Response to "10 Things the Food Industry Doesn’t Want You to Know" By Adam Voiland and Angel Haupt
This article discusses ten things that food industries would not be inclined to share to the public. Although many of the facts are somewhat obvious, one stood out to me specifically. This was the fact that many studies are supported by food companies themselves, and when studies are supported by the relevant food companies they are several times more likely to go in the food company’s favor. Although this is not shocking, it is alarming. It makes one realize that any data can be bent to favor a side, and that most often, people already have a desired outcome before they even begin their study. This means that a person must be careful when doing their research. Credibility is everything. A person must be able to identify bias in the research, the publisher, the sponsors, and any other people involved. This way, a source can be determined to be credible not only on the surface, but also deeper, in regards to the people involved. What is alarming about the food company’s support is that they have a lot of money, and a lot of interest. For instance, Coca Cola would be quick to sponsor a study that is trying to claim that Coca Cola does not cause heart attacks. If this were disproved, it would pose a threat to Coca Cola, so they are most likely the group that cares the most about this study. Not only that, but they have a lot of money to put into this study. Coca Cola would put millions of dollars into this study so it comes out to support them, while groups who oppose Coca Cola probably do not have the millions of dollars of free cash to throw into this project. In this way, a person must be aware how studies and research can be bent to support any group or person’s view, threatening the reality of the study through bias.