Having just spent 40 minutes chasing Shadow around the neighbourhood, getting stuck in a hedge and leaping over a few flower beds, I have retreated inside to contemplate how ridiculous this situation is. Not only is Shadow (the bunny) NOT in the hutch but he is now outside the French door, looking in and taunting me … as if to say, “Come and get me lady, I am not done making a fool of you yet!” I don’t know if he enjoys this little game, but I do know this is not how I imagined I’d spend my evenings. It’s a fitting end to the week however. Nutrition warfare has broken out on social media and I’m beginning to wonder if the world has gone mad.

If you have missed this debate, let me fill you in. Food Babe (a healthy eating activist with over 900,000 followers on Facebook) is being dragged over the coals for “fearmongering” with sensationalist and often poorly referenced material.

Food Babe has taken criticism before, but nothing quite like the media firestorm that broke out midweek. The person taking her on? Wait for it …. well she’s called Science Babe, but you can call her SciBabe for short. How is anyone supposed to take either side seriously?

Despite her name, Food Babe has a solemn agenda — to expose unnecessary and potentially harmful chemicals in the US food system. She is aggrieved that many chemicals used in food production Stateside, are banned in the same product made for European markets.

She asks, for example, why Americans have Kraft mac n’ cheese dyed with Yellow #5, when Kraft makes it with turmeric for Europe. Whether or not chemicals such as these are really a cause for concern is a matter of huge debate in the nutrition and science-based communities.

Many people believe that “it’s the dose that makes the poison”, while others believe that small doses can be cumulatively harmful.

In addition (and this is a big generalisation), team Science Babe believes that this much scrutiny leads to disordered eating, and team Food Babe believes that this much deviation away from natural food is a primary cause of disease and obesity.

Science Babe’s criticism of Food Babe seems to fall into three main areas: her lack of professional qualifications in the relevant field, poor scientific citation and sensationalist presentation.

Re the latter, Food Babe’s followers were told “there’s yoga mat in your Subway” due to Subway breads containing azodicarbonamide. This chemical is prolific in bread in general as it’s a dough-improving agent, used to boost texture.

It’s also used in yoga mats and other foamy plastics. Does it mean there’s actual yoga mat in your bread? No.

So implying that it does is a sensationalist tactic (although note in fairness that azodicarbonamide is banned as a food additive in Europe and Australia).

Science Babe also bristles at Food Babe’s indiscriminate use of the word “chemical” to imply something that is bad. She points out, that oxygen and hydrogen are both chemicals after all, which combine to make …. water. It’s a good point and something that I know I am guilty of.

Watching the online saga unfurl has — for a nutrition geek like me — been both fascinating and infuriating. Fascinating to see how many radically different viewpoints there are out there, and infuriating to watch it deteriorate into a mudslinging, name-calling war.

Many of the comments in the articles are horrendous — full of hate and arrogance on both sides of the fence. It seems that food has become something of a belief system — pick a side and defend it at all costs.

That realisation was jarring for me. I often encourage people to “find your food philosophy” as I think knowing your food ethics helps people navigate through all the junk food out there.

But perhaps I need to add that this doesn’t mean adopting dogged beliefs. Now, more than ever, it’s important to keep an open mind and to really look at where your information comes from.

Sometimes it takes someone like Food Babe to bring issues with food dyes, pesticides and GMOs into the mainstream. For that reason alone, I am glad she has got more people asking more questions. The huge downside is that sensationalism opens up legitimate concerns to ridicule — whether from sceptical professionals or reluctant spouses.

Worst of all, it adds fuel to the fire for those who stand to profit from public concerns being shamed or swept under the carpet.

So what’s the lesson we learn from all of this? Be wary of sensationalist media certainly.

But do keep asking hard, uncomfortable questions. We still need more transparency when it comes to the health, welfare and environmental consequences of our food. It’s bound to be a bumpy ride but don’t let that put you off. Buckle up and we’ll do it together.

• The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is the managing director of Natural Ltd and a fully qualified nutritional therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the UK. Please note that she is not a registered dietitian. For details, please go to www.natural.bm or call 236-7511. Join Catherine on Facebook: www.facebook.com/nutrifitandnaturalnutritionbermuda