...I suppose shes referring to this line in my blog post: I suppose it should not go unremarked that the British Nutrition Foundation is supported by various factions within the food industry, and this organisation is sometimes less than transparent about where it gets its money from and the obvious conflicts of interest here. But after this comment I linked to this article in the Independent newspaper which contains the following passage:
However, the organisations 39 members, which contribute to its funding, include beside the Government, the EU Cadbury, Kelloggs, Northern Foods, McDonalds, PizzaExpress, the main supermarket chains except Tesco, and producer bodies such as the Potato Council. The chairman of its board of trustees, Paul Hebblethwaite, is also chairman of the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Trade Association.
Critics say the foundations dependence on the food industry is reflected in its support for the views promoted by industry and that it is not fully transparent about its funding.
The foundation is holding a conference next month on the science of low-calorie sweeteners, which aims to separate fact from fiction. The web page for the event says intense sweeteners have been available as a means of reducing sugar intake for more than a century but the perceptions of them can be somewhat negative. The conference aims to explore the facts behind the stories and see where low-calorie sweeteners fit into todays foodscape.
The web page doesnt say, though the information is available elsewhere on the website, that the foundation is financially supported by Tate & Lyle, British Sugar, Ajinomoto (maker of AminoSweet), and McNeil Consumer Nutritionals (maker of Splenda).
A foundation press release in February said people could shake off the winter blues by drinking more fluids. It didnt say that its donors include Danone (producer of Evian, Volvic, and Badoit), Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Innocent, Twinings, Nestlé, and various yoghurt drink manufacturers. A footnote mentions the food industry as one of the foundations funding sources.
Joe Harvey of the Health Education Trust, a charity promoting health education for young people, said: Organisations like the British Nutrition Foundation which want to be seen as offering independent advice should avoid donations from the food industry or be much more up front about them so the public are aware of the involvement. It is naive to take industry money and believe there is no quid pro quo.
I feel theres a clear conflict of interest with the BNF, and that concerns about transparency are legitimate, and it seems Im not the only one. Perhaps Professor Buttriss would care to comment.
Professor Buttriss does leave the best for last, when she draws our attention to the fact that Warburtons financially [supported] time spent on the preparation of the review. So, lets not mince our words and tell it straight: A bread manufacturer has funded a review which lauds the supposed nutritional attributes of bread. This, despite the fact that, as I stated in my original blog post, superfood it aint. And then theres plenty about bread we should be wary of....