Food Babe
cuts with a sharp knife
US-born Vani Hari takes on
industry biggies to eliminate toxic ingredients from their products; says fast
food needs rehaul
She got Subway to remove azodicarbonamide (a food additive) from their sandwich bread. Vani Hari of Charlotte, North Carolina, is the food babe. Although Hari's family hails from Punjab, her parents moved to the US in the 60s and wanted to fit right in. "My only regret growing up was eating American fast-food to fit in. It is only later in my life that I started eating Indian food regularly," says Hari.
About a decade ago, as a
fresh college graduate, Hari quickly fell into a routine eating catered food
and as a result put on a lot of weight and fell ill. "I realised there is
a correlation between what I eat and how I feel and I decided my health would
be my first priority." A nationally ranked debater in school, Hari
channeled her energiesBSE 4.99 % into researching food. "What I have found
out has surprised me immensely."
She was urged to share her
knowledge and that was how foodbabe.com began. With 7 million page views every
month, Hari is being heard. From a local frozen yogurt chain to big names like
Subway, Kraft, Chick-a-fil, Starbucks and more recently, pizza big-wigs like
Domino's, Pizza Hut and Papa John's, she has tackled a variety of problems.
"All these places add monosodium glutamate (MSG) to your food, which
tricks your mind into craving more. So far no pizza company has reached out to
me."
Kraft has different
ingredients for the USA and the UK. All the harmful ingredients are taken out
for the UK market, but not in the US. "This double-standard was maddening.
We deserve better," Hari says. The most shocking revelation is that
alcohol in the USA is not FDA-regulated and it has additives that are most
upsetting. "I encourage corporations to reach out to me. They need to
realise that I am not an enemy. I am just a voice of the people. Very recently,
Starbucks reached out to me and wanted to set up a meeting and this
transparency is a very welcome."
Hari quit her job as a
management consultant last year to follow her passion for food. She also has a
book coming out next year which promises some big surprises.
No comments:
Post a Comment