Supplemented Food Products: An Analysis of Social Media Messages

The purpose of the research was to evaluate consumer messaging about supplemented food products using content analysis of Facebook®, Twitter, and Instagram. A search of Facebook®, Twitter, and Instagram was conducted in July and August 2016 using keywords and hashtags such as functional foods, fortified foods and supplemented foods along with the names of popular products. A deductive content analysis methodology was used to code all available messages. Manual extraction of Facebook® and Instagram was conducted along with the Hootsuite™Archive function which enabled automated extractions and storage of tweets. The content of all posts including the keyword, date, username, user category, text of message, tone, purpose of message, accuracy of message, and hyperlinks were analyzed. A total of 1278 social media posts were extracted. The majority of posts (71%) were from consumers or potential consumers of these products, while 15% were from industry sources, 2% from registered health professionals, and 7% from unregistered health professionals. Thirty-four percent of posts regarding “fortified food” “functional food”, and “supplemented food” were made by industry sources (34%). The majority of messages on Facebook® and Twitter were deemed inaccurate (62%), whereas more messages on Instagram were considered accurate (67%). Misleading and inaccurate information disseminated online could make it very difficult for consumers to understand the true risks and benefits of the supplemented food category. This research suggests that strategies are needed to educate consumers on supplemented food products.