Red meat, detoxification cure: the French badly reported on their diet

Detoxification priests, food supplements, red meat: the French lack reference points in their diet are often poorly informed, according to Barometer 2025 of the critical mind, published on Thursday.

For its fourth edition, this survey, conducted by Opinionway for Universcience, observed the eating habits of the French and exposes its vulnerability to misinformation.

More than half (58%) of respondents think that detoxification priests are effective for “cleaning the body after excess food”, 37% that food supplements “compensate for a poor diet” and 34% that “men need more red meat than women.”

This false information meets an even greater approval rate among young people -15-24 years, up to 65 %, 53 %and 46 %respectively.

In total, “more than eight out of ten respondents adhere at least one of the proven falsehoods,” said the barometer.

Difficulties in finding good information

Given the multiplication of resources and information, 56% of the French say they do not know “really who believes.” Its first source of information remains the entourage (54%), in front of the Internet (excluding social networks, 50%) and health professionals (30%), which only arrive third.

And even if the vast majority of respondents (79%) declare priority for doctors and dietitians or organizations such as Public Health France (71%), more than half (55%) also declare to trust “professionals of alternative and alternative medicine”, frequent misinformation relays.

The French, and particularly young people, also more and more resort to digital players. Among young people aged 15 to 24, 46% trust youtubers and scientific influential, and 63% of nutrition specialized applications, such as Openfoodfacts or Yuka.

Anxious to eat well, more than half of the respondents (56%) report that they regularly read the labels and packaging of products when they buy.

A little less than half (49%) declares to take into account, to take their choices, at least one nutritional aspect, such as nutritional score (24%), or an ethical criterion (47%), such as the mode of production or equitable nature.

However, at the time of choice, the priority remains given at prices or promotions for the vast majority of French (69%).