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Short abstract:

The aim of this communication is to analyse the form of citizen science taken by an open database of food products, Open Food Facts. This database, which works with government agencies, is caught up in socio-technical controversies that force it to position itself in relation to them.

Long abstract:

In this communication, I assess Open Food Facts (OFF), a digital common materialized by an open data and open-source world database of 3 billion industrial food products, as a community of citizen science. This database is involved in several scientific score tests. It is a citizen common base which works mainly with scientific governmental institutes, such as France Public Health and Energy and Environmental Management Agency (EEMA).

I carried out a qualitative study of OFF, France Public Health and EEMA. My investigation combines interviews and governmental and scientific reports.

Twice the labels in which OFF participated found themselves caught up in socio-technical controversies and forced the association to position itself in relation to them. By examining OFF's positioning, we will attempt to analyse this citizen science form, engagement and evolution of its relationship with governmental institutions. How does OFF manage to maintain good relations without taking up a position, and in the name of what?

Firstly, I will analyse the specific form of citizen science OFF takes. Collecting data and displaying scores, transpose scientific criteria for food quality into people's everyday lives. OFF brings science closer to people and brings data back to science. How this double movement is a specific form of citizen science (Susanne Hecker et al., 2018)?

Secondly, I will show how OFF positions itself. OFF gets credit and legitimacy for being used by scientists. By trying to stay out of controversies, how do they maintain a position of neutrality with governmental institutions?