Structure
Until 2018, ILSI operated as a member organization, whose members were exclusively food and beverage, agricultural, chemical, and pharmaceutical companies. In November 2018, ILSI restructured as a global federation of entities, consisting of non-profit organizations with public and private sector members. [6] Based on its 2020 annual report, 70.8% of its revenue comes from membership dues and committee assessments; 19.2% from grants and contributions; and the remaining from publications and conference registration. [7]
According to ILSI's bylaws, [8] at least 51% of its Board of Trustees must come from the public sector (i.e. academic, government and non-governmental organization representatives). The remainder of the Board is elected from its member companies. [9]
According to ILSI, the organization receives in-kind support of time and expertise from volunteer academic, government, and non-governmental scientists. [10]
History
ILSI was formed in 1978 by Alex Malaspina, who was concurrently a senior vice president at Coca-Cola from 1969 until leaving both Coca-Cola and the institute in 2001. [11] [2]
In 1986, ILSI employee Michael Gough published a book about Dioxin and Agent Orange entitled Dioxin, Agent Orange: The Facts. The Los Angeles Times said that The Facts had "minimal scientific merit" as the book is about "toxicology, teratology, carcinogenesis, epidemiology and medicine"—areas where Gough had no authority as his qualifications were in molecular biology. The Times said that The Facts would however be useful to "dioxin defense attorneys, his current employers at the Risk Science Institute of the International Life Sciences Institute in Washington (a chemical industry think tank), and also his future industrial clients." [12] [13]
in 2009, partly in response to questions about the neutrality of its science, ILSI published an article "Funding Food Science and Nutrition Research: Financial Conflicts and Scientific Integrity" in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition , proposing eight conflict-of-interest guidelines regarding industry funding "to protect the integrity and credibility of the scientific record, particularly with respect to health, nutrition and food-safety science". [14]
In 2015, ILSI Mexico's operations were suspended for a year by the Board Executive Committee when it was discovered ILSI Mexico had sponsored a local conference where soft drink taxation was discussed, which was viewed as a "public relations effort to influence policy for commercial purposes" by the institute. [15] [16] ILSI Mexico was shut down in 2020. [3]
In 2018, Mars Inc ended their membership in ILSI, [17] and in 2021, Coca-Cola Co. also withdrew from membership. [18]
In 2021, ILSI North America rebranded as the "Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences" (IAFNS). [19] [20]
ILSI Global was awarded Guidestar's Gold Seal of Transparency in 2021. [21] ILSI Europe is included in European Union's Transparency Register. [22] ILSI Mesoamerica is certified by the Costa Rican government as an organization of public interest. [23]
Controversies
A 2021 qualitative document analysis concluded that "The activities developed by ILSI on scientific integrity principles are part of a broader set of political practices of industry actors to influence public health policy, research, and practice." [19]
Tobacco industry
In 2001, an editorial in the British Medical Journal wrote that ILSI received money from the tobacco industry from 1983 to 1998. [24] ILSI denies accusations that it has ever sought to undermine tobacco control efforts. In a Letter to the American Journal of Public Health , ILSI responded to these allegations by saying that there is "little question that the tobacco industry has engaged in a variety of tactics to thwart public health efforts… As a scientific organization, ILSI deplores these tactics and is strongly against any attempts to twist and manipulate science." [25] As of 2019, ILSI entities are prohibited from accepting as members or accepting funds from tobacco companies. [3]
A 2019 New York Times article described ILSI as an organization 'which championed tobacco interests during the 1980s and 1990s.' [3]
Nutrition
Nutritionist Barry Popkin says that in China ILSI had "an extremely harmful influence, because they prevented raising awareness for a healthy diet." [26] [27]
Sugar industry
In January 2020, an ILSI-sponsored survey report by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) on consumption of added sugar among Indians, drew criticism from the Alliance Against Conflict of Interest (AACI). [28] [29] They described ILSI as a lobbying arm of the food industry, notorious for pursuing policy influence globally, with particular respect to sugary foods and beverages. [30] As such, ILSI was accused of influencing the decisions of WHO and governments in their favour. [31] [32] [27] [33] The AACI "wonder[s] what strategic direction ICMR-NIN, the premier research agency of India, is giving to the people of India when this survey's findings projected in the media may potentially perpetuate more sugar consumption while pretending to be concerned about non-communicable diseases". [30]
Cola is a carbonated soft drink flavored with vanilla, cinnamon, citrus oils, and other flavorings. Cola became popular worldwide after the American pharmacist John Stith Pemberton invented Coca-Cola, a trademarked brand, in 1886, which was imitated by other manufacturers. Most colas originally contained caffeine from the kola nut, leading to the drink's name, though other sources of caffeine are generally used in modern formulations. The Pemberton cola drink also contained a coca plant extract. His non-alcoholic recipe was inspired by the coca wine of pharmacist Angelo Mariani, created in 1863.
Harvey Washington Wiley was an American chemist who advocated successfully for the passage of the landmark Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906 and subsequently worked at the Good Housekeeping Institute laboratories. He was the first commissioner of the United States Food and Drug Administration.
A health claim on a food label and in food marketing is a claim by a manufacturer of food products that their food will reduce the risk of developing a disease or condition. For example, it is claimed by the manufacturers of oat cereals that oat bran can reduce cholesterol, which will lower the chances of developing serious heart conditions. Vague health claims include that the food inside is "healthy," "organic," "low fat," "non-GMO," "no sugar added," or "natural".
Diet or light beverages are generally sugar-free, artificially sweetened beverages with few or no calories. They are marketed for diabetics and other people who want to reduce their sugar and/or caloric intake.
A front organization is any entity set up by and controlled by another organization, such as intelligence agencies, organized crime groups, terrorist organizations, secret societies, banned organizations, religious or political groups, advocacy groups, or corporations. Front organizations can act for the parent group without the actions being attributed to the parent group, thereby allowing them to hide certain activities from the authorities or the public.
The Coca-Cola Company is an American multinational corporation founded in 1892. It manufactures, sells and markets soft drinks including Coca-Cola, other non-alcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, and alcoholic beverages. Its stock is listed on the New York Stock Exchange and is a component of the DJIA and the S&P 500 and S&P 100 indexes.
Powerade is a sports drink created and sold by the Coca-Cola Company. Its primary competitor is Gatorade, which is owned by PepsiCo.
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), also known as glucose–fructose, isoglucose and glucose–fructose syrup, is a sweetener made from corn starch. As in the production of conventional corn syrup, the starch is broken down into glucose by enzymes. To make HFCS, the corn syrup is further processed by D-xylose isomerase to convert some of its glucose into fructose. HFCS was first marketed in the early 1970s by the Clinton Corn Processing Company, together with the Japanese Agency of Industrial Science and Technology, where the enzyme was discovered in 1965.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics is a 501(c)(6) trade association in the United States. With over 112,000 members, the association claims to be the largest organization of food and nutrition professionals. It has registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs), nutrition and dietetics technicians registered (NDTRs), and other dietetics professionals as members. Founded in 1917 as the American Dietetic Association, the organization officially changed its name to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in 2012. According to the group's website, about 65% of its members are RDNs, and another 2% are NDTRs. The group's primary activities include providing testimony at hearings, lobbying the United States Congress and other governmental bodies, commenting on proposed regulations, and publishing statements on various topics pertaining to food and nutrition.
Since its invention by John Stith Pemberton in 1886, criticisms of Coca-Cola as a product, and of the business practices of The Coca-Cola Company, have been significant. The Coca-Cola Company is the largest soft drink company in the world, distributing over 500 different products. Since the early 2000s, the criticism of the use of Coca-Cola products, as well as the company itself, escalated, with criticism leveled at the company over health effects, environmental issues, animal testing, economic business practices and employee issues. The Coca-Cola Company has been faced with multiple lawsuits concerning the various criticisms.
The American Beverage Association (ABA) is a government lobbying group that represents the beverage industry in the United States. Its members include producers and bottlers of soft drinks, such as The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Keurig Dr Pepper, along with other non-alcoholic beverages.
The "jelly bean rule" is a rule put forth by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on May 19, 1994.
The British Nutrition Foundation is a British lobby group mainly funded by the food industry. It has been widely criticised for conflicts of interest, and for downplaying them. It presents itself to journalists, the public, and the government as a independent, impartial, disinterested, and scientifically-rigorous; its industry funders also promote this image.
The American Society for Nutrition (ASN) is an American society for professional researchers and practitioners in the field of nutrition. ASN publishes four journals in the field of nutrition. It has been criticized for its financial ties to the food and beverage industry.
Coming Together is a 2-minute ad created and distributed by the Coca-Cola Company and launched on the night of January 14, 2013, on several cable networks.
Taylor C. Wallace is an American food and nutrition scientist and media personality. Wallace is the principal consultant at the Think Healthy Group, an adjunct clinical associate professor in the School of Medicine and Health Sciences at George Washington University, and an adjunct associate professor in the Gerald J. And Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. Wallace has previously served in senior staff positions at The National Osteoporosis Foundation, and Council for Responsible Nutrition. He serves as the Editor-in-chief of the Journal of Dietary Supplements and has authored over 100 research studies.
The Sugar Association is a trade association for the sugar industry of the United States. Its members include nearly 142,000 growers, processors and refiners of sugar beet and sugarcane plants.
Sugar is heavily marketed both by sugar producers and the producers of sugary drinks and foods. Apart from direct marketing methods such as messaging on packaging, television ads, advergames, and product placement in setting like blogs, industry has worked to steer coverage of sugar-related health information in popular media, including news media and social media.
The tobacco industry playbook, tobacco strategy or simply disinformation playbook describes a strategy devised by the tobacco industry in the 1950s to protect revenues in the face of mounting evidence of links between tobacco smoke and serious illnesses, primarily cancer. Much of the playbook is known from industry documents made public by whistleblowers or as a result of the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement. These documents are now curated by the UCSF Truth Tobacco Industry Documents project and are a primary source for much commentary on both the tobacco playbook and its similarities to the tactics used by other industries, notably the fossil fuel industry. It is possible that the playbook may even have originated with the oil industry.
Barbara Ann Brown Bowman is an American nutritionist who spent more than twenty years of her career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in various positions. Before she retired in 2016, she was the director of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. Her retirement came shortly after her emails with a former Coca-Cola executive were made public, which were held as evidence that Coca-Cola tried to influence the CDC. She was co-editor of the Annual Review of Nutrition from 2015 to 2017.
