Big Food systematically interferes with WHO (World Health Organization) health policies aimed at improving the nutrition of populations. A scientific study just published in Global Health reveals the lobbying activities of multinational food corporations in a direction contrary to public health. (1)
Non-communicable diseases related to obesity, overweight and unbalanced diets are causing a global epidemic (
Global Syndemic
). And the consumption of ultra-processed foods and junk food is considered to be the primary cause of the endemic spread of serious, often incurable diseases (e.g., obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hepatic steatosis, diabetes).
Big food‘s meddling
The meddling of Big food is documented, in the scientific study under review, through analysis of all written (open access) responses provided to WHO (or WHO, World Health Organization) activated consultations on Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), during the four-year period 2015-2018.
Industrial giants do not expose themselves directly. Their positions are expressed and represented by food industry associations. The researchers show with a graph how the same multinational corporations (Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Nestlé) repeat the same arguments again and again, through the different industry representations of which they are direct or indirect members. To the point of noting how often the texts of the responses provided by the various associations are completely identical.
Anti-WHO sovereignty
Big Food ‘s strategy to rout WHO policies is rooted in the firm rejection of all cogent measures, with excuses of their ineffectiveness and harmfulness to the economy. Thus, all proposals for purposive taxation (ex.
sugar tax
,
soda tax
), nutrient profiles and marketing restrictions. The junk-food giants then assert that most of these measures-the tax measures especially-are outside the WHO mandate. Since it is easier for them, as seen, to maneuver national policies.
Sustainable Development Goal SDG 17(Strengthen the Means of Implementation and Renew the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development) is then invoked by Big Food to arrogate to itself the right of interference in global policy-making for the prevention of noncommunicable diseases. Food industry associations see ‘the Agenda for Sustainable Development as an imperative for the partnership, suggesting that WHO must comply with this approach.’ (1) The authors of the study under review therefore call for reflection on the compatibility of such a partnership with the obvious and irremediable conflicts of interest.
Big Food and Big Tobacco, the similarities
Big Food ‘s lobbying against health policies has similarities with Big Tobacco‘s, as noted in an interesting Italian study. (2) Pressure on politics and public administration, public relations, promises of self-regulation, legal action against hostile governments, research funding, targeted donations to ingratiate themselves with public opinion.
The influence on WHO is exemplified in an episode cited by the study authors. ‘In October 2017, the World Health Organization organized a conference in Montevideo with the aim of developing a roadmap for the control of noncommunicable diseases. Compared to the draft, the final document bears clear signs of industry influence: while the draft proposed taxation of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks, only tobacco taxes remain in the final document. The negative opinion toward the other two taxes came mainly from Big Food and Big Drink‘.
Wake up!
It is time to reflect and demand that politics and public administration, in the European Union as in Italy, actually pursue their institutional mandates of protecting and promoting public health, rather than protecting opposing private interests.
Marta Strinati and Dario Dongo
Notes
1) Lauber, K., Ralston, R., Mialon, M. et al. (2020). Governance of non-communicable diseases in the era of sustainable development goals: a qualitative analysis of food industry framing in WHO consultations. Global Health 16, 76 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-00611-1
2) Luca Iaboli, Adriano Cattaneo (2019). The food industry’s conflicts of interest. Medical Turin. 2019 http://www.torinomedica.org/torinomedica/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/torinomedica_TM-2018_web.pdf
Professional journalist since January 1995, he has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic surveys on food, she has published the book "Reading labels to know what we eat".
Dario Dongo, lawyer and journalist, PhD in international food law, founder of WIISE (FARE - GIFT - Food Times) and Égalité.
