I N G R E D I E N T S FOOD HEAD CRITICISES AMERICAN SUGAR ARTICLE Chief executive of the New Zealand Food and Grocery Council Katherine Rich has launched a scathing attack on a recent article about the sugar industry published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The article, an historical analysis of internal sugar industry documents written by University of California academics including Dr Cristin Kearns, accuses the sugar industry of paying three Harvard scientists in the 1960s to downplay any connection between sugar consumption and heart disease by conducting a literature review of the science at the time. The three Californian researchers claim they have proof that the Harvard nutrition professors were “doing the bidding of sugar companies and published biased research.” But Rich, a former National MP, says the article – presented as a “great food industry conspiracy” – admits that there is no direct evidence that the sugar industry influenced the original literature review, and fears that three Harvard nutrition professors have had their reputations unfairly damaged. “Predictably, media reports of Dr Kearn’s Brenntag New Zealand Limited 75 France Street, Eden Terrace Auckland 1010, New Zealand Phone: +64 9 275 0745 info-nz@brenntag-asia.com ■ Bakery & Snacks 26 OCTOBER 2016 Brenntag Food & Beverage New Zealand is an experienced partner throughout the region, offering a reliable supply of high quality food & beverage ingredients from all over the world. We provide technical support, warehousing and logistical solutions, through to marketing and distribution that sharpen your competitive edge. Our dedicated Food & Beverage teams can be found in Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Offering the Best Products We are committed to building bridges between food producers and ingredient manufacturers. It is a task that requires extensive industry contacts, shared experience, and the ability to encourage creativity and innovation that enables our partners to make the most out of trends and development. We serve markets that include, but are not limited to: YOUR RIGHT INGREDIENT – TODAY AND TOMORROW www.brenntag-asia.com ■ Dairy ■ Health & Nutrition ■ Beverage ■ Confectionery ■ Meat 0009-160201_BAP_NZ_Ad_Food_210x140mm_En_Joghurt.indd 1 22.03.16 14:33 FT181 work spread quickly around the globe because the story had all the components of a great food industry conspiracy: money changing hands, allegations of undue influence, the manipulation of respected academics – and even a glamorous Ivy League university thrown in for good measure,” Rich says in a Foodnavigator-asia.com article. “My criticisms of this paper will no doubt be dismissed because I am the chief executive of an industry association that has grocery suppliers as members, and one of them is even a sugar refinery.” Rich says instead of relying on online coverage, she read the three Harvard studies in question and was unable to find proof that the professors were paid to manipulate their research just to support the sugar industry. Kearn is attempting to rewrite nutrition history, particularly as the outspoken researcher is part of Sugarscience.org, a campaigning anti-sugar science group. “A major concern here has to be the complete trashing of the reputations of three people (now deceased) who dedicated their lives to academia and nutrition. More than 100 years of service appears to be up in smoke due to a relatively light paper that set out to find a conspiracy and created one” Rich says. The situation must be difficult for the surviving families of Professors Robert McGandy, Frank Stare and Mark Hegsted, as well as Sugar Research Foundation director John Hickson, Rich says. To read the entire article, go to: http://tinyurl.com/zj9lj23 More than 100 years of service appears to be up in smoke due to a relatively light paper that set out to find a conspiracy and created one.”
FT-Oct16
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