Stories like this are why Al Gore invented the Interwebs. In the olden times, this type of story would never get published, outside of some weird mailing list run by a dude living in a van down by the river. I guess maybe in the days of public access TV, these guys would get time or maybe on the weird local cable show. The internet makes it easy for these people to reach a wide audience. It probably encourages other nuts to start proselytizing, because the barrier of entry is low and they can easily gain an audience.

According to the “About Us” page:

The NaturalNews Network is a non-profit collection of public education websites covering topics that empower individuals to make positive changes in their health, environmental sensitivity, consumer choices and informed skepticism. The NaturalNews Network is owned and operated by Truth Publishing International, Ltd., a Taiwan corporation. It is not recognized as a 501(c)3 non-profit in the United States, but it operates without a profit incentive, and its key writer, Mike Adams, receives absolutely no payment for his time, articles or books other than reimbursement for items purchased in order to conduct product reviews.

The vast majority of our content is freely given away at no charge. We offer thousands of articles and dozens of downloadable reports and guides (like the Honest Food Guide) that are designed to educate and empower individuals, families and communities so that they may experience improved health, awareness and life fulfillment.

I’m sure the proprietor has good reason to base his company in Taiwan and I’m sure it has nothing to do with tax avoidance or FDA avoidance. The wild west of the food world is the “natural” food world. Go into a natural food shop and you will be told all sorts of nonsense about their products. I was once told by a clerk that drinking their mud potions would be good for my colon. Imagine that. They were trying to have me eat dirt. I suspect that’s the trick with all of their products. Make sure it is harmless, like eating dirt.

Food cults are nothing new and that’s what sites like NaturalNews exploit. The ancient Greeks had all sorts of food related rituals and beliefs and they passed them onto the Romans. I think Pythagoras was a vegan. The key element in all food cults is a low grade malevolence toward humanity. If man created or improved on it, it is ruled out of bounds by the cult. Organic food, which is often just a label, is a good example. People think those ten dollar bananas are better because the farmer eschews modern science.

Then there is the moral component. The point of joining a cult is to upgrade the identity of the cult member. The adherent trades their identity for that of the group because they think that’s better. Whole Foods shoppers are “saving the earth”, “leaving small foot prints” and otherwise being “socially conscious.” That’s why those grimy canvas sacks are so popular. They display the holder’s goodness. Vegetarians are the worst at this. They make sure to tell you they are a vegetarian within five minutes of meeting them.