness: Delegates Find It All |publisher=] |work=The Charlotte Observer |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140309201946/http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/04/3501868/fried-chicken-political-buttons.html#.VNd_x1XF-3g |archive-date=March 9, 2014 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.newstalkflorida.com/dnc-delegate-stands-up-to-obama-and-usda-at-convention-gmo-elizabeth-dougherty-food-nation-radio-network-audio/ |title=DNC Delegate Stands Up To Obama and USDA At Convention |publisher=] |work=News Talk Florida |date=September 18, 2012 |access-date=May 2, 2014 |last=Dougherty |first=Elizabeth |location=] |archive-date=March 9, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140309212628/http://www.newstalkflorida.com/dnc-delegate-stands-up-to-obama-and-usda-at-convention-gmo-elizabeth-dougherty-food-nation-radio-network-audio/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> | |||
===Chipotle Mexican Grill=== | |||
Hari began investigating what food ingredients were used at ] starting in 2012. Her investigation revealed the company was using ] ingredients (GMOs) in their cooking oil and trans fats in their ]s, and that their ] contained genetically modified ]. One week after posting her investigation to Foodbabe.com, Chipotle ] Chris Arnold requested a meeting with Hari to discuss the public disclosure of its ingredients.<ref name = takepart>{{cite news |last=Fuss |first=Sarah |date=March 27, 2013 |title=Activist Blogger 'Foodbabe' Scores Big Win With Chipotle |url=http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/03/27/blogger-foodbabe-win-chipotle-ingredients |newspaper=] |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name=investorplace >{{cite web|last=Wooley|first=Nate|title='Foodbabe' Blogger Gets Wish: Chipotle Discloses What's In Its Burritos|url=http://investorplace.com/2013/03/foodbabe-blogger-gets-chipotle-to-make-big-changes/#.UvqvMIW7GSo|publisher=InvestorPlace|accessdate=February 12, 2014|date=March 29, 2013}}</ref> In March 2013, as a result of Hari's efforts, Chipotle published its full ingredients list on all menu items, including where Chipotle uses GMOs.<ref name=investorplace /> | |||
In 2012, Hari wrote a blog post regarding ]<ref name="TakePart">{{Cite web |title=Activist Blogger 'Foodbabe' Scores Big Win with Chipotle |url=http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/03/27/blogger-foodbabe-win-chipotle-ingredients |first=Sarah |last=Fuss |date=March 27, 2013 |work=TakePart |access-date=October 27, 2015 |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924112956/http://www.takepart.com/article/2013/03/27/blogger-foodbabe-win-chipotle-ingredients |url-status=dead }}</ref> describing her quest to get clear answers about what Chipotle used in their food, saying: "Most of their food was contaminated with genetically modified cooking oil, corn oil, and they were using genetically modified ingredients in their tortillas. Even in the black beans there was GMO soybean oil. You couldn't even order vegetarian and avoid it. It was really unfortunate. Then, when I saw their flour tortillas' package, it said that they use ]. That's crazy."<ref name="TakePart" /> After she published her blog post, Chipotle set up a meeting with Hari where she urged them to publish their ingredients publicly.<ref name="TakePart" /> In March 2013, Chipotle's Communications Director emailed Hari with a link to a new page on Chipotle's website with the ingredients in all of their menu items, along with a statement on the sidebar, "Our goal is to eliminate GMOs from Chipotle's ingredients, and we're working hard to meet this challenge."<ref name="TakePart" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Chipotle: Ingredients Statement |url= http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/ingredients_statement/ingredients_statement.aspx |date=March 25, 2013 |work=Chipotle.com |publisher=] |access-date=October 27, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20130325034022/http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/ingredients_statement/ingredients_statement.aspx |archive-date=March 25, 2013 }}</ref> In April 2015, Chipotle followed up on their commitment to remove GMO ingredients from their food and became the first national restaurant chain to use only non-GMO ingredients.<ref>{{cite magazine |first=Sam |last=Frizell |url= https://time.com/3836356/chipotle-genetically-modified-food-gmo/ |title=Chipotle Has Removed All GMOs from Its Food |magazine=Time |date=April 27, 2015 |access-date=October 4, 2016}}</ref> | |||
===2012 Democratic National Convention=== | |||
Hari's activism brought national media attention when she protested the increasing prevalence of GMOs in America's food supply during the ], 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 ] ]'s speech.<ref name=washtimes>{{cite news |last=Somers |first=Meredith |date=September 5, 2012 |title=Delegate's front-row seat a bully pulpit on what we eat |url=http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2012/sep/5/delegates-front-row-seat-a-bully-pulpit-on-what-we/ |newspaper=] |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name=observer>{{cite news |last1=Bryan |first1=David Perlmutt Florence |last2=Mayhew |first2=Justin |date=September 4, 2012 |title=Fried chicken, political buttons and a little darkness: Delegates find it all |url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2012/09/04/3501868/fried-chicken-political-buttons.html |newspaper=] |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=May 6, 2014}}</ref><ref name=florida>{{cite news |last=Dougherty |first=Elizabeth |date=September 18, 2012 |title=DNC Delegate Stands Up To Obama And USDA At Convention |url=http://www.newstalkflorida.com/dnc-delegate-stands-up-to-obama-and-usda-at-convention-gmo-elizabeth-dougherty-food-nation-radio-network-audio/ |newspaper=News Talk Florida |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=May 2, 2014}}</ref> Hari said President Barack Obama broke a promise that he made during his 2008 presidential campaign to label genetically modified food: "I ran to be a delegate again to make sure he stays accountable for that decision. He hasn’t addressed it once."<ref name=washtimes /> | |||
In March 2013, Hari posted her first petition on ] asking ] to remove ] and ] ] from their ]. On April 1, 2013, Hari visited Kraft headquarters in Chicago bringing along a petition with over 270,000 signatures and met with executives.<ref name="CBJ Kraft">{{Cite web |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2013/04/02/kraft-foods-listens-to-the-food-babe--.html?page=all |title=Kraft Foods listens to the Food Babe – and then responds |first=Lewis |last=Lazare |work=Chicago Business Journal |publisher=] |date=April 2, 2013 |access-date=September 30, 2016}}</ref> Following Hari's visit, Kraft told ] Chicago they have "no plans to change the recipe for the original mac and cheese,"<ref>{{Cite web |title=Food Blogger Asks Kraft to Stop Using Dye in Mac and Cheese |url= http://abc7chicago.com/archive/9048869/ |publisher=ABC7 Chicago |date=April 1, 2013 |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> and "...the safety and quality of our products is our highest priority and we take consumer concerns very seriously. We carefully follow the laws and regulations in the countries where our products are sold."<ref name="Bryson York">{{Cite news |title=Kraft Served in Mac 'n' Cheese Fight |url= https://www.chicagotribune.com/2013/04/01/kraft-served-in-mac-n-cheese-fight/ |first=Emily |last=Bryson York |date=April 1, 2013 |work=] |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> Hari replied, "People have tried to petition the FDA over and over and it hasn't worked. The best way to create change is to hold the food companies responsible." While the dyes are legal in the U.S., Kraft uses a different formula in the ] without artificial dyes.<ref name="Bryson York" /> By the end of October 2013 the petition had received about 348,000 signatures.<ref name="theguardian">{{cite news |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |title=Kraft to Remove Artificial Dyes from Three Macaroni and Cheese Varieties |url= https://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/31/kraft-remove-artificial-dyes-macaroni-and-cheese |work=] |agency=] |date=October 31, 2013 |access-date=April 29, 2014}}</ref> In October 2013, Kraft announced they would change 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.<ref name="theguardian" /><ref name="nyt" /> Hari claimed credit for the changes.<ref name="theguardian" /> In April 2015, Kraft further announced that they will remove artificial dyes and artificial preservatives from all of its Mac & Cheese products by 2016.<ref name="Huffington Post" /><ref>{{Cite web |title=Kraft Shifts on Mac & Cheese – Score One for the Food Babe |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2015/04/20/food-babe-vindicated-as-kraft-foods-suddenly.html |first=Lewis|last=Lazare|work=Chicago Business Journal |publisher=American City Business Journals |date=Apr 20, 2015|access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> | |||
===Kraft Foods=== | |||
Hari petitioned ] to remove certain petroleum-based artificial food dyes from their ]. The petition received over 270,000 signatures on ].<ref name=chicagobiz>{{cite web|last=Lazare|first=Lewis|title=Kraft Foods listens to the Food Babe — and then responds|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2013/04/02/kraft-foods-listens-to-the-food-babe--.html?page=all|publisher=Chicago Business Journal|date=April 2, 2013}}</ref> She held a tasting event outside a Chicago grocery store to compare the UK version of Kraft Mac & Cheese, which doesn't contain dyes, with the US version. Hari also went to Kraft's headquarters just outside Chicago to drop off the petition and voice her concerns.<ref name=chicagotribune>{{cite news |last=York |first=Emily |date=April 1, 2013 |title=Kraft served in mac 'n' cheese fight |url=http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2013-04-01/business/chi-food-blogger-takes-mac-n-cheese-dye-fight-straight-to-kraft-20130401_1_kraft-foods-mac-n-cheese-dyes |newspaper=] |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=May 2, 2014}}</ref> Hari's campaign received worldwide media coverage, and after seven months, Kraft responded by removing the dye from all their products aimed at children.<ref name=abcnews>{{cite news |last=James |first=Susan Donaldson |date=March 7, 2013 |title=Mom to Kraft: Take Yellow Dye Out of Mac and Cheese |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Health/mom-bloggers-yellow-dye-kraft-mac-cheese/story?id=18668692 |newspaper=] |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=May 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name=nytimeskraft>{{cite news |last=Strom |first=Stephanie |date=June 5, 2013 |title=A Suspect Food Warning in Britain Spreads an Alarm |url=http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/06/business/gmo-label-on-kraft-mac-cheese-box-raises-alarm.html |newspaper=] |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=May 2, 2014}}</ref><ref name=theguardian>{{cite news |author=] |title=Kraft to remove artificial dyes from three macaroni and cheese varieties |url=http://www.theguardian.com/business/2013/oct/31/kraft-remove-artificial-dyes-macaroni-and-cheese |work=The Guardian |agency=] |location=] |date=October 31, 2013 |accessdate=April 29, 2014}}</ref> | |||
In 2013, Hari wrote about the use of class IV ] in ] on her blog and put public pressure on them to drop this ingredient.<ref name="USA Today">{{Cite web |title=Newcastle Removing Caramel Coloring |url= https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2015/01/26/newcastle-ale-heineken-beer-brewer-caramel-coloring/22371053/ |first=Bruce|last=Horovitz |date= January 26, 2015|work=] |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> In January 2015, ] announced that they would stop adding class IV caramel color to their Newcastle Brown Ale, and would instead color it naturally with the same roasted malt they had previously used.<ref name="USA Today" /> Heineken's announcement came just prior to the release of her book, ''The Food Babe Way'' (February 10, 2015), that devotes a chapter to the ingredients—including caramel coloring—in some beers, wines, and liquors.<ref name="USA Today" /> | |||
===Subway=== | |||
In 2014, Hari launched a petition against ] to remove ] (a ]) from their sandwich bread. The petition gathered more than 50,000 signatures in 24 hours.<ref name=susan>{{cite web|last=Donaldson James|first=Susan|title=Subway Takes Chemical Out of Sandwich Bread After Protest|url=http://abcnews.go.com/Health/subway-takes-chemical-sandwich-bread-protest/story?id=22373414|publisher=ABC News|date=February 5, 2014}}</ref> Subway, the world's largest sandwich chain, quickly responded by announcing a plan to remove the chemical from all of their sandwich breads. Additionally ], ], and ] announced they would remove the chemical.<ref name=usatoday>{{cite web|last=Horowitz|first=Bruce|title=Subway to remove chemical from bread|url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2014/02/05/subway-fast-food-chemicals-in-food/5236537/|publisher=USA Today|date=February 10, 2014}}</ref><ref name=nydaily>{{cite news |last=Miller |first=Tracy |date=February 6, 2014 |title=Subway will remove additive found in plastics from its bread after blogger's online petition |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/subway-remove-additive-found-plastics-bread-article-1.1604610 |newspaper=] |location=] |accessdate=April 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name=prevention>{{cite news |last=O'Brien |first=Robyn |date=June 13, 2012 |title=Eating Fresh? Check Out What’s Served Up in a Sub |url=http://blogs.prevention.com/inspired-bites/2012/06/13/eating-fresh-a-chemicals-spread-served-up-on-a-sub/ |newspaper=] |location=] |publisher=] |accessdate=April 29, 2014}}</ref><ref name=gma>{{cite episode|title=Kraft Mac and Cheese: Bloggers Want Food Dye Removed|url=https://gma.yahoo.com/video/gma-kraft-mac-cheese-bloggers-080000394.html|series=Good Morning America|network=ABC}}</ref> Dr. ] of ] and the ] criticized the petition by Hari, describing the campaign as "unscientific" and a case of "food-based fear mongering."<ref name=neurologica>{{cite web |last=Novella |first=Steven |authorlink=Steven Novella |title=More Yoga Mat Hysteria |url=http://theness.com/neurologicablog/index.php/more-yoga-mat-hysteria/ |website=Neurologica |publisher=] |accessdate=April 29, 2014 |date=February 28, 2014}}</ref> | |||
In February 2014, Hari launched a petition on her website asking ] to remove ] (an ]-approved ] and ])<ref>; ]; page updated: June 20, 2014</ref> from their ]. The petition gathered more than 50,000 signatures in 24 hours.<ref>{{cite web |last=Donaldson James |first=Susan |title=Subway Takes Chemical Out of Sandwich Bread After Protest |url= https://abcnews.go.com/Health/subway-takes-chemical-sandwich-bread-protest/story?id=22373414 |publisher=ABC News |date=February 5, 2014}}</ref> Subway later announced a plan to remove the ingredient from all of their sandwich breads, a process which began before her campaign.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/subway-remove-additive-found-plastics-bread-article-1.1604610 |title=Subway Will remove Additive Found in Plastics From Its Bread After Blogger's Online Petition |work=] |date=February 6, 2014 |access-date=April 29, 2014 |last=Miller |first=Tracy}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.wistv.com/story/24835582/subway-owners-fight-back-against-food-babe |title=Subway owners fight back against "Food Babe" |first=Dante |last=Renzulli |date=February 23, 2014 |access-date=December 1, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222141853/http://www.wistv.com/story/24835582/subway-owners-fight-back-against-food-babe |url-status=dead }}</ref> The ], who advocates for its reduction, credited Hari for drawing attention to it.<ref name="Landau2014">{{Cite news |title=Subway to Remove Chemical From Bread|last=Landau |first=Elizabeth |url= http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/06/health/subway-bread-chemical/index.html |work=CNN.com |publisher=]|date=2014-02-17 |access-date=November 4, 2015}}</ref> The ] supported the removal of azodicarbonamide and urged against its use.<ref>{{Cite web |author=Melanie Haiken |title=Latest Food Scare: What is The 'Yoga Mat' Chemical – and Why Is It In Your Food? |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/melaniehaiken/2014/02/27/what-is-the-yoga-mat-chemical-and-why-is-it-in-your-food/ |work=] |date=February 27, 2014|access-date=October 28, 2015}}</ref> ] experts have pointed out that the level of azodicarbonamide permitted by the FDA for use in bread is too low to pose a significant risk.<ref name="Landau2014" /><ref>{{Cite web |url= http://johncoupland.tumblr.com/post/76699232713/so-what-is-azodicarbonamide-actually-doing-in|title=So what is azodicarbonamide actually doing in bread? |first=John |last=Coupland |via=]|date=February 14, 2014|access-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2014/03/06/286886095/almost-500-foods-contain-the-yoga-mat-compound-should-we-care-keep |title=Almost 500 Foods Contain The 'Yoga Mat' Compound. Should We Care? |date=March 6, 2014 |access-date=November 18, 2014 |last=Cornish |first=Audi |work=NPR.org |publisher=]}}</ref> | |||
Dr. ], chemistry professor at ], states Hari "has no understanding of chemistry or food science."<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2014/06/14/why_big_food_fears_the_food_babe.html | title=Why Big Food fears the 'Food Babe' | work=The Toronto Star | date=June 14, 2014 | last=White |first=Nancy J.}}</ref> He describes several chemicals that Hari demonizes, such as ], ], and azodicarbonamide as being safe.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/viewpoints/story.html?id=f033329a-fb0a-48fd-a4a7-ea007e32bebc|title=The Food Babe is anything but an expert on food matters|last=Schwarcz|first=Joseph A.|work=]|accessdate=September 1, 2014|date=April 26, 2014}}</ref> "Her basic tenet is guilt by association," he told the ''Charlotte Observer''. For example, Hari describes azodicarbonamide as the "yoga mat chemical" because its primary use is as a ] in the production of foam products.<ref name="Purvis 2014" /> Azodicarbonamide is banned from use as a food additive in Europe and Australia.<ref name="susan"/> | |||
In June 2014, Hari posted a petition asking major ] to list the ingredients in their products,<ref>{{cite news |date=June 12, 2014 |first1=Joseph |last1=Pisani |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/budweiser-lists-ingredients-first-time |title=Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors Post Beer Ingredients |agency=Associated Press |access-date=July 31, 2014 |archive-date=August 8, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140808093527/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/budweiser-lists-ingredients-first-time |url-status=dead }}</ref> something which U.S. brewers are not required to do.<ref name="LA Times beer">{{cite news |last1=Sacks |first1=Brianna |title=Pressed by blogger, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors Post Beer Ingredients |url= http://www.latimes.com/la-fi-beer-anheuser-busch-miller-coors-ingredients-20140613-story.html |work=] |access-date=June 17, 2014 |date=June 13, 2014}}</ref> As part of this campaign, she claimed that commercial brewers "even use fish swim bladders" in their beer, as an undisclosed ingredient. ] cited this as an example of ] and lack of subject matter knowledge, as ], derived from fish swim bladders, has been used as a natural ] 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.<ref name="NPR-20141204"/> The day after she posted her petition, ] and ] released ingredients in many of their products.<ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/anheuser-busch-millercoors-list-ingredients-in-key-brands/article_b187e6e2-6298-5b28-a194-b324f7cde801.html |title=Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors list ingredients in key brands |work=] |date=June 13, 2014 |agency=Associated Press |access-date=June 17, 2014}}</ref> The trade publication ''Beer Marketer's Insights'' called Hari's petition an "attempt of fear-mongering in the name of advocacy."<ref name="LA Times beer" /> Hari later claimed that she was aware of the historic use of isinglass, and was raising attention to it for the benefit of uninformed vegans and vegetarians. In October 2015 Guinness announced that they are stopping the use of isinglass in their refining process so that their beer will become vegan-friendly.<ref>{{Cite news |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2015/11/02/guinness-brew-drops-fish-bladders-and-food-babe.html |title=Guinness brew drops fish bladders and Food Babe rejoices|author=Lewis Lazare|date=November 2, 2015 |work=Chicago Business Journal |publisher=American City Business Journals |access-date=March 23, 2016}}</ref> | |||
===Beer=== | |||
On June 11, 2014, Hari posted a petition on her website to pressure major brewers to list the ingredients in their products.<ref>{{cite news | first1=Joseph | last1=Pisani | url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/budweiser-lists-ingredients-first-time | title=Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors Post Beer Ingredients | agency=Associated Press | date=June 12, 2014}}</ref> The next day, ] and ] released ingredients in many of their most popular products for the first time.<ref name = postdispatch>{{cite news|title=Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors list ingredients in key brands|url=http://www.stltoday.com/business/local/anheuser-busch-millercoors-list-ingredients-in-key-brands/article_b187e6e2-6298-5b28-a194-b324f7cde801.html|date=June 13, 2014|publisher=St. Louis Post-Dispatch|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=June 17, 2014}}</ref> Anheuser-Busch listed ingredients in its ] and ] products, and announced plans to list the ingredients for other brands, including ], ], and ].<ref name=postdispatch/> MillerCoors posted the ingredients in ], ], and six other brands on its Facebook page.<ref name=postdispatch/> The ] (not the ]) regulates brewers, and does not require them to list ingredients.<ref>{{cite web|last1=Sacks|first1=Brianna|title=Pressed by blogger, Anheuser-Busch, MillerCoors post beer ingredients|url=http://www.latimes.com/la-fi-beer-anheuser-busch-miller-coors-ingredients-20140613-story.html|publisher=Los Angeles Times|accessdate=June 17, 2014|date=June 13, 2014}}</ref> Hari's online petition gathered more than 44,000 signatures in two days.<ref>{{cite news|title=Beer details on tap after food blogger starts one-woman campaign to force brewing companies to list their ingredients|url=http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2656597/Anheuser-Busch-MillerCoors-post-beer-ingredients.html|publisher=Daily Mail|agency=Associated Press|accessdate=June 17, 2014|date=June 12, 2014}}</ref> Dr. ] of ] stated that the beer companies had "fallen victim to the latest quack making a name for herself on the Internet by peddling pseudoscience."<ref name="Gorski 2014">{{cite web|url=http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/vani-hari-a-k-a-the-food-babe-the-jenny-mccarthy-of-food/|title=Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe): The Jenny McCarthy of food|last=Gorski|first=David|authorlink=David Gorski|date=June 16, 2014|work=Science-Based Medicine|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref> | |||
In August 2014, Hari wrote a blog post in which she claimed there is a lack of transparency when it comes to the ingredients in ]' drinks.<ref name="wapospice" /> She noted that Starbucks doesn't publish their ingredients online and pointed out the use of class IV caramel color and the lack of real pumpkin in Starbucks's ].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Can a Food Blogger Force Starbucks to Change Its Pumpkin Spice Latte?|author=Kate Taylor |url= http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/236896|date=August 27, 2014 |work=Entrepreneur |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> This blog post received over 10 million views in 2014, and in the fall of 2015 Starbucks debuted a reformulated Pumpkin Spice Latte with real pumpkin and without caramel color.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Starbucks Pulls Artificial Coloring From Pumpkin Spice Latte |url= https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-08-17/starbucks-pulls-artificial-coloring-from-pumpkin-spice-latte |work=Bloomberg Businessweek |access-date=October 27, 2015 |first=Craig |last=Giammona|date=August 17, 2015}}</ref> Hari took credit for this change, claiming to have emailed them monthly for updates.<ref name="wapospice">{{cite news |last1=Moyer |first1=Justin |title=Starbucks's Pumpkin Spice Latte Now Has Pumpkin After Shaming by the 'Food Babe' |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2015/08/18/starbuckss-pumpkin-spice-latte-now-has-pumpkin-after-shaming-by-jenny-mccarthy-of-food/ |access-date=September 24, 2015 |newspaper=] |location=Washington, DC |date=August 18, 2015}}</ref> | |||
===Microwave ovens=== | |||
Hari has argued against the use of ], for reasons that include the claim that they cause water molecules to form crystals that resemble crystals that have been exposed to "negative thoughts or beliefs," including the names of ] and ].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://foodbabe.com/2012/07/30/why-its-time-to-throw-out-your-microwave/ |title=Why It’s Time To Throw Out Your Microwave |last1=Hari |first1=Vani |date=July 30, 2012 |website=FoodBabe.com |accessdate=April 29, 2014}}</ref> She cites the work of Dr. ] in support of this claim.<ref name="Scam Stud">{{cite web |last=Crislip |first=Mark |authorlink=Mark Crislip |date=October 18, 2013 |title=Scam Stud |url=http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/scam-stud/ |work=Science-Based Medicine |accessdate=April 25, 2014}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite web|last=Novella|first=Steven|authorlink=Steven Novella|url=http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/microwaves-and-nutrition/ |title=Microwaves and Nutrition|work=Science-Based Medicine|date=April 30, 2014|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref> | |||
On February 5, 2015, Hari launched a petition on her website asking ] and ] to remove the preservative ] (BHT) from their cereals.<ref name="Entrepreneur">{{Cite web |title=Food Blogger Strikes Again, Taking on Chemicals in Cereal |url= http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/242662 |work=]|author=Kate Taylor|date=February 6, 2015 |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> The additive has been widely used in cereal packaging in the U.S. for many years. BHT has to be listed as an ingredient on food labels, and some consumer-protection advocates like the ] have advised people to avoid it when possible.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Food Babe: Enemy of Chemicals |url= https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/ |work=]|author=James Hamblin |date= February 11, 2015 |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> Cereals marketed in Europe by General Mills and Kellogg's do not contain the additive. Hari's petition received over 30,000 signatures in 24 hours.<ref name="Entrepreneur" /> On February 5, 2015, General Mills released a statement that they would be removing BHT from their cereal, stating, "This change is not for safety reasons, but because we think consumers will embrace it. We've never spoken with Vani Hari and she did not play any role in our decision," and "...our removal of BHT from cereals is well underway and has been for more than a year."<ref>{{Cite web |title=General Mills: BHT Statement |url= http://www.generalmills.com/en/News/Issues/BHT-statement |date=February 5, 2015 |access-date=October 27, 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150217232722/http://www.generalmills.com/en/News/Issues/BHT-statement |archive-date=February 17, 2015 }}</ref> | |||
===Vaccines=== | |||
In an October 2011 blog post, Hari questioned the efficacy of flu shots, and urged her followers not to get vaccinated.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://foodbabe.com/2011/10/04/should-i-get-the-flu-shot/|title=Should I get the Flu Shot?|last=Hari|first=Vani|date=October 4, 2011|work=Food Babe|accessdate=September 1, 2014}}</ref> Dr. William Schaffner of ] says she included incorrect information on how seasonal influenza vaccines work, and challenges her assertion that flu shots are dangerous.<ref name="Purvis 2014">{{cite news | url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/13/5040109/charlottes-food-babe-has-lots.html | title=Charlotte’s Food Babe has lots of fans – and some critics | work=Charlotte Observer | date=July 18, 2014 | last=Purvis |first=Kathleen}}</ref> | |||
In August 2015, Hari campaigned ] in conjunction with ], ], the ], and the ] to commit to buying meat produced without the routine use of ] and to provide a timeline for doing so.<ref name="NPR Subway">{{Cite web |url= https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/10/20/450314991/subway-joins-the-fast-food-antibiotic-free-meat-club |title=Subway Joins The Fast-Food, Antibiotic-Free Meat Club |author=Dan Charles|date=October 20, 2015|work=NPR.org |publisher=National Public Radio |access-date=April 19, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/281c67ec64564506b17f8f59c8083395/subway-transition-meat-raised-without-antibiotics |title=Subway to transition to meat raised without antibiotics |work=The Big Story |publisher=Associated Press |date=October 20, 2015 |access-date=April 19, 2016 |archive-date=October 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023210006/http://bigstory.ap.org/article/281c67ec64564506b17f8f59c8083395/subway-transition-meat-raised-without-antibiotics |url-status=dead }}</ref> In October 2015, Subway announced they would transition to chicken raised without antibiotics in 2016 and turkey within the following 2–3 years, and would also transition beef and pork raised without antibiotics by 2025.<ref name="NPR Subway" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.subway.com/subwayroot/about_us/PR_Docs/AntibioticFreeRelease10.20.15.pdf |title=Subway Restaurants Elevates Current Antibiotic Free Policy – US Restaurants Will Only Serve Animal Proteins That Have Never Been Treated with Antibiotics |date=October 2015 |work=Subway.com |publisher=] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160423013158/https://www.subway.com/subwayroot/about_us/PR_Docs/AntibioticFreeRelease10.20.15.pdf |archive-date=April 23, 2016 |url-status=dead |df=mdy-all }}</ref> | |||
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.<ref name="cbsnews" /><ref name="forbes">{{cite news |last1=Schwabel |first1=Dan |title=Vani Hari: How She Grew Her Food Blog Into An Empire |url= https://www.forbes.com/sites/danschawbel/2015/02/10/vani-hari-how-she-grew-her-food-blog-into-an-empire/2/ |work=Forbes}}</ref> Her site had a reported 52 million visitors in 2014 and over 3 million unique visitors per month.<ref name="cbsnews" /><ref name="forbes" /> | |||
In March 2015, ] named Hari among "The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet".<ref name="Time">{{cite magazine |title=The 30 Most Influential People on the Internet |url= https://time.com/3732203/the-30-most-influential-people-on-the-internet/ |magazine=] |date=March 5, 2015 |first=Mandy |last=Oaklander |access-date=September 30, 2016}}</ref> | |||
==Books== | |||
===''The Food Babe Way''=== | |||
Hari's first book, ''The Food Babe Way'', was released February 10, 2015. The book was #4 on the ''New York Times'' bestseller list for March 1, 2015 in the "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous" section. It remained on the list for five weeks.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Wilson |first1=Jen |title=Charlotte's Food Babe Hits New York Times' Best Sellers List |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/morning-edition/2015/02/charlottes-food-babe-hits-new-york-times-best.html |work=Charlotte Business Journal |publisher=American City Business Journals}}</ref> It also appeared as #1 for nonfiction on the ''Wall Street Journal'' bestseller list for the week ending February 15, 2015.<ref>{{cite news |title=Best-Selling Books Week Ended Feb. 15 |url= https://www.wsj.com/articles/best-selling-books-week-ended-feb-8-1424372437 |work=] |date=February 19, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Wall Street Journal – Best Sellers |work=The Washington Times |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |agency=The Associated Press |url= http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2015/feb/19/wall-street-journal-best-sellers/}}</ref> | |||
===''Feeding You Lies''=== | |||
Hari released her second book, ''Feeding You Lies: How to Unravel the Food Industry's Playbook and Reclaim Your Health'', in February 2019. The book appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list for the week ending February 23, 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/best-selling-books-week-ended-feb-23-11551383254|title=Best-Selling Books Week Ended Feb. 23|newspaper=Wall Street Journal|date=February 28, 2019|language=en-US|access-date=2019-10-18}}</ref> The Daily Beast also listed it amongst 12 Best Selling Books Published in February 2019.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/12-best-selling-books-published-in-february-you-should-read-in-march|title=12 Best Selling Books Published in February You Should Read in March|last=Grudo|first=Gideon|date=2019-03-08|access-date=2019-10-18|language=en}}</ref> | |||
==Reception== | |||
Hari has received wide criticism concerning the accuracy, consistency, and presentation of her many claims. | |||
Hari is a former management consultant who has a degree in computer science, and has no expertise in nutrition or food science.<ref name="trib">{{cite news | url=http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-foodbabe17-20140917-story.html#page=1 |title=Food Babe's attacks draw 'quackmail' backlash |work=] |date=September 17, 2014 |last=Stanford |first=Duane |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141113065015/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-wp-blm-news-bc-foodbabe17-20140917-story.html |archive-date=November 13, 2014 }}</ref> In response to criticisms that she lacks training in these fields, Hari has stated, "I never claimed to be a nutritionist. I'm an investigator."<ref name="Purvis 2014">{{cite news | url=http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2014/07/13/5040109/charlottes-food-babe-has-lots.html |title=Charlotte's Food Babe has Lots of Fans – and Some Critics |work=Charlotte Observer |date=July 14, 2014 |last=Purvis |first=Kathleen}}</ref><ref name="NPR-20141204">{{cite web | url=https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/12/04/364745790/food-babe-or-fear-babe-as-activist-s-profile-grows-so-do-her-critics | title=Is The Food Babe A Fearmonger? Scientists Are Speaking Out | publisher=NPR |first=Maria|last=Godoy| date=December 4, 2014 | access-date=August 7, 2015}}</ref> According to ] scientist ], Hari's lack of training often leads her to misinterpret peer-reviewed research and technical details about food chemistry, nutrition, and health.<ref name="NPR-20141204"/> Chemist ] also criticizes her lack of scientific knowledge, saying: "It isn't hard to deconstruct her arguments. Most of them are so silly. Her basic tenet is guilt by association."<ref name="Purvis 2014"/> | |||
Cheryl Wischhover, a freelance Beauty/Health/Fitness writer in '']'' described Hari's tactics as "manipulative", "sneaky", and "polarizing rather than productive." Wischhover also wrote about 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."<ref name="elle">{{cite web |url= http://www.elle.com/culture/a27692/food-babe-problem/ |title=My Problem With Food Babe's Message |first=Cheryl |last=Wischhover |work=] |date=April 7, 2015 |access-date=October 23, 2015}}</ref> In December 2014, a ] article compared her activism to fear mongering.<ref name="NPR-20141204" /> A 2015 '']'' article described her writings as using "malicious ]" to be deceptive.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/02/food_babe_book_and_blog_claims_beaver_ass_coal_tar_and_yoga_mat_in_your.2.html |title=Are Corporations Putting Feathers in Your Food? |first=Michelle M. |last=Francl |work=Elle |quote=In her book and on her blog, Hari plays this game of malicious metonymy again and again, leveraging common motifs of disgust, such as excrement and body parts, all the while deliberately confusing the source and uses of material with the molecules themselves |date=February 18, 2015 |access-date=October 29, 2015}}</ref> Referring to the ] movement, ], professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at ], says Hari "gives the movement a bad name" and prefers Hari focus on more important issues.<ref name="Nestle">{{cite web |title=The Nutritional Value of Food Babe Versus Science Babe |url= http://www.wnyc.org/story/nutritional-value-food-babe-vs-science-babe/ |date=April 8, 2015|work=WNYC.org |agency=National Public Radio |access-date=October 27, 2015}}</ref> | |||
], science writer and former analytical chemist, writing for '']'', criticized the lack of scientific support for Hari's claims, and described 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=April 6, 2015 |title=The "Food Babe" Blogger is Full of Shit |work=Gawker |access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{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'|author=Rebecca Strong |date=April 7, 2015 |work=BostInno |publisher=Streetwise Media |access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> | |||
Following d'Entremont's article, Marion Nestle stated that d'Entremont's criticisms were "valid scientifically", and that "the difficulty with the kinds of compounds that Vani Hari has been dealing with is that they're present in the food supply in very small amounts, and therefore it's very hard to test whether small amounts are harmful or not harmful, so the science is uncertain, it's nuanced, it's very hard to talk about." Her concern with Hari is that she "turns these things into something that's black or white—very easy for people to understand, but not necessarily accurate."<ref name="Nestle" /> | |||
Hari has also been accused of banning dissenters from the Food Babe LLC social media accounts in order to create an ].<ref name="gawker" /><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2014/12/10/evolution-of-food-babe-from-misguided-consumer-advocate-to-crude-bully/|title=Evolution of Food Babe: From misguided consumer advocate to crude bully|last=Senapathy|first=Kavin|date=2014-12-10|website=Genetic Literacy Project|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160409021336/https://www.geneticliteracyproject.org/2014/12/10/evolution-of-food-babe-from-misguided-consumer-advocate-to-crude-bully/|archive-date=2016-04-09}}</ref> Social media groups for people who have been banned by Hari have sprung up as a result of these tactics.<ref name="gawker" /><ref>{{cite news |url= http://health.heraldtribune.com/2015/04/07/scientists-decry-tactics-of-food-activist-blogger |access-date=April 12, 2016 |title=Scientists decry tactics of food activist blogger|author=Courtney Rubin|date=April 7, 2015 |work=] |publisher=Gatehouse Media}}</ref> | |||
===Promotion of pseudoscience=== | |||
Hari has been criticized by scientists and others for promoting ].<ref name="Ward 2015" /><ref name="Hiltzik 2015" /><ref name="trib" /> Kevin Folta has accused Hari 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.<ref name="NPR-20141204" /> Chemistry professor Joseph A. Schwarcz, director of ]'s Office for Science and Society states Hari "has no understanding of chemistry or food science" and that "her scientific background is nonexistent".<ref name="bloomberg" /><ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.thestar.com/life/food_wine/2014/06/14/why_big_food_fears_the_food_babe.html |title=Why Big Food fears the 'Food Babe' |work=] |date=June 14, 2014 |last=White |first=Nancy J.}}</ref> He describes ], a chemical Hari opposes the usage of, as being safe for use in food but unessential.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/viewpoints/story.html?id=f033329a-fb0a-48fd-a4a7-ea007e32bebc |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140901214414/http://www2.canada.com/montrealgazette/features/viewpoints/story.html?id=f033329a-fb0a-48fd-a4a7-ea007e32bebc |url-status= dead |archive-date= September 1, 2014 |title=The Food Babe is Anything But an Expert on Food Matters |last=Schwarcz |first=Joseph A. |work=] |location=Montreal |access-date=September 1, 2014 |date=April 26, 2014}}</ref> In 2015 skeptic ] listed FoodBabe.com as #7 on a "Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites" list.<ref>{{Skeptoid|id=4495|number=495|title= Updated: Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites |access-date=October 23, 2020|date=December 1, 2015|quote=7. FoodBabe.com}}</ref> | |||
Following her beer campaign, ], a surgeon, stated that she was "peddling pseudoscience" by portraying the chemicals used in the making of beer as dangerous.<ref name="trib" /><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/vani-hari-a-k-a-the-food-babe-the-jenny-mccarthy-of-food/ |title=Vani Hari (a.k.a. The Food Babe): The Jenny McCarthy of Food |last=Gorski |first=David |author-link=David Gorski |date=June 16, 2014 |work=Science-Based Medicine |access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> | |||
In a July 2012 post (which has since been removed), Hari quoted the ideas of ] that ] cause water molecules to form crystals that resemble crystals exposed to negative thoughts or beliefs, such as when the words "]" and "]" were exposed to the water.<ref>{{cite web |last=Crislip |first=Mark |author-link=Mark Crislip |date=October 18, 2013 |title=Scam Stud. The Food 'Babe' and Flu Vaccination |url= http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/scam-stud/ |work=Science-Based Medicine |access-date=April 25, 2014}}</ref> ] calls Emoto's claims "pure pseudoscience" and states that "Hari's conclusions about microwaves<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.health.com/food/vani-hari-food-babe-myths-you-shouldnt-believe|title=5 More 'Food Babe' Myths You Shouldn't Believe|website=Health.com|language=en|access-date=2019-10-18|archive-date=October 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191018183434/https://www.health.com/food/vani-hari-food-babe-myths-you-shouldnt-believe|url-status=dead}}</ref> are all demonstrably incorrect and at odds with the scientific evidence".<ref>{{cite web |last=Novella |first=Steven |author-link=Steven Novella |url= http://www.sciencebasedmedicine.org/microwaves-and-nutrition/ |title=Microwaves and Nutrition |work=Science-Based Medicine |date=April 30, 2014 |access-date=September 1, 2014}}</ref> She later described the post as not her "most impressive piece of work" and noted that it was written when she had first started blogging. In a widely discredited<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/15/style/taking-on-the-food-industry-one-blog-post-at-a-time.html?_r=0 |title=Taking On the Food Industry, One Blog Post at a Time |last=Rubin |first=Courtney |work=The New York Times |access-date=August 15, 2015 |date=March 13, 2015}}</ref> 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".<ref name="elle" /><ref>{{cite news |url= http://www.latimes.com/local/great-reads/la-me-c1-hip-science-20150416-story.html |title=Edgy Blogger Sensation SciBabe Takes The Lab Coat Off Science |last=Brown |first=Eryn |work=Los Angeles Times |access-date=August 15, 2015 |date=April 16, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.stuff.co.nz/life-style/well-good/teach-me/67884152/science-babe-set-to-become-a-star-after-online-takedown-of-food-babe |title=Science Babe Set to Become a Star After Online Takedown of Food Babe |last=Brown |first=Eryn |work=] |publisher=] |access-date=August 15, 2015 |date=April 20, 2015}}</ref> | |||
In an October 2011 blog post, Hari claimed getting the flu is not dangerous but getting a flu shot is,<ref name="Purvis 2014" /> and the following day ] that flu vaccines have been "used as a genocide tool in the past". The tweet was subsequently deleted.<ref name="vox-enrages" /><ref>{{cite web |title=Did You Know the #flushot Has Been Used as a Genocide Tool in the Past. Think Twice – More Info at foodbabe.com |first=Vani |last=Hari |via=] |date=October 5, 2011 |url= https://mobile.twitter.com/thefoodbabe/status/121679383328075777 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150409040022/https://mobile.twitter.com/thefoodbabe/status/121679383328075777?hc_location=ufi |archive-date=April 9, 2015 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Collapse of Food Babe: or, How Not to Manage a Crisis |work=] |last=Fisher |first=Morgan |author-link=Morgan Fisher |date=April 15, 2015 |url=http://www.cattlenetwork.com/news/industry/collapse-food-babe-or-how-not-manage-crisis |access-date=September 28, 2015 |archive-date=September 29, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150929173635/http://www.cattlenetwork.com/news/industry/collapse-food-babe-or-how-not-manage-crisis |url-status=dead }}</ref> Hari's position was criticized as false and dangerous by the ].<ref name="acsh" /> | |||
In ''The Food Babe Way'', Hari states: "There is just no acceptable level of any chemical to ingest, ever." This quote was noted by '']'' in its review of the book,<ref name="atlantic">{{cite web |url= https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2015/02/the-food-babe-enemy-of-chemicals/385301/ |title=The Food Babe: Enemy of Chemicals |work=The Atlantic |first=James |last=Hamblin |date=February 11, 2015 |access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> used as a ], and criticised at length. The statement was widely commented on by public organizations promoting science, such as McGill University's Office for Science and Society<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/channels/news/food-babe-decoded-243591 |title=The Food Babe Decoded |date=March 15, 2015 |access-date=August 6, 2015 |publisher=McGill University |author=Office for Science and Society}}</ref> and the American Council on Science and Health.<ref name="acsh">{{cite web |url= http://acsh.org/news/2015/02/19/food-babe-food-poisoning-harmful |title='Food Babe' or Food Poisoning – Which is More Harmful? |date=February 19, 2015 |publisher=American Council on Science and Health |access-date=August 6, 2015}}</ref> | |||
===Financial interests=== | |||
In an article in '']'', Duane D. Stanford wrote that Hari has an apparent financial interest by 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= https://www.bloomberg.com/bw/articles/2014-09-25/food-babe-vani-hari-draws-criticism-over-her-science |work=] |title=This Activist Is No Babe in the Woods |first=Duane D. |last=Stanford |date=September 25, 2014 |access-date=September 30, 2016}}</ref> Hari's critics have drawn attention to her ] partnerships with organic and non-GMO brands from which she profits by recommending them over mainstream brands.<ref name="NPR-20141204" /> | |||
A 2015 article in '']'' details products Hari declares as having toxic ingredients while Hari promotes and receives sales commissions for products containing the same or similar ingredients.<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/show/the_food_babe_a_taste_of_her_own_medicine |journal=] |volume=39 |issue=3 |pages=39–41 |date=2015 |publisher=]}}</ref> Hari's claims of toxicity have been dismissed by experts in science and medicine as incorrect or exaggerated.<ref name="Alsip" /> Hari in the past removed a product from her site when attention was drawn to it as containing chemicals she has spoken against, a body scrub called Fresh, which contained ] (BHT). However, Hari claims that BHT is not as toxic if applied to skin as opposed to ingested.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Lazare |first1=Lewis |title=The Food Babe, Under Attack, Explains Herself (and Her Actions) |url= http://www.bizjournals.com/chicago/news/2015/02/11/the-food-babe-under-attack-explains-herself-and.html |access-date=September 29, 2015 |work=Chicago Business Journal |publisher=American City Business Journals |date=February 11, 2015}}</ref> | |||
==Personal life== | |||
Vani Hari is married to Finley Clarke. They have 3 kids.<ref name="Purvis 2014"/> | |||
==See also== | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
* ] | |||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{ |
{{Reflist}} | ||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
* | * | ||
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{{Persondata | |||
| NAME = Hari, Vani | |||
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = | |||
| SHORT DESCRIPTION = American blogger | |||
| DATE OF BIRTH = March 22, 1980 | |||
| PLACE OF BIRTH = ], ] | |||
| DATE OF DEATH = | |||
| PLACE OF DEATH = | |||
}} | |||
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hari, Vani}} | {{DEFAULTSORT:Hari, Vani}} | ||
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Latest revision as of 08:41, 1 December 2024
American author and activist
Vani Hari | |
---|---|
Hari in 2012 | |
Born | Vani Deva Hari (1979-03-22) March 22, 1979 (age 45) Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. |
Alma mater | University of North Carolina at Charlotte |
Occupation(s) | Blogger, author, speaker, affiliate marketer |
Known for | Food activism |
Website | www |
Vani Deva Hari (born March 22, 1979), who blogs as the Food Babe, is an American author, activist, and affiliate marketer who criticizes the food industry. She started the Food Babe blog in 2011, and it received over 54 million views in 2014.
She is a New York Times best-selling author, and companies such as Chick-fil-A and Kraft may have changed or reconsidered ingredients in their products following her campaigns.
Hari's ideas on food safety have been criticized by scientists as pseudoscience and chemophobia, and others have drawn attention to her financial interest through promotion and marketing of natural foods.
Career
Born in Charlotte, North Carolina to Indian immigrant parents from Punjab, India, 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. In her early 20s, Hari was hospitalized with appendicitis. In response, she began looking into health and nutrition issues. She started the Food Babe blog in 2011, and left Accenture in 2012 to devote her time to activism and blogging, as well as marketing dietary and other products. By 2014, her blog was receiving over 54 million views. Hari has over 97,000 Twitter followers, and an official Facebook page with over one million likes. She refers to her followers and supporters as the "Food Babe Army."
Hari has capitalised on her following by selling books, subscriptions to her eating guide, meal plans, products through which she gains affiliate commissions, and through marketing her own line of supplements under the Truvani brand. Critics argue that the controversy she engenders through her activism helps drive sales through her site.
Activism
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.
Hari has said that President Barack Obama did not keep a promise that he made during his 2008 presidential campaign to force the labeling of genetically modified food (GMOs). 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.
In 2012, Hari wrote a blog post regarding Chipotle describing her quest to get clear answers about what Chipotle used in their food, saying: "Most of their food was contaminated with genetically modified cooking oil, corn oil, and they were using genetically modified ingredients in their tortillas. Even in the black beans there was GMO soybean oil. You couldn't even order vegetarian and avoid it. It was really unfortunate. Then, when I saw their flour tortillas' package, it said that they use trans-fat. That's crazy." After she published her blog post, Chipotle set up a meeting with Hari where she urged them to publish their ingredients publicly. In March 2013, Chipotle's Communications Director emailed Hari with a link to a new page on Chipotle's website with the ingredients in all of their menu items, along with a statement on the sidebar, "Our goal is to eliminate GMOs from Chipotle's ingredients, and we're working hard to meet this challenge." In April 2015, Chipotle followed up on their commitment to remove GMO ingredients from their food and became the first national restaurant chain to use only non-GMO ingredients.
In March 2013, Hari posted her first petition on Change.org asking Kraft Foods to remove FD&C yellow#5 and FD&C yellow#6 food dyes from their Mac & Cheese. On April 1, 2013, Hari visited Kraft headquarters in Chicago bringing along a petition with over 270,000 signatures and met with executives. Following Hari's visit, Kraft told ABC News Chicago they have "no plans to change the recipe for the original mac and cheese," and "...the safety and quality of our products is our highest priority and we take consumer concerns very seriously. We carefully follow the laws and regulations in the countries where our products are sold." Hari replied, "People have tried to petition the FDA over and over and it hasn't worked. The best way to create change is to hold the food companies responsible." While the dyes are legal in the U.S., Kraft uses a different formula in the United Kingdom without artificial dyes. By the end of October 2013 the petition had received about 348,000 signatures. In October 2013, Kraft announced they would change 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 April 2015, Kraft further announced that they will remove artificial dyes and artificial preservatives from all of its Mac & Cheese products by 2016.
In 2013, Hari wrote about the use of class IV caramel color in Newcastle Brown Ale on her blog and put public pressure on them to drop this ingredient. In January 2015, Heineken announced that they would stop adding class IV caramel color to their Newcastle Brown Ale, and would instead color it naturally with the same roasted malt they had previously used. Heineken's announcement came just prior to the release of her book, The Food Babe Way (February 10, 2015), that devotes a chapter to the ingredients—including caramel coloring—in some beers, wines, and liquors.
In February 2014, Hari launched a petition on her website asking Subway to remove azodicarbonamide (an FDA-approved flour bleaching agent and dough conditioner) from their sandwich bread. The petition gathered more than 50,000 signatures in 24 hours. Subway later announced a plan to remove the ingredient from all of their sandwich breads, a process which began before her campaign. The Center For Science In The Public Interest, who advocates for its reduction, credited Hari for drawing attention to it. The Environmental Working Group supported the removal of azodicarbonamide and urged against its use. Food science experts have pointed out that the level of azodicarbonamide permitted by the FDA for use in bread is too low to pose a significant risk.
In June 2014, Hari posted a petition asking major brewers to list the ingredients in their products, something which U.S. 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 day after she posted her petition, 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." Hari later claimed that she was aware of the historic use of isinglass, and was raising attention to it for the benefit of uninformed vegans and vegetarians. In October 2015 Guinness announced that they are stopping the use of isinglass in their refining process so that their beer will become vegan-friendly.
In August 2014, Hari wrote a blog post in which she claimed there is a lack of transparency when it comes to the ingredients in Starbucks' drinks. She noted that Starbucks doesn't publish their ingredients online and pointed out the use of class IV caramel color and the lack of real pumpkin in Starbucks's Pumpkin Spice Latte. This blog post received over 10 million views in 2014, and in the fall of 2015 Starbucks debuted a reformulated Pumpkin Spice Latte with real pumpkin and without caramel color. Hari took credit for this change, claiming to have emailed them monthly for updates.
On February 5, 2015, Hari launched a petition on her website asking General Mills and Kellogg's to remove the preservative butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) from their cereals. The additive has been widely used in cereal packaging in the U.S. for many years. BHT has to be listed as an ingredient on food labels, and some consumer-protection advocates like the Environmental Working Group have advised people to avoid it when possible. Cereals marketed in Europe by General Mills and Kellogg's do not contain the additive. Hari's petition received over 30,000 signatures in 24 hours. On February 5, 2015, General Mills released a statement that they would be removing BHT from their cereal, stating, "This change is not for safety reasons, but because we think consumers will embrace it. We've never spoken with Vani Hari and she did not play any role in our decision," and "...our removal of BHT from cereals is well underway and has been for more than a year."
In August 2015, Hari campaigned Subway in conjunction with Natural Resources Defense Council, Friends of the Earth, the Center for Food Safety, and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group to commit to buying meat produced without the routine use of antibiotics and to provide a timeline for doing so. In October 2015, Subway announced they would transition to chicken raised without antibiotics in 2016 and turkey within the following 2–3 years, and would also transition beef and pork raised without antibiotics by 2025.
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".
Books
The Food Babe Way
Hari's first book, The Food Babe Way, was released February 10, 2015. The book was #4 on the New York Times bestseller list for March 1, 2015 in the "Advice, How-To & Miscellaneous" section. It remained on the list for five weeks. It also appeared as #1 for nonfiction on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list for the week ending February 15, 2015.
Feeding You Lies
Hari released her second book, Feeding You Lies: How to Unravel the Food Industry's Playbook and Reclaim Your Health, in February 2019. The book appeared on the Wall Street Journal bestseller list for the week ending February 23, 2019. The Daily Beast also listed it amongst 12 Best Selling Books Published in February 2019.
Reception
Hari has received wide criticism concerning the accuracy, consistency, and presentation of her many claims.
Hari is a former management consultant who has a degree in computer science, and has no expertise in nutrition or food science. In response to criticisms that she lacks training in these fields, Hari has stated, "I never claimed to be a nutritionist. I'm an investigator." According to horticultural scientist Kevin Folta, Hari's lack of training often leads her to misinterpret peer-reviewed research and technical details about food chemistry, nutrition, and health. Chemist Joseph A. Schwarcz also criticizes her lack of scientific knowledge, saying: "It isn't hard to deconstruct her arguments. Most of them are so silly. Her basic tenet is guilt by association."
Cheryl Wischhover, a freelance Beauty/Health/Fitness writer in Elle described Hari's tactics as "manipulative", "sneaky", and "polarizing rather than productive." Wischhover also wrote about 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." In December 2014, a National Public Radio article compared her activism to fear mongering. A 2015 Slate article described her writings as using "malicious metonymy" to be deceptive. Referring to the whole food movement, Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition, food studies, and public health at New York University, says Hari "gives the movement a bad name" and prefers Hari focus on more important issues.
Yvette d'Entremont, science writer and former analytical chemist, writing for Gawker, criticized the lack of scientific support for Hari's claims, and described her writing as "the worst assault on science on the internet".
Following d'Entremont's article, Marion Nestle stated that d'Entremont's criticisms were "valid scientifically", and that "the difficulty with the kinds of compounds that Vani Hari has been dealing with is that they're present in the food supply in very small amounts, and therefore it's very hard to test whether small amounts are harmful or not harmful, so the science is uncertain, it's nuanced, it's very hard to talk about." Her concern with Hari is that she "turns these things into something that's black or white—very easy for people to understand, but not necessarily accurate."
Hari has also been accused of banning dissenters from the Food Babe LLC social media accounts in order to create an echo chamber. Social media groups for people who have been banned by Hari have sprung up as a result of these tactics.
Promotion of pseudoscience
Hari has been criticized by scientists and others for promoting pseudoscience. Kevin Folta has accused Hari 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. Chemistry professor Joseph A. Schwarcz, director of McGill University's Office for Science and Society 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. In 2015 skeptic Brian Dunning listed FoodBabe.com as #7 on a "Top 10 Worst Anti-Science Websites" list. 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 (which has since been removed), Hari quoted the ideas of Masaru Emoto 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. Steven 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". She later described the post as not her "most impressive piece of work" and noted that it was written when she had first started blogging. 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 claimed getting the flu is not dangerous but getting a flu shot is, and the following day tweeted that flu vaccines have been "used as a genocide tool in the past". The tweet was subsequently deleted. Hari's position was criticized 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 was widely commented on by public organizations promoting science, such as McGill University's Office for Science and Society and the American Council on Science and Health.
Financial interests
In an article in Bloomberg Businessweek, Duane D. Stanford wrote that Hari has an apparent financial interest by 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. Hari's critics have drawn attention to her affiliated marketing partnerships with organic and non-GMO brands from which she profits by recommending them over mainstream brands.
A 2015 article in Skeptical Inquirer details products Hari declares as having toxic ingredients while Hari promotes and receives sales commissions for products containing the same or similar ingredients. Hari's claims of toxicity have been dismissed by experts in science and medicine as incorrect or exaggerated. Hari in the past removed a product from her site when attention was drawn to it as containing chemicals she has spoken against, a body scrub called Fresh, which contained butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). However, Hari claims that BHT is not as toxic if applied to skin as opposed to ingested.
Personal life
Vani Hari is married to Finley Clarke. They have 3 kids.
See also
References
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In her book and on her blog, Hari plays this game of malicious metonymy again and again, leveraging common motifs of disgust, such as excrement and body parts, all the while deliberately confusing the source and uses of material with the molecules themselves
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7. FoodBabe.com
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- Hari, Vani (October 5, 2011). "Did You Know the #flushot Has Been Used as a Genocide Tool in the Past. Think Twice – More Info at foodbabe.com". Archived from the original on April 9, 2015 – via Twitter.
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External links
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