Vani Hari is a food activist, entrepreneur, and author recognized for her investigations into the American food supply. Following a health crisis that prioritized her focus on nutrition, she founded FoodBabe.com in 2011 to examine food production chemicals and corporate marketing tactics. Her work has successfully influenced multinational food corporations—including Kraft, Subway, and Starbucks—to reformulate products and increase ingredient transparency. In 2015, Time Magazine named her one of the "Most Influential People on the Internet". Vani’s mission is to eliminate harmful hidden ingredients in processed foods by educating consumers to "vote with their dollars" for sustainable and transparent products. She advocates for an organic lifestyle and works to expose the use of synthetic additives, such as azodicarbonamide and BHT, steering the global food industry toward more healthful policies.
Major Corporate Policy Victories:
- Subway: Removal of azodicarbonamide (the "yoga mat" chemical) from bread.
- Kraft: Removal of artificial dyes from select children's macaroni and cheese products.
- Starbucks: Elimination of Class IV caramel coloring and the publication of complete drink ingredients online.
- Anheuser-Busch & MillerCoors: Disclosure of full ingredient lists for major beer brands.
- Chipotle: Publication of full ingredient lists and a commitment to go GMO-free.
Books:
- The Food Babe Way (2015)
- Feeding You Lies (2019)
Education: Bachelor of Science in Computer Science at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte ('01) and undergraduate studies at The University of Georgia ('98).
