Food Science and the Press

The press plays an important role in educating the public about food science, while journalists are investigating a wide range of food-related topics but they most commonly focus on the following topics:

• Food safety. This is a very broad topic that covers everything from food production to food engineering and distribution. In the recent years, many journalists have also been dealing extensively with the debate of organic vs. conventionally grown foods, presenting their readers the results of scientific studies as well as findings of their own research on the issue.

• Health benefits of particular foods. Journalists who focus on this topic help their readers understand the effects particular foods on their health and in particular, how to improve their health by simple dietary changes. Besides presenting particular foods and their nutritional value, their articles often also contain practical tips and advice on how to prepare healthy but tasty meals.

• Weight loss diets. Unfortunately, not all weight loss diets that can be found in printed and electronic media are based on scientific evidence. Although there is a widespread agreement that fast weight loss diets don’t work, the media are still full of diets promising dramatic results in a very short period of time - often without much effort. The same goes for the so-called low-carb and low-fat diets which foresee avoidance of foods high in carbohydrates and fats, respectively. Besides failing to bring results that last, the mentioned weight loss diets can also lead to potentially serious health problems.

• Food hygiene, processing and storage. It isn’t just food producers and processors who are responsible for food safety. The consumers share a part of the responsibility as well. To ensure that food products remain fresh and tasty, and most important of all, to prevent potentially dangerous contamination, it is of utmost importance to know how to properly handle, process and store particular food products. Besides educating the public about the importance of food hygiene, processing and storage, journalists who specialise in this topic often also provide useful tips on things such as how to preserve the nutritional value, improve the taste, extend shelf life, etc.

• Growing own food. Since growing own food is getting increasingly popular, many food-related topics covered by the press also include advice on how to grow tasty fruits and vegetables. Journalist provide a range of useful information including how to protect plants from pests and diseases, how to care for them, where to plant them and a wealth of other practical tips and tricks their readers may find valuable.