Composting and food waste on google news: Connections to nutrition and health

BackgroundComposting is a practical solution to the burgeoning global problem of food waste, which is a significant contributor to landfills and associated environmental effects. Dissemination of accurate information regarding the microbial-driven composting process is critical to positive outcomes.AimTo describe the content of news articles addressing composting.MethodsA search was conducted on Google News using keywords, "composting" and the first 100 English-language articles were analyzed for content. The 12 content categories were derived from a United States Department of Agriculture information guide on composting. Details regarding the source of the news article were included. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and chi-square tests of independence were conducted.ResultsOnly 17% of the sample were professional sources. Among the 12 content categories, environmental benefits of composting had maximum coverage (68%). Inclusion of the topics of environmental benefits (<i>p</i> = 0.03) and role of composting in landfill reduction (<i>p</i> = 0.03) was significantly associated with the article being a professional source.ConclusionsThe Internet presents opportunities for food and environmental experts to disseminate accurate information regarding composting, and partner at various levels into recycle food and organic waste to value-added products.