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I. Introduction
The way that people, opinions or trends can influence our way of understanding or planning what we eat is not a new phenomenon.
In prehistoric times, it is likely that the Homo sapiens learned which food was harmful by observing the deaths or poisoning of their peers upon eating it. This is how man gradually began to identify which food was safe and which wasn’t. In this regard, I have always thought that this empiricism of the era prevails in the ‘Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS)’ concept established in the food legislation of the United States.
Over time, humans began to expand their food culture, basing it mainly on their experience with food that looked safe, as well as focusing on food that was easier to obtain (hunting first, then farming), or flavours they liked. In the classic world, for example the Greeks and Romans, food culture and gastronomy improved to include a new element: pleasure.
As a side note, the Jewish and Muslim religions also put in place certain rules (kosher and halal traditions) that clearly influenced diet for believers of these religions1.
In the Middle Ages, it is clear that the concept of safe food was of utmost importance; some historians say that they drank wine instead of water, since the latter was contaminated.
After the discovery of America, the Spanish aristocrats began drinking a cocoa-based drink called ‘chocollatl’2, which then became popular across Europe3. The difficult popularization of the potato was also the work of prestigious influencers4.
However, my intention is not to carry out a historical study of the influences on food over the years, but to focus on the relatively new (?) concept of influencers. And more specifically, those that contribute to changing (for better5 or for worse) our eating habits.
There are influencers in almost all fields of human consumption; their activities have become increasingly important in recent decades in our globalized and digitalized world (Internet, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)6.
I think it is important not to confuse influencers with celebrities (actors, footballers, etc.) who appear in adverts, generally on the television, promoting a specific food product. The ‘average consumer who is...