The Freedom Food Alliance, a consumer advocacy organization founded by Plant Based News co-founder Robbie Lockie, has announced the launch of a new platform providing accurate, reliable, and up-to-date information about nutrition.
Called FoodFacts.org, the platform has partly been launched in response to the recent decision by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg to end third-party fact-checking on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram. It aims to give individuals, policymakers, and industry leaders the tools to make informed nutrition decisions.
One of the key features of FoodFacts.org is an AI-powered chatbot providing tailored real-time guidance. The feature can assist users in exploring nutritional data, investigating food sourcing, and debunking food-related myths.
“The decision to remove independent fact-checking from major social media platforms is deeply troubling,” said Robbie Lockie, founder of FoodFacts.org. “Food is one of the most fundamental aspects of human life, and yet it remains one of the most misunderstood. FoodFacts.org is here to cut through the noise, debunk myths, and give people access to trustworthy, science-backed information.”
“Restoring balance in the conversation”
The news comes around a year after the Freedom Food Alliance published an in-depth report uncovering the extensive disinformation campaigns impacting global food systems. The report demonstrated how these campaigns could influence public opinion and policy, with a detrimental effect on progress towards a sustainable food system.
“Our starting point as fact-checkers is to address and correct widely circulating claims that could harm people’s health and well-being,” said Dr. Elise Hutchinson PhD, lead researcher and co-founder of Foodfacts.org. “We analyze and expose the broader narratives that tie these claims together and make them persuasive, helping our readers understand the mechanisms behind misinformation.
“More importantly, we aim to equip our readers with the tools to critically evaluate online nutrition information. Fact-checking is a rigorous and essential process — one that restores balance in the conversation and ensures that expert voices rise above the noise of misinformation.”