Americans are bombarded with information on food safety and nutrition. Whether you are looking for clarification on something you heard about on the news or are searching for information related to a particular food safety or health concern, chances are your quest will begin on the Internet.
In fact, according to a 2007 survey by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI), nearly one half (47 percent) of consumers turn to the Internet for information on food safety. Despite the popularity of the Internet as a source of information, consumers have a healthy skepticism about the information they find online. The FMI survey found that only 11 percent of consumers rank the Internet as their most trusted source of food safety information. Clearly, consumers are aware of the fact that you can’t believe everything you read on the Internet.
Although it is good to be aware that not all the information you may encounter is based on sound science, it can be difficult to know how to find credible information that you can trust. After all, anyone can create a Web site. Just because it looks professional does not mean that the information is accurate or the author is credible. Even sites like Wikipedia can be edited by anyone with Internet access. So, how do you know what information is good information and what is just plain junk?
Be Strategic in Your Searching
Begin with Reputable Sites: Search engines are powerful tools that can produce page upon page of results. Weeding through the results can be time consuming and challenging. So, instead of using a general search engine like Google or Yahoo, begin your search with related “umbrella” sites.
For example, if you are looking for health-related information, try beginning your search on a site like www.healthfinder.gov, a government Web site designed for health professionals and consumers to provide reliable health information. It is likely that using a reputable search site will direct you to the information that you are seeking.
Know what you are looking for: This bit of advice seems obvious. However, before you start a search, think about what kind of information you are looking for. Moreover, are you looking for facts, opinions, or scientific studies? What is your goal in finding this information? Are you looking to get new ideas or are you looking to find factual support for something you saw in the news? Once you have answered these two questions you will be able to judge the information you find in your search to determine if it meets your criteria.
Consider a search on caffeine. If you begin the search using a general search engine, such as Google and search “caffeine,” you will get thousands of responses. While some of the sites will provide reputable information, others will perpetuate myths. Searching through the results could be very time consuming, particularly if you have not carefully considered what kind of information you need.
Let’s apply the search principles mentioned above and compare the results. If you are interested in how caffeine may affect an athlete’s hydration status, you might begin your search on a site such as the American College of Sports Medicine (www.acsm.org) and search “caffeine and hydration.” The results from this search will provide you with information based on consensus science. As you can see, the two searches yielded very different results. The more focused search on the ACSM Web site produces credible, reliable information.
Choose Your Search Criteria Carefully: Nouns make good keywords, as do phrases inside quote marks. To put this into context, consider searching “food safety.” On any given day, this basic search nets hundreds of links to government and academic institutions such as FDA, USDA, CDC, and even the Partnership for Food Safety Education. If you are looking for resources relevant to consumer food safety, you should be very specific in your search. Try using such phrases as “consumer food safety” or “food safety in the home” or even “food safety tips” to net a focused set of resources relevant to your needs. Again, these searches will yield hundreds of links, but remember, not everything that you find is credible. Therefore, it is important to search several different phrases to identify credible links that are consistent among search results.
Search with a Healthy Skepticism: It is important to evaluate the information you find online with a critical eye before accepting it as accurate and reliable. Therefore, once you think you have found the information for which you have been searching, you must evaluate it. There are several ways to analyze your results for credibility.
Start with the basics. Why does the Web site exist? What is its purpose? Some Web sites exist to inform, others to sell, and others are just to promote one’s personal views. When searching for food safety and nutrition information, focus on sites that seek to inform, not to sell. See the sidebar for a list of credible and reliable Web sites.
As previously mentioned, the “About Us” page is a good place to begin your evaluation of a site. Heed the warning signs. If you cannot locate company or organization background information on the site, or credentials of the person who wrote the information you should be suspicious. The information is probably not the most trustworthy available.
Along the same lines, if a site repeatedly references the same “expert,” do an independent search to verify his or her credentials. Although a site may look professional and reliable, it may be an individual’s Web site or blog (Web-log) reflecting their opinions, not facts. An independent search for more information on the expert may be very telling, when their Web site is not.
For instance, a search for information regarding the use of low-calorie sweeteners as a tool for weight management may lead you to a popular alternative health products Web site. In this case, it is easily determined that the Web site is a vehicle to drive sales of alternative health products. This observation should set off several red flags. Background information and credentials on the individual(s) behind the Web site were difficult to locate; the “About Us” section of the site promoted products that were available for purchase; and the language on the site was very sensational and biased. Finally, the site didn’t provide information for using low-calorie sweeteners to control calorie intake, which is what you were searching for.
Based on the example above, here are some clues that you should proceed with caution:
- The information presented seems to be extremely biased.
- Anecdotal information is abundant, but there are no concrete references.
- The language is sensational. Sites offering a “magic bullet” guaranteed to “cure” a condition with no known cure or touting “miracle” solutions should be regarded with extreme caution.
- Advertisements for products that alleviate or cure the condition that you are researching are prevalent on the site. If you are looking for reliable information, again, it is best to stick with sites that inform, but don’t sell.
In conclusion, the ease and accessibility of using the Internet have made it easier to access a wide variety of information on food safety and nutrition from a number of places all over the world. However, it is essential to approach Internet research with a healthy skepticism and careful scrutiny. The next time you turn to the Web to clarify that tidbit on acrylamide that you heard on the news or research that new diet your best friend mentioned, be sure to apply these tips to your search!
