Science or belief
Last night’s Horizon programme on BBC2 raised some very interesting points about some of the health claims made by the food industry. Friendly bacteria, so-called superfoods, and the organics industry all came under the spotlight. It was good to see the programme focusing on the science behind these claims, and interesting that in most cases the science did not appear to back them up.
The Agency has always been keen to ensure that people are not being misled by the various claims made about food. In fact, new European rules were introduced last year aimed at making it easier for people to understand what all these terms mean. In future, any claims made about the nutrition and health benefits of a food will have to be backed up by the science.
What really interests me about this is the way the debate quickly shifts into science versus belief, as if one is right and the other is wrong. Surely we need both. We can use scientific method to look at claims for superfoods and organic and make rational decisions about whether they are more nutritious or safer (not, according to the science) or we can simply choose to believe that certain foods are going to make us healthier. As a Tottenham Hotspur supporter, I'm subject to the occasional irrational belief system (I still have a warm glow after Sunday's Carling Cup victory), but this doesn't prevent me using rational scientific thought. But I do worry about the way in which science is used selectively by those with a commercial interest, and I do get annoyed when I hear parents being made to feel guilty if they aren't feeding their children organic, when conventional food is just as safe, and what really matters is eating a balanced diet with lots of fruit and vegetables, not whether they are organic or not.
Of course it's not the job of scientists like me to tell people what to eat - and I wouldn't dream of doing so. If superfoods is your thing, that's fine by me, but not if you make unfounded scientific claims about them.
So the question I'm left with is how we reconcile science with belief in relation to what people eat? I would be interested in your views.
