Citerank: (18) 351043Public health interventions are often resistedEvidence suggests that, for example, some food and beverage companies are adopting similar tactics to those adopted earlier by the tobacco companies to avoid public health interventions (such as taxation and regulation) that might threaten their profits.555CD992, 368180Resisting public health interventionsEvidence suggests that some food and beverage companies are adopting similar tactics to those adopted earlier by the tobacco companies to avoid public health interventions (such as taxation and regulation) that might threaten their profits.555CD992, 368618Place onus of proof on industryThe onus should be on companies to demonstrate rigorously and independently that the self-regulatory measures and/or private–public partnerships are improving public health as well as private profit. Where this is found to be case, the specific methods should be extended and replicated.565CA4D9, 370365Unhealthier foods are engineered to be tastierFood scientists have become adept at understanding how our brains respond to, and react to, and crave tastes, smells and textures, and have become adept at engineering and processing foods to take advantage of that – largely by adding lots of salt, sugar and fat – and to make these foods almost irresistible to our brains.555CD992, 371073Self-regulation and public-private partnerships have worked beforeIndustry self-regulation and public-private partnerships have worked successfully in the public interest in a number of cases.1198CE71, 371074Self-regulation in the forestry and fisheries industries62C78C9A, 371075Pharmaceutical company drug donationsDonations by pharmaceutical companies of mectizan for river blindness, mebendazole to eliminate intestinal parasites, and azithromycin to treat trachoma have supported health agencies and benefited millions of persons with debilitating diseases – and illustrate who public-private partnerships can also promote health.62C78C9A, 371077Folate fortification of flour and bread productsFolate fortification of flour and bread products to help reduce rates of neural tube defects is an example of the way in which public-private collaborations with the food industry can boost public health.62C78C9A, 371078Shaping public understanding and scientific researchWell-resourced food companies are able to recruit leading nutritional scientist, experts and researchers to guide and justify product development, reformulation and health impact. Research suggests that studies funded by industry are 4- to 8-fold more likely to support conclusions favourable to the industry.555CD992, 399703Corporate interests are often in tension with public health interestSelf-regulatory measures often struggle to accomplish sufficient public health impact, as corporate financial interests are often in tension with the public health interest.13EF597B, 399709Place onus of proof on industryThe onus should be on companies to demonstrate rigorously and independently that the self-regulatory measures and/or private–public partnerships are improving public health as well as private profit. Where this is found to be case, the specific methods should be extended and replicated.565CA4D9, 399710Self-regulation and public-private partnerships have worked beforeIndustry self-regulation and public-private partnerships have worked successfully in the public interest in a number of cases.1198CE71, 399788Self-regulation in the forestry and fisheries industries62C78C9A, 399789Pharmaceutical company drug donationsDonations by pharmaceutical companies of mectizan for river blindness, mebendazole to eliminate intestinal parasites, and azithromycin to treat trachoma have supported health agencies and benefited millions of persons with debilitating diseases – and illustrate who public-private partnerships can also promote health.62C78C9A, 399790Folate fortification of flour and bread productsFolate fortification of flour and bread products to help reduce rates of neural tube defects is an example of the way in which public-private collaborations with the food industry can boost public health.62C78C9A, 399894Public health interventions are often resistedEvidence suggests that, for example, some food and beverage companies are adopting similar tactics to those adopted earlier by the tobacco companies to avoid public health interventions (such as taxation and regulation) that might threaten their profits.555CD992, 399916Shaping public understanding and scientific researchWell-resourced food companies are able to recruit leading nutritional scientist, experts and researchers to guide and justify product development, reformulation and health impact. Research suggests that studies funded by industry are 4- to 8-fold more likely to support conclusions favourable to the industry.555CD992, 399920Unhealthier foods are engineered to be tastierFood scientists have become adept at understanding how our brains respond to, and react to, and crave tastes, smells and textures, and have become adept at engineering and processing foods to take advantage of that – largely by adding lots of salt, sugar and fat – and to make these foods almost irresistible to our brains.555CD992

To avoid public criticism and forestall government intervention, the food and beverage industry hopes that self-regulation is sufficient1 and also seeks to establish public-private partnerships. This reaction is common in industries under threat and can take helpful or harmful forms.

Industry self-regulation can sometimes work in the public interest, with forestry and fisheries serving as examples. Public-private partnerships can also promote health. For instance, donations by pharmaceutical companies of mectizan for river blindness, mebendazole to eliminate intestinal parasites, and azithromycin to treat trachoma have supported health agencies and benefited millions of persons with debilitating diseases. The food industry has demonstrated its ability to contribute to the public's health through folate fortification of flour and bread products, a productive public-private collaboration aimed at reducing rates of neural tube defects. In other cases, such as tobacco, self-regulation and public-private partnerships have a long history of undermining public health.

The Institute of Medicine reported in 2005 that food and beverage marketing to children and youth is “out of balance with healthful diets”. The dominant policy response in the United States has been to encourage self-regulation by the food, beverage, advertising, and media industries. From a nutrition perspective, this deference to the private sector may seem surprising. This article reviews current economic and legal perspectives on food marketing to children that are motivating the policy decision to attempt a period of self-regulation. The empirical literature on this topic has been reinvigorated by new data on marketing practices and expenditures. The article concludes by considering whether more directive policies are possible in the future.

Background: Industrial support of biomedical research may bias scientific conclusions, as demonstrated by recent analyses of pharmaceutical studies. However, this issue has not been systematically examined in the area of nutrition research. The purpose of this study is to characterize financial sponsorship of scientific articles addressing the health effects of three commonly consumed beverages, and to determine how sponsorship affects published conclusions.

Conclusions: Industry funding of nutrition-related scientific articles may bias conclusions in favor of sponsors' products, with potentially significant implications for public health.