The digital food landscape has seen significant growth over the past few years due to internet penetration and a growing appetite for diverse food experiences.

This has been accompanied by the emergence of food vloggers and influencers who have become central figures in shaping the food culture and digital advertising trends.

With the rise in social media platforms such as Facebook, TikTok, YouTube and Instagram, food vloggers have become influential figures, who often promote particular eating habits, products, and trends.

Food vloggers/content creators merge entertainment with education, sometimes blurring the lines between personal endorsement and marketing.

The food vlogger's opinions on a particular dish or cuisine open up a huge marketing window. 

It attracts people more and more towards the place which serves the same kind of food or cuisine. 

Food vloggers sometimes visit restaurants of their choice or invitation, have the food and share their overall experience. In their videos, they show the food-making process and some dramatic video footage of food.

Food vlogs have a vast impact on people, for example, when an individual wants to know about a dish, recipe or cuisine, he or she gets major help from vlogs.

Food vlogs give information about a particular dish in every minute detail possible, the flaws, the taste, and every ingredient.

Also, feedback is another important aspect as viewers love to know about different cuisines, cook them and try them out after which they give feedback through comments on the particular food vlog.

The significant influence and widespread impact of vlogs, specifically food vlogs, are directly driven by the many food vlogs that are created and shared daily.

The more food vlogs there are, the greater their overall effect on culture, consumer behaviour, and the food industry. 

Examples of some common food vloggers in Ghana include; Sweet Adjeley with 1.4 million Facebook followers, The OPM Family with 2.9 million Facebook followers, Akua Dimples with 23,000 YouTube followers, Sophia with 82,000 Instagram followers etc.

Sample comments on the comment sections of some of these vloggers include: “I wish I lived next door!”,” Oh! I will give it a try”, “Looks delicious and yummy!”,” Lovely presentation!”, “Mouthwatering”, “Looks good paa…!”, “Food looks good sis”, “Yummy yummy food!”,” Ei KFC!”,” Ohh it’s finally in Ghana!”, “Wow!”, etc.

These comments offer valuable insights into the influence of these food vloggers on their audience.

Also, these comments reveal how individuals engage with their content and the impact these food vloggers and digital advertisers have on the nutrition habits of their audience.

Furthermore, the influence of food vloggers and digital advertising on their audience stems from several factors, including the constant exposure to unhealthy and unsustainable products, increased awareness, misinformation, the normalisation of unhealthy consumption, and the appeal of social media influencers.

Celebrity endorsements, emotional appeals, and social media influencers further amplify these effects by shaping food preferences and normalising unhealthy eating behaviours.

The long-term impact includes the persistence of poor dietary habits such as excessive caloric intake, and consumption of highly processed foods and high sugar treats, consequently increasing the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, etc. 

Overall, the connection between food vlogging and digital advertising presents a complicated area that significantly influences nutrition habits.

While these platforms can promote positive dietary changes and increased awareness, they also carry risks, such as the promotion of unhealthy eating patterns and misinformation.

As consumers find their way through this digital food culture, it is important to critically evaluate the content they engage with and make informed choices about their nutrition.

Recognising the power of these influences may empower individuals to harness them for positive dietary behaviours while safeguarding against potential pitfalls.

The writer is a student of dietetics, 
University of Ghana.