claims, experts say that the public should carefully examine that research.

The study could be scientifically flawed, the data misinterpreted and the results over-generalised.

The Food and Nutrition Science Alliance (FANSA) is an American coalition of four professional/scientific societies who have joined forces to address food and nutrition issues. In a bid to discourage people from overreacting to products that are making headlines, the FANSA has released ten warning `flags' of junk science: Recommendations that promise a quick fix; Dire warnings of danger from a single product or regime; Claims that seem too good to be true; Simplistic conclusions drawn from a complex study; Recommendations based on a single study; Dramatic statements that are refuted by reputable scientific organisations; Lists of `good' or `bad' foods; Recommendations made to help sell a product; Recommendations based on studies published without peer review; and Recommendations from studies that ignore differences among individuals or groups.