Abstract
BackgroundIndustry sponsorship of public health research has received increasing scrutiny, and, as a result, many multinational corporations (MNCs), such as The Coca-Cola Company and Mars Inc., have committed to transparency with regard to what they fund, and the findings of funded research. However, these MNCs often fund charities, both national and international, which then support research and promote industry-favourable policy positions to leaders. We explore whether one industry funded charity, the International Life Sciences Institute (‘ILSI’), is the scientifically objective, non-lobby, internationally-credible body that it suggests it is, so as to aid the international health and scientific communities to judge ILSI’s outputs.MethodsBetween June 2015 and February 2018, U.S. Right to Know), a non-profit consumer and public health group, submitted five U.S. state Freedom of Information requests (FOIs) to explore ILSI engagement with industry, policy makers, and/or researchers, which garnered a total of 17,163 pages for analysis. Two researchers explored these documents to assess the activities and conduct of ILSI against its purported objectives.ResultsWithin the received documents we identified instances of ILSI seeking to influence research, conferences, public messages, and policy, including instances of punishments for ILSI bodies failing to promote industry-favourable messaging. We identified ILSI promoting its agenda with national and international bodies to influence policy and law, causing the World Health Organization to withdraw from official relations with what it now considers a private sector entity.ConclusionsILSI seeks to influence individuals, positions, and policy, both nationally and internationally, and its corporate members deploy it as a tool to promote their interests globally. Our analysis of ILSI serves as a caution to those involved in global health governance to be wary of putatively independent research groups, and to practice due diligence before relying upon their funded studies and/or engaging in relationship with such groups.
Highlights
Industry sponsorship of public health research has received increasing scrutiny, and, as a result, many multinational corporations (MNCs), such as The Coca-Cola Company and Mars Inc., have committed to transparency with regard to what they fund, and the findings of funded research
We present text from the Freedom-of-Information requests (FOIs) in the sections that follow to explore firstly, whether International Life Sciences Institute (ILSI) is engaged in advocacy, and secondly if it is acting as a lobby group
Our view is to allow our medical and public health colleagues to explore and approach ILSI’s relationship with industry appropriately in the future when deciding whether to work with this body, receive its funding, and how to read studies and materials it produces
Summary
Industry sponsorship of public health research has received increasing scrutiny, and, as a result, many multinational corporations (MNCs), such as The Coca-Cola Company and Mars Inc., have committed to transparency with regard to what they fund, and the findings of funded research. The Coca-Cola Company (‘Coke’), for example, makes membership payments to: the American Society for Nutrition; the Calorie Control Council; various constituents of the International Life Sciences Institute (‘ILSI’); the International Food Information Council (‘IFIC’); the International Stevia Council; the Food Science Strategic Policy Alliance; the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine; the Food Forum; the Juice Products Association; Purdue University; the IOM Food Forum; the Healthy Weight Commitment Foundation; the Industry Nutrition Advisory Panel of the American Heart Association; the Preventative Cardiovascular Nurses Association; the Center for Food Integrity; the International Scientific Association of Probiotics and Prebiotics; and the Friends of Winship [2] While some of these organisations have mechanisms to maintain their independence, some have been accused of acting as “front groups”, pushing industry positions covertly to the public, policy makers and professionals. Other organisations that have been criticised for working internationally to promote industry favourable positions by stealth include the Global Energy Balance Network (GEBN), which has since closed, and IFIC, a science communications charity, both of which worked with ILSI [5]
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