Mariano B. M. Ferraz has released a book, “Can you believe that? Myths and Truths about food: A critical review of myths found on social media, websites and fake-news around the internet.”

The author addresses myths and legends about food and its production. The book focuses on information circulated by email and social networks that has not been critically vetted.

Each chapter evaluates one food myth and is followed by a basic overview of the production of the foods mentioned in the myth. For example, in the chapter “Is sparkling water bad for you?” author Ferraz attempts to stop the spreading of misinformation about sparkling water and get to the reality of concerns and potential benefits.

The book is meant to be used as a reference and as a way to gain a general understanding of the food production process, according to promotional materials. It can be found on Amazon in both print and e-book versions. The e-book version is available for free through Nov. 15.

Ferraz was born in Campinas, São Paulo, and graduated in biomedicine from the State University of Londrina. He began his career in food, working with fungi and mycotoxins in coffee and corn.

During his 15-year career, he has worked at the Food Technology Institute in Campinas and the State University of Campinas, where he specialized in quality management of food and completed his master’s degree in food technology. He has also worked with the Nestlé Group as a microbiologist and quality manager in a laboratory and factory.

Currently, Ferraz serves as a research and development quality specialist at Nestlé Product Technology Centre in York, UK.

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