When discussing once you told me to go for primary sources when collecting data, aka I have to look if a statistic/claim is empirical to a paper or if they are citing some other paper as the source of that claim. But I come across really good awareness organization’s websites, they will have verified before using a statistic right? Why can we not cite them?

We have a lot of respect for these organisations and the work they do. The reason they are not citable here is not about credibility — it is about purpose and audience. Awareness organisations write for the public. Their goal is to persuade, engage, and spread awareness. That is exactly what they should be doing, and it is valuable. But it means the documents are written to be accessible and compelling, not to be neutral sources of truth in the way a regulation or a peer-reviewed epidemiological study is.

Let’s take an example of allergen awareness organization

If an awareness organization cites that X percent of a population in Country Y is affected by a particular allergen — that is a useful find. Do not cite the awareness site. Look at what they are citing, find that original source, check whether it is a peer-reviewed paper or a WHO/FAO report, and if it is, cite that directly. The awareness site just pointed you to the right door.