Alcohol Industry Research Articles

Comprehensive Review of the Potential of Sorghum in Malt and Beer Production

Sorghum has a relatively lower price compared to other brewing cereals, and consequently has potential as an alternative substrate for lager beer brewing and especially represents an excellent option for gluten-free beers. Attributes such as extracts, proteins, total nitrogen and free amino nitrogen content of sorghum malt and the wort obtained from mashes indicate that sorghum is potentially an alternative substrate for conventional beer brewing in the tropics.  In alcohol industry, some distillers prefer sorghum varieties with high starch and less protein contents. The variation in biochemical compositions among sorghum varieties affects the optimal malting conditions and characteristics of the grains. The degree of steeping and temperature, and germination capacity, kilning temperature and the intrinsic enzyme activity determine sorghum grain malt quality. The high degree of gelatinization temperature, poor saccarification, lower fermentability and filterability of sorghum malt could generally affects the acceptability of sorghum beer by the consumer than a beer brewed from malt barley.

Cluster Analysis of Japanese Whiskey Product Review Using K-Means Clustering

Since 2008, the Japanese whiskey business has grown steadily. Overall, the whiskey market (at factory price) is expected to reach $2.95 billion in 2019, accounting for 8.6 percent of the entire alcoholic beverage industry. The rise in popularity of Japanese whiskey is associated with the country's growing international reputation. Founded 1985 as an independent bottler, Master of Malt was the first company to service clients who ordered single malt whiskey through the mail-order system. Master of Malt's omnichannel approach encompasses all channels available to the company. Known as their 'omnichannel,' this refers to the organization's capability to provide speed and precision from any place at any time. As their brand has grown over the years, they have used various marketing strategies, including a website redesign and rebuild that involved the creation of all relevant content and designing and constructing landing pages for their website. Following a clustering technique, we discovered that the data is being divided into four distinct groups and that these clusters may serve as a recommender system based on the occurrence of terms in each of the categories. Our summarizing component combined phrases related to the exact subtopics and provided users with a concise summary and sentimental information about the group of phrases.

Alcohol policy in the low- and middle-income countries

Abstract
 This article describes the relevance of the book, Alcohol: No Ordinary Commodity to policy development in Low- and Middle-income Countries (LMICs). Per capita alcohol consumption is growing in the emerging economies of Asia and Africa, and it is already high in Latin America and the Caribbean.  In the context of limited policy controls, this expansion has created a “perfect storm” driving increased alcohol consumption and harms. Along with the alcohol industry’s attempts to subvert evidence-based policy, these trends signal the need for the kinds of policy solutions proposed in the book. Implications for global health are also discussed.

Alcohol policy changes during the first three-months of the COVID-19 pandemic: Development and application of a classification scheme

BackgroundPolicy changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic have impacted on alcohol control. This study describes the development and application of a classification scheme to map alcohol policy changes during the first three-months of the COVID-19 pandemic in five countries and/or subnational jurisdictions. MethodA pre-registered systematic review of policy decisions from March to May 2020, in Australia/New South Wales, Canada/Ontario, Chile, Italy and the United Kingdom. One author extracted the data for each jurisdiction using a country-specific search strategy of government documents. We coded policy changes using an adapted WHO classification scheme, whether the policy was expected to tighten or loosen alcohol control, have mainly immediate or delayed impact on consumption and harm and impact the general population versus specific populations. We present descriptive statistics of policy change. ResultsWe developed a classification scheme with four levels. Existing policy options were insufficient to capture policy changes in alcohol availability, thus we added seventeen new sub-categories. We found 114 alcohol control policies introduced across the five jurisdictions, covering five (out of ten) WHO action areas. The majority aimed to change alcohol availability, by regulating the operation of alcohol outlets. All countries introduced closures to on-premise alcohol outlets and, except Chile, allowed off-sales via take away or home delivery. We also observed several pricing policies introducing subsidies to support the alcohol industry. Seventy-four percent of policy changes were expected to tighten alcohol control and 12.3 % to weaken control. Weakening policy changes were mostly related to retail mode switching or expansion (allowing take away or home delivery). ConclusionAlcohol control policies during the first three months of the COVID-19 pandemic were targeted primarily at alcohol availability and about one tenth might weaken alcohol control. Temporary changes to alcohol retail during the COVID-19 pandemic, if made permanent, could significantly expand alcohol availability.

Valorization of Sugarcane Vinasse and Crude Glycerol for Single-Cell Oils Production by Rhodotorula glutinis R4: A Preliminary Approach to the Integration of Biofuels Industries for Sustainable Biodiesel Feedstock

Single-cell oils (SCOs) offer a promising alternative to conventional biodiesel feedstocks. The main objective of this work was to obtain SCOs suitable for biodiesel production from the oleaginous yeast Rhodotorula glutinis R4 using sugarcane vinasse from a local sugar-derived alcohol industry as the substrate. Additionally, crude glycerol from the local biodiesel industry was evaluated as a low-cost carbon source to replace expensive glucose and as a strategy for integrating the bioethanol and biodiesel industries for the valorization of both agro-industrial wastes. R4 achieved a high lipid accumulation of 88% and 60% (w/w) in vinasse-based culture media, containing 10% and 25% vinasse with glucose (40 g L−1), respectively. When glucose was replaced with crude glycerol, R4 showed remarkable lipid accumulation (40%) and growth (12.58 g L−1). The fatty acids profile of SCOs showed a prevalence of oleic acid (C18:1), making them suitable for biodiesel synthesis. Biodiesel derived from R4 oils exhibits favorable characteristics, including a high cetane number (CN = 55) and high oxidative stability (OS = 13 h), meeting international biodiesel standards (ASTMD6751 and EN14214) and ensuring its compatibility with diesel engines. R. glutinis R4 produces SCOs from vinasse and crude glycerol, contributing to the circular economy for sustainable biodiesel production.

Alcohol industry-sponsored music festivals, alcohol marketing and drinking practices among young Nigerians: Implications for policy

IntroductionThe global alcohol industry sponsors social/music events targeting young people; however, existing literature focuses on Westernised contexts. Given the decline in young people's drinking in many Western countries, it appears that multinational alcohol companies are importing the strategies they have used in high-income countries to the Global South countries like Nigeria to recoup profits. This study aims to examine the Guinness Show- a free one-month annual music festival, alcohol marketing at the festival and the extent to which the event encourages diverse drinking practices among its attendees. MethodsWe observed the music festival before collecting data through 53 interviews and 3 focus groups (N = 26). Data were analysed to generate themes with the aid of NVivo 12 software. FindingsOver 6000 participants attend the Guinness Show daily, and participants gave detailed descriptions of the music festival, alcohol marketing activities that occur in it and the drinking practices of attendees, indicating that they were highly knowledgeable of the event. The Guinness Show attracts famous music artistes and other entertainers. Therefore, young people attend to see them perform free of charge. However, diverse alcohol promotions (e.g., quantity deals, low prices, giveaways) that happen daily, the strategic use of young women as ‘beer promoters’, and the pleasure the event induces by fusing music/entertainment into alcogenic environments, encourage drinking and drunkenness. All the attendees drank alcohol, and some engaged in impulse buying, while many consumed excessively due to promotions (e.g., buy-two-get-one free), which facilitated intoxication and the loss of control. ConclusionsGuinness Nigeria organises the event for strategic brand communication, generating brand capital, and encouraging alcohol purchases and consumption among young people. Policymakers should reconsider self-regulation and implement national alcohol control policies and other public health interventions to restrain the alcohol industry from sponsoring such events.

Liquid chromatographic fractionation of bio-oil from sugarcane bagasse: influence of heating rate on bio-oil yield and quality

Brazil stands out in the field of using biomass as a source of energy and biomaterials, due to its territorial extension, biodiversity and climatic conditions. In this sense, one can highlight the high potential of bio-products generated from biomass. This is the case of sugarcane bagasse, produced in large quantities allied to the sugar and alcohol industry. In Brazil, much research has been done to improve its amount of fiber, aiming at the production of alternative fuels and generating the so-called "energy cane". Thus, it was studied the use of sugarcane bagasse for the production of bio-oil through pyrolysis and the isolation of fractions for industrial application. A comparison was also made between two types of sugarcane, a commercial variety (Saccharum sp.) and a variety with some genetic improvement (Erianthus arundinaceus). The final pyrolysis temperature was set at 500 ° C by varying the heating rates (25, 45, and 65 ° C min-1). The bio-oils were fractionated using preparative liquid chromatography and their fractions were analyzed by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The fractionation of bio-oils increased the number of compounds identified by about 50%, besides allowing the isolation of apolar compounds. In addition, it was found that the genetic improved sugarcane presented higher bio-oil content, with higher hydrocarbon content, when compared to commercial sugarcane, demonstrating that the improvement process was efficient. Among the compounds identified were phenols, furfural derivatives and hydrocarbons, which indicates the potential use of bio-oil not only as bio-fuels, but also for industrial purposes.

Should tobacco sales be restricted to state-run alcohol outlets? Perspectives from 10 US alcohol control states.

The ubiquity of tobacco retailers helps to sustain the tobacco epidemic. A tobacco retail reduction approach that has not been tried is transitioning tobacco sales to state-controlled alcohol stores (TTS), which are limited in number and operate under some restrictions, e.g. regarding opening hours or marketing materials. This study summarizes policy experts' and advocates' views of TTS, including (1) advantages and disadvantages; (2) feasibility; and (3) potential implementation obstacles. This study was a qualitative content analysis of semi-structured interviews. Ten US states with alcoholic beverage control systems wereincluded. The participants comprised a total of 103 tobacco control advocates and professionals, public health officials, alcohol policy experts and alcohol control system representatives, including two tribal community representatives. Interviewees' perspectives on their state's alcoholic beverage control agency (ABC, the agency that oversees or operates a state alcohol monopoly) and on TTS were assessed. Interviewees thought TTS offered potential advantages, including reduced access to tobacco products, less exposure to tobacco advertising and a greater likelihood of successful smoking cessation. Some saw potential long-term health benefits for communities of color, due to the smaller number of state alcohol stores in those communities. Interviewees also raised concerns regarding TTS, including ABCs' limited focus on public health and emphasis on revenue generation, which could conflict with tobacco use reduction efforts. Some interviewees thought TTS could enhance the power of the tobacco and alcohol industries, increase calls for alcohol system privatization or create difficulties for those in recovery. In the United States, transitioning tobacco sales to state-controlled alcohol stores (TTS) could have a positive public health impact by reducing tobacco availability, marketing exposure and, ultimately, tobacco use. However, tensions exist between alcohol control system goals of providing revenue to the state and protecting public health. Should a state decide to pursue TTS, several guardrails should be established, including building into the legislation an explicit goal of reducing tobacco consumption.

NGOs and Global Business Regulation of Transnational Alcohol and Ultra-Processed Food Industries

Abstract The intensification of efforts by state and nonstate actors to address issues affecting global health has produced a patchwork of transnational regulatory governance. Within this field, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are expected to perform authoritative roles in holding business actors to account and enhance the democratic legitimacy of institutions via their participation in governance processes. While there exists a large body of conceptual and empirical research on global business regulation and private authority, we surprisingly know little about the governance functions of NGOs engaged in influencing the practices of corporations that produce health-harming commodities. This knowledge gap is especially pronounced in the issue area of noncommunicable diseases. This article begins to address this gap by mapping the networks of NGOs that engage in regulatory activities (rule-setting, monitoring, and enforcement) related to the (ultra)processed food and alcohol industries. We identify the networks of NGOs involved in global policy making across health, regulatory standards, and multistakeholder initiatives using nonstate actor submissions to consultations held by World Health Organization, UN Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), and the UN Global Compact. This paper examines NGO governance functions and their patterns of engagement and participation across institutional spheres. Overall, the article makes a twofold contribution to existing debates. First, we identify the governance functions through which NGOs attempt to hold corporations to account, contrasting their “watchdog” function with other governance functions. Second, we examine the representation of NGOs, highlighting asymmetries in participation of NGOs in the Global North and South.

The impacts of extreme heat on wage losses: Evidence from the Chinese agri‐food industry

AbstractThis paper investigates the effects of extremely high temperatures on wage losses for workers in the Chinese agri‐food industry. Our estimated results suggest extreme heat is associated with a decrease in worker wages, and that these welfare losses could be attributed to the adverse impacts of extremely hot days on worker productivity. We also observe that, compared to male workers, female workers are more likely to bear wage losses when exposed to extremely hot weather. Furthermore, workers in private firms may experience more wage losses due to extremely hot days than those in other ownership types. Regarding the industry‐level heterogeneity analysis, we find that wage losses in the agri‐food manufacturing industry are more severe than those in the agri‐food processing industry, while no significant wage losses are observed in the beverages and alcohol industry. In the long term, wage losses induced by climate change are projected to rise by 10.93% under RCP8.5, if no extra adaptation actions are implemented. [EconLit Citations: O13, P46, Q54]

Time to ‘Wine’: A Content Analysis Investigating How Social MediaInfluencers Refer to Alcohol Use in Instagram’s Feed Posts and Stories

ABSTRACT This exploratory content analysis examines how well-known social media influencers (SMIs) refer to alcohol in their Instagram stories and feed messages. Guided by the attention, retention, and motivation processes of social cognitive theory, we explore the occurrence and frequency of alcohol depictions, product centrality (background vs. foreground), the type of use (implicit vs. explicit), and behavioral incentives (positive vs. negative outcomes). Stories and feed messages from 120 SMIs were coded over a four-week period. Four conclusions were drawn. (1) The majority of SMIs share alcohol in their feed messages, and even more do so in stories. (2) SMIs depict a larger number of alcohol references in stories than in feed posts. This, however, reflects a general trend whereby SMIs use ephemeral messages more often to share any type of content. (3) SMIs showcase alcohol use in an attention-grabbing way, independent of the message type under consideration. They emphasize the positive outcomes related to alcohol use and foreground the beverages in half of their alcohol depictions. (4) Some alcohol depictions from SMIs contain a clear brand name or logo, potentially indicating that these references are commercially driven. However, these depictions oftentimes do not explicitly reveal a partnership with the alcohol industry. Based on the findings, practical guidelines for media literacy interventions and future research are formulated.

Policy Actors' Perceptions of Conflicts of Interest and Alcohol Industry Engagement in UK Policy Processes.

Alcohol industry organisations occupy a prominent position in UK alcohol policy, but their involvement has been contested by public health bodies on the basis that a conflict of interest (COI) exists between their economic objectives and those of public health. There are ongoing debates in the research literature about how to conceptualise COI and mitigate this in health research and practise. However, less attention has been paid to these issues in relation to the alcohol industry specifically. This article explores similarities and differences in beliefs among alcohol policy actors regarding COI and the implications of engagement with the alcohol industry in the context of UK public health policy. Semi-structured interviews with a range of policy actors (n=26) including medical professionals, parliamentarians, civil servants, academic researchers, health campaigners, and alcohol industry representatives. Interviews with alcohol industry representatives were supplemented with an analysis of industry responses to a public consultation. All data was thematically coded using NVivo software. Two competing "coalitions" were identified, expressing beliefs about COI linked to alcohol industry engagement. Both divergent and convergent beliefs were expressed by the two coalitions in relation to the type of industry actor, form of engagement, the policy issue under discussion and the stage of policy process. Alcohol policy is a complex and contested space in which policy actors have differing, nuanced and contingent understandings of COI and identify varying risks associated with alcohol industry engagement. In identifying the areas of convergence and diversion in both understanding and evaluation of COI in alcohol-specific settings, these findings will assist both decision-makers and non-governmental actors in developing policies and guidelines to manage potential COI in future.

Studying the influence of vibration on the process of obtaining semi-finished products for distillery production

Liquor products are represented by a wide range of drinks. Despite this diversity, they are all united by the use of semi-finished products (alcoholic juices, pestilences and infusions) during blending. Extraction of components of plant raw materials is one of the key processes for obtaining semi-finished alcoholic beverages. The quality indicators of the finished liquor product directly depend on their composition and quality. The purpose of the research is to study the vibration effect as a physical method of intensifying the process of extracting flavoring and aromatic compounds of fruit and berry raw materials when obtaining semi-finished products for distillery production (infusions and juices). To study the effect of vibration exposure on the content of substances responsible for taste, such technical factors as frequency (f), amplitude (A) and duration (τ) of exposure have been taken into account. The mass concentration of phenolic and coloring substances has been taken as controlled indicators. The processing was carried out on the installation developed at the Department of Winemaking and Fermentation Technology named after Professor A.A. Merzhanyan of FSBEI HE «KubSTU». The research was conducted on semi-finished products obtained from raspberries and cherries in the process of obtaining alcoholized components of a blend of liqueurs. In this case, the ratio of components was equal to 1:1. A comparison of the indicators was carried out with a sample obtained by stationary infusion. The positive influence of vibration during the extraction process with aqueous-alcohol solutions on the quality indicators of semi-finished products was established. Optimal processing parameters were also determined to reduce the duration of the process. The data obtained allow us to judge the feasibility of using vibration in the alcoholic beverage industry as a technique that accelerates infusion and improves the quality of semi-finished products.

Ecological cement: replacement of sugarcane bagasse ash derived from the sugar and alcohol industry

Untreated sugarcane bagasse ash (CBCA) from two plants was investigated as a partial replacement for Portland cement (CP) with the aim of reducing environmental problems arising from clinker production by evaluating the feasibility of use as a supplementary cementitious material with pozzolanic reactivity. Mortars and pastes were produced with replacement rates of 25%, 30% and 35% of CBCA, with cures of 7, 14, 28, 90 and 180 days. The mortars were characterized in a fresh state through workability testing and in a hardened state through mechanical performance through compression and flexural tensile tests, water absorption and void index. The chemical composition, mineralogical composition, thermal analysis and formation of hydrate phases were carried out on the pastes and both ash. The ash tests showed that the CBCA-CM presented an amorphous halo and that it consumed portlandite in the process of forming the paste hydrates at 28 and 90 days. Mechanical performance tests showed that the ash has lower resistance at short ages and surpassed the control sample at long ages.

Composting of distillery spent wash

Distillery spent wash, a by-product of the alcoholic beverage industry, is an organic waste whose management poses significant challenges due to its acidity, high organic load, notable content of polyphenols, macronutrients, micronutrients and heavy metals. In Europe, billions of liters of distillery waste are generated annually and its eco-unfriendly disposal can cause severe environmental and health impacts. Composting is a viable management strategy to treat and manage distillery slop promoting the recycling and stabilization of organic matter and nutrients in the material. The review examines different composting methods, such as single composting, co-composting and vermicomposting, along with their benefits and drawbacks. To optimize composting effectiveness, various materials, such as sewage sludge, vinasse, green and animal manure, inorganic amendments, bagasse, filter cake and municipal solid waste, among other agro-food and animal bio-wastes, can be used as a source of nitrogen and microorganisms. Also, the usage of different materials and mixtures aims to enhance the composting process increasing the degradation rate and the quality of the compost. The challenges of distillery spent wash composting are also covered in the paper which are mainly due to its characteristics, including high salt content, low carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, low pH and potential phytotoxicity. The paper concludes that composting distillery spent wash is an effective and sustainable waste management solution for recovering valuable nutrient resources and producing a stable nutrient-rich organic soil amendment. The produced compost can improve crop yields, nutrient absorption by plants and plant biomass and contribute to soil properties and restoration. The review provides insights into the current state of distillery spent wash composting and recommends future research directions to improve efficiency and expand potential applications.

Cellulase and chitinase production by Fusarium oxysporum f.sp. cubense race 1 in submerged culture

Fusarium has the capability to produce hydrolytic enzymes that can be used in the food and alcohol industries to break down natural organic compounds. This work studied the ability of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense race 1 (FocR1) to produce cellulases and chitinases enzymes in submerged culture using different carbon sources. Five strains of FocR1 (CNRF-MIC17188, CNRF-MIC17189, CNRF-MIC17190, CNRF-MIC17191, and CNRF-MIC17192) were used in submerged culture for the degradation of three substrates [filter paper, newspaper, and chitin (Sigma®)], from where the radial growth rate (RGr) and the quantitative analysis of enzyme activities (FPase, CMCase and chitinase) were evaluated. The RGr of the five FocR1 strains oscillated in a range of 0.043 to 0.051 cm h-1. At 7 and 14 days, the five FocR1 strains produced cellulases and chitinases using the three substrates. Based on the statistical analysis, the strains CNRF-MIC17191 and CNRF-MIC17192 showed best results about enzymatic activities. The five strains of FocR1 can be exploited as a commercial source of cellulases and chitinases, as well as potential candidates for bioconverting complex C-sources for further utilization in industrial processes.

Using the Socio-ecological Model to Explain the Findings of Prevalence and Demographic Correlates of Alcoholic Beverage Consumption among Adolescents in Public Schools in Uganda

INTRODUCTION: Consumption of alcohol among the youth could be attributable to socio-demographic characteristics. This paper anchors on the socio-ecological model to expound on the prevalence and socio-demographic correlates of alcohol consumption among adolescents in public secondary schools. Specifically, the model was used to explore gender, religious affiliation, form or class of study, social media use, friendships, and involvement in places of entertainment as possible predictors of alcohol consumption. METHOD: Within the framework of the socio – ecological model, we employed a cross-sectional survey with quantitative methods to explore socio - ecological covariates of alcohol consumption among the youth in public secondary schools. The sample comprised 1819 participants, yielding a 91.8% response rate. Males were relatively more numerous (59.3%), and the mean age was 17.3 (SD = 1.9). Bivariate and multivariate logistic regressions were employed to deduce the association of selected demographics with the consumption of beer, wine, and spirits. RESULTS: The prevalence of alcohol consumption was generally high. Multivariate logistic regression showed a significant gender difference in the consumption of beer and spirits. Females had lower odds of consuming beer and spirits. Students in the Muslim and Pentecostal dominions were less likely to consume beer, wine, and spirits than their Roman Catholic and Anglican counterparts. Students in the Roman Catholic dominion had higher odds of consuming any type of alcohol compared to other religions. Loving to be in places of entertainment and the use of social media significantly predicted the consumption of beer, wine, and spirits. CONCLUSION: These results could bear importance in demanding benchmarking of ecologically specific advocacy against alcohol consumption in schools. Further, results imply that youth drinking regulatory frameworks may be inclusive of the alcohol industry including not only the producers of alcohol but also a large network of distributors, wholesalers, bars, and advertisers. Interventions for in-school youth drinking may need to be developed by benchmarking with and involving institutions at different levels of the ecological model, such as religious institutions, healthcare services, media, and the village councils.

Constructing public–private partnerships to undermine the public interest: critical discourse analysis of Working Together published by the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking

BackgroundThe global burden of alcohol harm has increased and is forecast to grow further without effective policy implementation. Public–private partnerships aiming to address global health, and other societal challenges, are a burgeoning feature of neoliberal governance. Rhetorically distancing themselves from tobacco, the major alcohol companies are committed to tackling ‘harmful drinking’ and have created a distinct type of public relations organization for this purpose. The activities of such organizations are increasingly recognized as an impediment to the implementation of policies to reduce alcohol harm, including in low- and middle-income countries where markets are expanding.MethodsThe approach of critical discourse analysis is used to examine the discursive tactics and strategies used in Working Together; a ‘toolkit’ published by the key global level alcohol industry public relations organization, the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking (IARD). This study considers how it works discursively to set the terms of, and overcome skepticism about partnerships, to define aims and position various actors by constructing their roles. The construction of prospective partners provides insights into the alcohol industry itself.ResultsThe toolkit operates as an ideological resource for forming public–private partnerships across the world based on the accumulated know-how of the major companies through IARD. This allows the largest alcohol companies to exercise leadership of the industry, while remaining off-stage. The toolkit relies on a form of rhetorical work which creates distance from obvious corporate interests and the harms caused to population health and society. This is accomplished by working against evidence-informed population level approaches, and thus avoiding policies that will make any significant difference to overall alcohol harm. Unspecific “complexity” affords opportunity for preferred types of “actions”, and “partnership” provides opportunity to gain credibility by association, further minimizing the likelihood of any material harm being reduced.ConclusionsThe toolkit is designed to not only legitimate the inclusion of alcohol industry actors as initiating ‘partners’, but also assigns them roles as managers of a set of carefully constructed relationships. This vision of public–private partnership reproduces the hegemonic narrative that has successfully blocked policy advances for decades and led to growing alcohol harm globally.

Alcohol, cardiovascular disease and industry funding: A co-authorship network analysis of epidemiological studies

IntroductionAlcohol’s effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) are controversial. Alcohol industry actors have shown particular interest in this subject, and been extensively involved through research funding, and in other ways, generating concerns about bias, particularly in reviews. Material & methodsWe conducted a co-authorship network analysis of the primary studies included within a previous co-authorship study of 60 systematic reviews on the impact of alcohol on CVD. Additionally, we examined the relationships between declared alcohol industry funding and network structure. ResultsThere were 713 unique primary studies with 2832 authors published between 1969 and 2019 located within 229 co-authorship subnetworks. There was industry funding across subnetworks and approximately 8% of all papers declared industry funding. The largest subnetwork dominated, comprising 43% of all authors, with sparse evidence of substantial industry funding. The second largest subnetwork contained approximately 4% of all authors, with largely different industry funders involved. Harvard affiliated authors who at the review level formed co-authorship subnetworks with industry funded authors were seen at the primary study level to belong to the largest epidemiological subnetwork. A small number of key authors make extensive alcohol industry funding declarations. ConclusionsThere was no straightforward relationship between co-authorship network formation and alcohol industry funding of epidemiological studies on alcohol and CVD. More fine-grained attention to patterns of alcohol industry funding and to key nodes may shed further light on how far industry funding may be responsible for conflicting findings on alcohol and CVD.

Under the influence: system-level effects of alcohol industry-funded health information organizations.

There is now an established body of evidence that the alcohol industry seeks to obstruct public health policies that could affect the availability, affordability or marketing of alcohol. In parallel, the alcohol industry is active in funding corporate social responsibility initiatives, with a particular focus on 'responsible drinking' campaigns, often facilitated by national-level charities established and/or funded by the alcohol industry and associated organizations. While evidence continues to grow regarding biases in the content produced by such health information organizations, they remain active in partnerships with government health departments on national health promotion campaigns and provide a range of health-related information to the public, community organizations and schools. To understand the implications of such access for policymakers, researchers and the public, there is a need to consider the wider, system-level influences of such organizations and their place in wider alcohol industry strategies. In this article, we describe evolving evidence of the direct and indirect strategic effects of such organizations and demonstrate how they serve key roles in the alcohol industry through their existence, content, partnerships and public profiles. We end by considering the implications for how we conceptualize charities established or funded (entirely or partly) by harmful commodity industries, and to what extent current conflicts of interest guidelines are sufficiently effective.