Big food systematically interferes with the health policies of the WHO (World Health Organization) aimed at improving the nutrition of populations. A scientific study just published on global health reveals the activities of LOBBY of food multinationals, in a direction contrary to public health. (1)
Noncommunicable diseases related to obesity, overweight and unbalanced diets are the cause of a global epidemic (Global Syndemic). And the consumption of ultra-processed food e junk food it is considered to be the primary cause of the endemic spread of serious, often incurable diseases (eg obesity, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, hepatic steatosis, diabetes).
The interference of Big food
The interference of Big food is documented, in the scientific study in question, by analyzing all the written answers (open access) provided to the consultations activated by WHO (or WHO, World Health Organization) on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs, Non-Communicable Diseases), in the four-year period 2015-2018.
The industrial giants they do not expose themselves directly. Their positions are expressed and represented by the food industry associations. The researchers show with a graph how the same multinationals (Coca-Cola, PepsiCo, Mondelez, Nestlé) repeatedly propose the same arguments, through the different industrial representatives of which they are direct or indirect members. To the point of pointing out how often the texts of the answers provided by the various associations are completely identical.
Anti WHO sovereignty
The strategy di Big food to defeat the policies of the WHO it is rooted in the firm rejection of any binding measure, with the excuses of their ineffectiveness and harmfulness to the economy. All proposals for purposeful taxation are thus rejected (eg. sugar tax, soda tax), nutritional profiles e restrictions on marketing. The giants of junk food they then assert that most of these measures - especially fiscal ones - fall outside the mandate of the WHO. Since it is easier for them, as seen, manipulate national policies.
The 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 to interfere in the definition of global policies for the prevention of non-communicable diseases. Food industry associations consider 'the Agenda for Sustainable Development as an imperative for partnership, suggesting that WHO must respect this approach'. (1) The authors of the study in question therefore invoke a reflection on its compatibility partnerships with the obvious and incurable conflicts of interest.
Big food e Big Tobacco, the affinities
Le LOBBY di Big food against health policies have similarities with those of Big Tobacco, as observed in an interesting Italian study. (2) Pressure on politics and public administrations, public relations, promises of self-regulation, lawsuits against hostile governments, research funding, targeted donations to curry favor with public opinion.
Influence on WHO is exemplary 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 the influence of industry: while the draft proposes the taxation of tobacco, alcohol and sugary drinks, in the final document only tobacco taxes remain. The negative opinion towards the other two taxes came mainly from Big Food and Big Drink'.
Wakes up!
Time to reflect and demand that politics and public administration, in the European Union as in Italy, they actually pursue their institutional mandates for the protection and promotion of public health, instead of protect opposing private interests.
Marta Strinati and Dario Dongo
Footnotes
1) Lauber, K., Ralston, R., Mialon, M. et al. (2020) Governance of Noncommunicable Diseases in the Era of Sustainable Development Goals: A Qualitative Analysis of the Framing of the Food Industry in WHO Consultations. Global Health 16, 76 https://doi.org/10.1186/s12992-020-00611-1
2) Luca Iaboli, Adriano Cattaneo (2019). Conflicts of interest in the food industry. Turin Medica. 2019 http://www.torinomedica.org/torinomedica/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/torinomedica_TM-2018_web.pdf
A professional journalist since January 1995, she has worked for newspapers (Il Messaggero, Paese Sera, La Stampa) and periodicals (NumeroUno, Il Salvagente). She is the author of journalistic studies on food and 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.
