Sensationalistic Media: What’s a Food Scientist to Do?

Food safety. Food recalls. Obesity. Toxic chemicals. High sodium. The soda tax. Calorie counts. High fructose corn syrup. Food rules.

Feature any of these topics in a headline or news lead-in, and consumers are likely to respond in fear—their eyes or ears drawn to the online, print, or broadcast story created to allow media companies to generate income. Is it right? Not necessarily, but it’s business, and, indeed, the media is a fickle beast.

Members of the media regularly churn out extremist, pol…